Jordan's Zoa Garden

[jmay33]

In the process of starting a 20 gallon long zoa garden. It's still in the starting stages and I will be making some upgrades. One of my actinic bulbs is out and I will be adding more filtration and more live rock. (Taking rock directly from my 55 DT.) I used cycled filter media, as well. here is a picture.

 

[bribo12]

Is it going to be only zoas??

 

[jmay33]

Is it going to be only zoas??

That's the plan. The first corals I put in will be some mushrooms as a "tester coral." I know that's horrible, lol. But the mushrooms are overtaking my DT anyway. But after that I will only be putting zoas in it. There will be a pair of clownfish in there, for sure if they don't leave my Duncan coral alone.

 

[bribo12]

That's the plan. The first corals I put in will be some mushrooms as a "tester coral." I know that's horrible, lol. But the mushrooms are overtaking my DT anyway. But after that I will only be putting zoas in it. There will be a pair of clownfish in there, for sure if they don't leave my Duncan coral alone.

Haha mushrooms survive everything! They will be fine. I'm definitely following along though, I've always wanted a zoa dominated tank!

 

[huma-huma]

I vote that you get this zoa garden established, start fragging them, and send some to me no but seriously since im just getting into corals, and zoas are my favorite, im going to follow along.

 

[manbeast]

An idea I had with zoas and am trying in my tank is starting a colony off on a branch coral skeleton and waiting to see if it takes off and becomes a zoa "tree"

 

[huma-huma]

An idea I had with zoas and am trying in my tank is starting a colony off on a branch coral skeleton and waiting to see if it takes off and becomes a zoa "tree"

expanding on that a bit, it would be awesome to build an arch and then see if a zoa frag (or multiple) would spread all over it.

 

[thatbikeguy]

expanding on that a bit, it would be awesome to build an arch and then see if a zoa frag (or multiple) would spread all over it.

Thats what im doing right now. Just put a couple zoo frags on one of my arches. All I need is time now

 

[jmay33]

Thank you guys! I am so excited. I've always wanted one. I bought a new light fixture for it last night and I will be adding some more rock in the next week or so. I've been in the process of moving, so I will be adding some live rock I've been curing at my old place. I will definitely be posting pictures!! I work at my lfs, so I just know that I'm about to be spending my whole paychecks on Zoanthids, lol, and I'm okay with that! And I'm also working on a "zoa tree" I will post pics of that this afternoon. Heading to pregame some football right now.

Not a great pictures, but here are some of my zoas that will be moved over.

 

[jmay33]

Here's the new light fixture. It has some really ugly bulbs that need replacing.

 

[huma-huma]

lol what exactly does an ugly bulb look like?
** for roughly $150 you could have an led panel that wouldn't be quite as bulky as that t5 fixture

 

[jmay33]

lol what exactly does an ugly bulb look like? ** for roughly $150 you could have an led panel that wouldn't be quite as bulky as that t5 fixture

The one of the bulbs is white and the other is bubblegum pink. Lol. When I get back home, I'll turn them on and take a picture. I'm ready to get some actinics in it! I'm also going to move the mushrooms in today.

I don't trust LED technology yet, (I love my corals too much to bleach them,) plus, this was only $45. Eventually, I will get something other than minimum wage and I'll have nicer things.

 

[huma-huma]

oh wow. wouldn't of expected it to be that good of a price. yeah leds are more dangerous in the aspect that they are pretty powerful and can bleach corals really easily.

 

[manbeast]

If you do eventually make that upgrade just be sure to get a dimmable fixture

 

[bribo12]

You just have to make sure with leds to light acclimate corals. Leds are a lot more powerful than what the actual wattage says most of the time.

 

[jmay33]

oh wow. wouldn't of expected it to be that good of a price. yeah leds are more dangerous in the aspect that they are pretty powerful and can bleach corals really easily.

Yeah. It was super cheap. Lol. A perk of working in a lfs. and that is exactly why I don't have LEDs yet. I would. Be devastated if I killed my corals with something as silly as unnecessary new lights.

If you do eventually make that upgrade just be sure to get a dimmable fixture

I will definitely go dimmable. Especially since bleaching my corals is my main concern.

You just have to make sure with leds to light acclimate corals. Leds are a lot more powerful than what the actual wattage says most of the time.

How do you acclimate them exactly? I understand that it's just slowly increasing the amount of light, but how slowly?

 

[manbeast]

I went from a 6 bulb t5ho unit to two taotronic led panels over my 65 gallon a couple months ago, I started off @ 35% and am now @ 75% I think, I've been taking it slower than most I believe, but I have notice each time I bump the lights up a bit there's a mini diatom bloom for two or three days then it just goes away, but I only bump it up maybe 5% at a time every couple of weeks

 

[MJSerik]

How hard is it to make a zoa garden? As in how long of a cycle, how good of water, etc etc. Absolutely LOVE zoas, just started into saltwater. Thanks

 

[bribo12]

Yeah. It was super cheap. Lol. A perk of working in a lfs. and that is exactly why I don't have LEDs yet. I would. Be devastated if I killed my corals with something as silly as unnecessary new lights.

I will definitely go dimmable. Especially since bleaching my corals is my main concern.

How do you acclimate them exactly? I understand that it's just slowly increasing the amount of light, but how slowly?

Well my fixture isn't dimmable so I just start corals on the bottom and then give them a week to a week and a half then move them up to where I want. For a dimmable fixture you could just dim it down and then slowly raise it up to where you want over the same time frame.

 

[jmay33]

I went from a 6 bulb t5ho unit to two taotronic led panels over my 65 gallon a couple months ago, I started off @ 35% and am now @ 75% I think, I've been taking it slower than most I believe, but I have notice each time I bump the lights up a bit there's a mini diatom bloom for two or three days then it just goes away, but I only bump it up maybe 5% at a time every couple of weeks

Cool. Thanks! I probably won't upgrade lights until I upgrade tanks and that will be a while.

How hard is it to make a zoa garden? As in how long of a cycle, how good of water, etc etc. Absolutely LOVE zoas, just started into saltwater. Thanks

Starting a zoa tank is just like starting any other. mine has been running a couple weeks, but I used established filter media and I'm going to be using established rock. (Cured rock and rock from my display tank) so my cycle might be shorter than some, but you definitely want to cycle it like any other tank. Zoas are a lot of fun though. They are very colorful and super easy to care for.

Well my fixture isn't dimmable so I just start corals on the bottom and then give them a week to a week and a half then move them up to where I want. For a dimmable fixture you could just dim it down and then slowly raise it up to where you want over the same time frame.

Cool. Thanks! I will definitely do dimmable lights but it's good to have the knowledge to have an option.