Zoa lighting help

[JurisHP]

So I am a Zoa fanatic...that can't keep Zoas!! I have tried everything for this one animal and no luck. I have spent thousands on them and they always fail to thrive and then melt away. My parameters are perfect, my water is dirty enough, and I have eliminated the possibility of pests like Zoa eating Nudi's. So now I am trying to fiddle with my lighting--perhaps it is too strong and that is what is melting them. I have 3 Ecotech radion XR30 Pro's with diffusers, and 4 DIY T5's. I'm hoping that someone has a template for the Radions they can share that is good for growing Zoas?

 

[dougers31]

I have trouble with some zoa's but otherwise they do okay. Always seems like they like a lot less light than I think they would but it depends on the type.

 

[John3]

Run the AB+ schedule at 50 to 70% overal intensity, its proven. I can tell you first hand that the white channel is deceiving and dangerous. I don’t think it should ever be above 50% and even that is high imo. The AB+ schedule has the white channel around 25%.

 

[hockeyhead019]

@John3 is that a pretty general consensus that zoas don't like white light? I'm trying to figure out how to encourage more growth in my zoas

 

[Jr'sReef]

For some reason anytime I use gfo or the like I lose zoas, many melt away. Something I’ve noticed and figured it could help

 

[John3]

It’s not just zoas. I have noticed that specifically the white channel on the Radion lights is very very strong. You can prob melt almost anything with the white turned way up. The sad part is there really isn’t anything that tells you that and people end up killing corals right off the bat and get frustrated.

If you want better growth you need consistency in water parameters, lighting, and placement. Placement is a big deal. Many people just keep moving a frag around never letting it settle in. I found once you get them in a spot and leave them be they do really good.