Tips for Starting a Zoa Garden

[gabeb]

Hi! I am looking to start a nice zoa garden and probably seed it with a lot of small frags. Do you have any advice for starting a zoa garden or tips on how to do it. Is there anything at all I should know? Could be tips on how to make it look good color wise and zoa wise or more scientific advice too. Thanks!

 

[sbash]

Stable parameters are key. You don't need high alkalinity or calcium with a zoa garden, but keep everything as stable as possible. This includes your ATO. I use a float valve to keep my water topped up, so it is as accurate as you can get. If you use a commercial product, try to keep the swing as small as you can - especially with smaller tanks.

Even though zoas are 'soft' corals, keep in mind, they do well under good lighting.

Lastly, some zoas grow faster than others, so plan accordingly.

I keep mixed reefs, so I do not do anything specific for zoas (i.e. dose iodine), but these three principles above keep my zoas growing quite well!

 

[gabeb]

Stable parameters are key. You don't need high alkalinity or calcium with a zoa garden, but keep everything as stable as possible. This includes your ATO. I use a float valve to keep my water topped up, so it is as accurate as you can get. If you use a commercial product, try to keep the swing as small as you can - especially with smaller tanks.

Even though zoas are 'soft' corals, keep in mind, they do well under good lighting.

Lastly, some zoas grow faster than others, so plan accordingly.

I keep mixed reefs, so I do not do anything specific for zoas (i.e. dose iodine), but these three principles above keep my zoas growing quite well!

Thanks for the info! Mine will be mixed as well, just want to have a large zoa garden in it.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I love zoa gardens! What are some of the ones you're planning to have?

 

[Leadfooted]

Be mindful of any plays you get, they tend to overshadow and outgrow some zoa's. DIP DIP DIP DIP! Zoanthid eating nudi's and other pest love the nasty water Zoas grow in. I've been happy with the Bayer method. Show off your progress to us!

 

[Akey]

I just ordered some. I hope to have a garden as well. How do most of you dose (if at all)?

 

[Ionclad]

I put 5 different frags onto a small rock about the size of a softball. Used a drill bit so the plug tops fit in flush with the rock. About 6 month in and the garden looked great, all grown in beautiful, about 4 months later and one of them has completely taken over, you can only see a few of the other original ones and of course the one that took over is the least good looking one. Hoping the LFS will take it and I can use that spot for a clam.

 

[jpas]

Do not get a moorish idol, mine decided he likes zoa’s & wiped out a full rock in 2 days. He had better stay away from my space invader, otherwise he be gone!

 

[gabeb]

Do not get a moorish idol, mine decided he likes zoa’s & wiped out a full rock in 2 days. He had better stay away from my space invader, otherwise he be gone!

Oh no!! Thanks for the info. Heard they are pretty hard to keep too

 

[gabeb]

I put 5 different frags onto a small rock about the size of a softball. Used a drill bit so the plug tops fit in flush with the rock. About 6 month in and the garden looked great, all grown in beautiful, about 4 months later and one of them has completely taken over, you can only see a few of the other original ones and of course the one that took over is the least good looking one. Hoping the LFS will take it and I can use that spot for a clam.

Does one just have to trim it to prevent this?

 

[Greg Gdowski]

I put 5 different frags onto a small rock about the size of a softball. Used a drill bit so the plug tops fit in flush with the rock. About 6 month in and the garden looked great, all grown in beautiful, about 4 months later and one of them has completely taken over, you can only see a few of the other original ones and of course the one that took over is the least good looking one. Hoping the LFS will take it and I can use that spot for a clam.

Those look like Capt. Jerk Palys.

 

[Ionclad]

Those look like Capt. Jerk Plays.

That would be an appropriate name, hahaha. I am concerned it they may be a toxic variety, any ideas? No issues yet just concerned when ready to get it out.

 

[Greg Gdowski]

All palys have some level of toxicity. That particular variety is known to take over zones and be quite aggressive.

 

[AquaLifeStudio]

I like zoas as well and have been establishing a few gardens around my tank.

I also have a moorish idol that appears to only be interested in grazing the rocks for algae and hasn't picked on anything else. This behavior is in addition to eating the nori left out on multiple clips and multiple feeding of flakes, pellets and frozen foods per day. Maybe I'm just lucky so far?

As far as how to spread them out, I prefer contrasting colors like blues against reds and greens against yellows. I now have all four of these colors in a single area.

The more color variations the better for me. I purposely mounted a small colony in such a way that it could grow up and look like a Christmas tree with lights.

Good luck to you!

 

[AquaLifeStudio]

 

[Corfyboy]

I haven't done anything special just the right amount of light and flow

 

[Hemmdog]

I have lots of zoas in my biocube. I like this pic because I noticed I have an utter chaos hitchhiker! Sweeet. But in this tank zoas grow like crazy. I keep nitrates at 15 and phosphates high at 2, yes two. Lol. I also dose aquavitro vibrance to this tank only, not my main display because I’ve found zoas to benefit greatly from iodine. Aquavitro uses multiple types of iodine but I cannot test for all the types. That’s why I only do it to my “Guinea pig tank” . I do reef roid broadcast once a week, oyster feast broadcast once a month. I feed my fish lightly in this tank twice a day with mysis. Make sure you have a skimmer if your going to broadcast oyster feast.

 

[littlebigreef]

I've never head of an Idol going rogue on a zoa colony but, I'm not surprised. I've heard of fox faces going after them and I even hand a Dussumeri tang go rogue one time.

I'm going to +1 on bayer dips -especially for wild collected colonies.

A dirty little secret about zoa gardens is that some of the best pics (on google) are actually pieces that were pushed together for the pic and then separated back out. Unfortunately zoas grow with an utter disregard for our plans and, as shown above, will grow right though each other. I keep my mother colonies separated out on the sand bed and even still they'll grow together.