Zoa polyp size

[GOSKN5]

I seem to have decent luck growing zoas, they keep fairly good color and grow moderately fast. However, the polyps are nearly always small. When I compare to polyp sizes in other tanks (friends, LFS, etc), they usually have polyps that are twice the size of mine.

Anyone have any ideas as to what causes varying polyp sizes?

These pics are of zoa rocks in my tank (past and current), several of these came from colonies with larger polyps. It's hard to tell the sizes in the pics though...

Thoughts?

 

[aKlevans]

I have had this question before. What I settled on was that zoanthids will stretch their polyps to recieve more light if they are in lower light.

Another observation I've made (and this is not based on fact) but from what I've seen zoanthid polyps are usually smaller under leds when compared to t5 and metal halide.

 

[DharkaronReef]

Those are nice zoas and great growth. In my experience, some zoanthids breeds have large polyps (armor of God, gobstoppers, Armageddon) and some are small (tubs blue, rastas, fruit loops.

 

[Capitol Reef Corals]

Am I missing something? The polyp sizes on all of your zoas seems to be very good and plump! Even the Rastas and JF jungle juice (I'm assuming those are them in the last pic) that were posted by someone else are good size, they tend to be on the smaller size.

 

[GOSKN5]

Am I missing something? The polyp sizes on all of your zoas seems to be very good and plump! Even the Rastas and JF jungle juice (I'm assuming those are them in the last pic) that were posted by someone else are good size, they tend to be on the smaller size.

I guess I am comparing them to the colony they came from. Several are from other tanks and the polyps are nearly double the size... dont get me wrong.. I'm not complaining as I said I get solid growth and color.., just curious more than anything...

 

[OhDumb]

Wish I knew as well. I'll have zoas shrink down to smaller than when I purchased and some that blow up and get long stalks. They are sometimes right next to each other. For example, my Rastas are tiny but spreading and right next to it are Gobstoppers that have grown long stalks, but are also spreading.

 

[NemHost]

Many zoas (utter chaos for example) will become smaller but grow faster under higher par levels. There are some zoas (such as scrambled eggs), however, that get larger under high light levels. Zoas also get larger under t5 and halides.
Your zoas seem healthy and of normal size.

 

[nano reef]

I have had this question before. What I settled on was that zoanthids will stretch their polyps to recieve more light if they are in lower light.

Another observation I've made (and this is not based on fact) but from what I've seen zoanthid polyps are usually smaller under leds when compared to t5 and metal halide.

What are the orange and purple top left, also the teal and pink lash on toppick under the long lash one. They are big and beautiful and I recognize sunny d under them and I know sunny d's are big!

 

[nano reef]

What are the orange and purple top left, also the teal and pink lash on toppick under the long lash one. They are big and beautiful and I recognize sunny d under them and I know sunny d's are big!

 

[NeSsyAqua]

The higher u place them in the tank (closer to the light, higher PAR), the smaller the polyps are gonna be and more color, the lower u place them in the tank (lower PAR), the bigger the polyps are and tend to be less color.