Purchased today

[MarineDan]

Afternoon

Was just wondering if anyone could answer a few questions of mine?
Today I went out and brought (at only £2.50 each 4 lots of Zoas..
Was just wondering:

How long does it take for them to grow?
How long does it take for them to fully open after putting them into my tank?
And does it take long for them to multiply?

Thanks all.

 

[twilliard]

How old is the tank?
Also what is your nutrient level like?

 

[Tahoe61]

Acclimation can take days.
Growth depends on water quality, light intensity and available nutrients and type of Zoanthid or Palys.
Compared to stony corals Zoanthids and Palys grow faster.

 

[MarineDan]

How old is the tank?
Also what is your nutrient level like?

The tank is just over 3 weeks old. My tank has finished cycling and I added CUC 3 days ago. Told the guy this in Coral Cabin and he advised me everything is fine. My water readings are spot on too. Erm I don't know what my nutrient level is.. :/ the guy told me they are extremely hardy and don't even need feeding...

 

[melypr1985]

Some zoas are easier than others. In general they are a pretty easy coral, but that's not to say there arn't some out there that will melt just from you looking at them wrong. lol As already stated, it really depends on your system and it's components along with the types of zoas/palys you bought and where they are placed. For nutrient levels check (and get the actual numbers) your phosphate and nitrate levels.

 

[twilliard]

There has to be a balance for them to thrive
If you like to read and learn about zooxanthellae here is a good page

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/5/corals

 

[Nick92515]

Key is stability, which comes with tank age. Best is to test for nitrate, phos, calcium, mag, and alk. The last 3 shouldn't be a problem if you keep up on wager changes.

 

[MarineDan]

Are the safe to handle? I've been moving them around a few times today.

 

[Nick92515]

Look up some info about them, they can cause blindness if they squirt in your eyes. The more you move them the longer it will take for them to open up.

 

[melypr1985]

They are fine to move around as long as your not fragging them. That's when the toxin is a risk to you. Nick is right though, you should leave them in one spot and give them a while to open up before moving them elsewhere.

 

[ReeferBob]

3 weeks is too early to put anything in the tank let alone Coral. You might get lucky and they survive. Zoas are fairly easy to keep. Make sure you lighting is appropriate for them. At least they were cheap!

 

[MarineDan]

3 weeks is too early to put anything in the tank let alone Coral. You might get lucky and they survive. Zoas are fairly easy to keep. Make sure you lighting is appropriate for them. At least they were cheap!

The tank is ready though.. It finished the cycle and the algae stage started so thats when the clean up crew go in.. According to the pet shops lol. Everything is still alive and still cleaning so so far so good haha. One thing I'm not 100% on though, do the Zoas require continious light? Do I now need to leave my lights on 24/7?

 

[ReeferBob]

The tank is ready though.. It finished the cycle and the algae stage started so thats when the clean up crew go in.. According to the pet shops lol. Everything is still alive and still cleaning so so far so good haha. One thing I'm not 100% on though, do the Zoas require continious light? Do I now need to leave my lights on 24/7?

They still need a light cycle (they need darkness). If your lights are not able to "ramp" up, I would just go 8-10 hours. You could research where your particular zoa comes from and match the hours of light that area gets. If they can ramp up, add a 1 hour ramp up and ramp down to that time.