What do you feed Zoas?

H2oheartny3 · Apr 29, 2019

I have a couple of small zoas and I’m curious what do you feed them? I’ve been try reef roids but they don’t really seem to respond and haven’t grown new polyps in the months I’ve had them. They look healthy, just not growing... thanks for your help!

High ICP · Apr 29, 2019

They have mouths, but I’ve never seen them put things into them.

Reef roids, reef chili, amino acids

Palys eat big stuff, mysis etc, though

Aside:
People seem to think dosing nitrates, as in potassium nitrate, is a good thing today. I have no idea why.

If zoas really are nitrate starved, feeding them reef roids, Rods or Larry’s, or reef chili is going to dose them nitrates. It’s real food and not stump killer.

Ron Reefman · Apr 29, 2019

Zoas can do just fine without being fed if they get good light. They have an algae (zooxanthellae) that live inside the coral polyp and feed the coral when they do photosynthesis. Any fine food can be a good addition. I shut all my pumps off when I spot feed the corals and anemones with a turkey baster so the food can settle on the polyps and get taken in. It may not be something you can easily see.

H2oheartny3 · Apr 29, 2019

Ron Reefman said:
Zoas can do just fine without being fed if they get good light. They have an algae (zooxanthellae) that live inside the coral polyp and feed the coral when they do photosynthesis. Any fine food can be a good addition. I shut all my pumps off when I spot feed the corals and anemones with a turkey baster so the food can settle on the polyps and get taken in. It may not be something you can easily see.

I do the same with feeding. How long do you normally leave power heads off? Just curious.

Ron Reefman · Apr 29, 2019

I leave the pumps off for 10-15 minutes, fire them back up for 1 minute and then off again for 10 more minutes.

robocop1906 · Apr 29, 2019

I'll second the feed them nothing! Once you find a sweet spot under a decent par they will grow like crazy. I've noticed mine grow well under around 200par. if you don't have a par meter then just move them around and observe where you get the most polyp extension. Medium flow is idea as well. Consider final placement though, when they do grow like crazy be sure you don't mind their place. In the right setting they will take over, I keep my fast growers on an island.

Vahanyos · Apr 29, 2019

I don’t target feed mine. I feed LRS Reef frenzy and I shut my return off and just let the food blow around like 15 mins before turning my return pump on. This pretty much feeds the whole tank for me.... big pieces are eaten by the fish, smaller pieces feed everything else ... seems to be working for me. I make sure they have sufficient lighting tho and are not shaded

johnanddawn · Apr 29, 2019

nothing - most of those coral foods are expensive snake oils - feed your fish, maintain a healthy system, your corals will get their own food

BestMomEver · Apr 29, 2019

Fish poop....

Steven Garland · Apr 29, 2019

I always had a positive response (vibrant colors,really good growth and fuller polyps) when using a combo of Reef Roids,PolypLabs Polyp Booster and LPS MAX (which all 3 mixed together to feed Acan's but fed the Z's & P's at the same time).

This was fed 2 times a week,Tuesday was more of a broadcast feeding and on Saturday post water change which was a heavy feeding.

Ron Reefman · Apr 30, 2019

johnanddawn said:
nothing - most of those coral foods are expensive snake oils - feed your fish, maintain a healthy system, your corals will get their own food

This is how I feel about coral food as well. I only feed food I win at local club raffles!

kevinl · Apr 30, 2019

I only feed the fish as well.
For me it was probably a year and a half before they took off.
200 par is a good lighting & don't forget they like good water movement as well!

High ICP · Apr 30, 2019

I don’t think human beings were ever designed to eat lobsters

They certainly never ate them before a few thousand years ago

So why do they taste so good?

H2oheartny3 · Apr 30, 2019

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Nice pic kevinl. I’ve recent upgraded to an AI light. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try moving them around

vetteguy53081 · May 4, 2019

Reef roids, brine shrimp soaked in reef roids, and small mysis shrimp

Salty Guy · May 4, 2019

Oyster feast

Newms118 · May 5, 2019

High ICP said:
They have mouths, but I’ve never seen them put things into them.

Reef roids, reef chili, amino acids

Palys eat big stuff, mysis etc, though

Aside:
People seem to think dosing nitrates, as in potassium nitrate, is a good thing today. I have no idea why.

If zoas really are nitrate starved, feeding them reef roids, Rods or Larry’s, or reef chili is going to dose them nitrates. It’s real food and not stump killer.

The issue I have run into is when I directly feed the zoas (at least some of them), they will close up and the food with just sit on their face. Then they are ***** for like a few days afterwards. I can broadcast reef roids but that just ups the phosphate. And i blame and nitrate sink on algae, like my bubble infestation. So to make everyone happy ill do some nitrate dosing. So long as it stays around 1 to 2 ppm its a real visible change in the zoas and other corals. When it gets higher is when i seem to have issues, namely more dang algae.