Small polip zoas - zoas that will remain small sized

[Mangrov3]

Hello all

I've started a new project and after realising that it's first concept wouldn't work for me, I had to change plans

(see thread here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/drop-off-lagune-reef.874235 )

In the upcoming months, I would like to start a zoa garden in my nano reef, but due to the space available, I'm interested mainly in the small varieties (eg. Hornets, etc).

The plan is to make the zoa garden on the top part of the scape, leaving the bottom to some nice shrooms.

This also means they will receive plenty of light from one Kessil a160we tuna blue and the light will be dimmed during the day with a kessil spectral controller. (hopefully this will keep them flat to the rock)

I'm not totally excluding some medium size ones, to add more contrast, but they would be a minority, with the majority being of the small type.

I'll be gluing them directly to the scape, removing them from the plug, to keep a more natural appearance. I would like to decide way ahead what to put in.. Well, at least the majority of them

I'll be using a color wheel to design the zoa garden, so ideally I would like to put 2/3 types of zoas per main colour, with them being red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple.

Could anyone suggest some names of your favourite small zoa varieties? And if you could add a picture of it, it would be perfect and highly appreciated

I'm uk based so hopefully I'll be able to find at least some of them here

 

[littlefishy]

Hi there, if those rock are glued to the back, you will find that one type of zoa will come to dominate, and move up the rockwork to the light, smothering all others. Also, most zoa in the shaded areas will wither away. Great place for mushrooms, sponges, etc.

 

[littlefishy]

I like your layout and would see if acan lords or a feature sponge likes your "cave"

 

[Tony Testosteroni]

Bam bams, Eagle eyes, Radioactive dragon eyes, Gorilla nipples, Rainbo incinerators. Are all quite small.

 

[Woodyman]

Bam bams, Eagle eyes, Radioactive dragon eyes, Gorilla nipples, Rainbo incinerators. Are all quite small.

Rastas, Bob Marley's, and bloodsuckers come to mind as well

 

[dk2nt9]

There are smaller kinds of zoas than were advised. You will see on the picture in the store, there is a frag plug and a grid for comparizon. I have unknowln metallic red with dark center, incredibly small, pinhead size.

 

[Chrisv.]

King midas, queen midas, scrambled eggs, Daisey cutter. Nightmare, lsoh (if you're feeling spendy)

 

[Mangrov3]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions!

Hi there, if those rock are glued to the back, you will find that one type of zoa will come to dominate, and move up the rockwork to the light, smothering all others. Also, most zoa in the shaded areas will wither away. Great place for mushrooms, sponges, etc.

The rock work consist of small rocks all glued together to make the vertical scape you see. But I don't trust its strength in time if I where to add a mangrove as I initially planned to do. So here we are with plan B

I don't plan to put any zoas in shaded areas. As I would like to keep seeing most of the rock work. Obviously I won't stop them if the decide to colonise those areas as well.

The reason why I want only small polip zoas is exactly to avoid the big polip zoa, to shadow and outgrow the small ones.

If I would to insert 4/5 polip colonies for each type, that in theory have the same growth speed, won't I avoid one to become the dominante type? Or is there a zoa that is more aggressive and will do proper war to the other colonies as hard coral do?

Obviously i would avvoid to insert a colony, that is extremely fast growing, with a 1 polip colony extremely slow growing... could also always try to cut back one type if it's extremely fast growing.

My point is, won't they reach a point of balance and coexistence whiting them?

There are smaller kinds of zoas than were advised. You will see on the picture in the store, there is a frag plug and a grid for comparizon. I have unknowln metallic red with dark center, incredibly small, pinhead size.

Could you share a picture of this zoa?

 

[Chrisv.]

My experience has been that even among small zoas, growth rate varies quite a bit.

 

[Woodyman]

My experience has been that even among small zoas, growth rate varies quite a bit.

The placement will also effect growth rate as they get different amounts of lighting depending on how high/low you place them.

If your going for equal growth be ready for pruning.

 

[nomad6]

Fruitloops or emeralds on fire not sure

 

[sfin52]

Agree you will end up with a dominat zoa. A whole tank of rfa would be sweet looking

 

[Hooz]

How small is small? Ktar Black Hornets and CS Electric Hornets are both TINY. I'd consider them micro zoas.

Good luck finding Ktars, though. I only know of 4-5 of us in the US that have them, and I'm not fragging mine any time soon.

 

[sfin52]

How small is small? Ktar Black Hornets and CS Electric Hornets are both TINY. I'd consider them micro zoas.

Good luck finding Ktars, though. I only know of 4-5 of us in the US that have them, and I'm not fragging mine any time soon.

Any pics

 

[Hooz]

Any pics

This was from a while ago. That is a 3/4" frag plug they're on. Currently up to about 20 polyps or so.

The CS Electric Hornets are about the same size. I have 4p now in growout. I'll try to get a decent picture of them.

Frozen Hornets are also pretty small.

 

[sfin52]

This was from a while ago. That is a 3/4" frag plug they're on. Currently up to about 20 polyps or so.

The CS Electric Hornets are about the same size. I have 4p now in growout. I'll try to get a decent picture of them.

Frozen Hornets are also pretty small.

Those look nice