Are my Zoas ok..?

[Big Tex]

I just got these zoas about 2wks ago and I've beeb slowly moving them from the sand bed to right before the highest point in my tank is this normal..? My tank is a 37g bow front, a dual t5ho light fixture running a 10, 000k and blue actinic bulb, hob filter, and about 40lbs of live rock. My problem is only about 50%-75% of them will open up. I want them to live and thrive guys any suggestions?

[SaltwaterNuB]

Where do you have them placed in tank? Have you tried to relocate them?

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by SaltwaterNuB

Where do you have them placed in tank? Have you tried to relocate them?

I've tried moving them from the bed up to the top, and I have one more spot to move them up too but I want to know what they need first before I give them too much light.

[Jmkb02]

Zoas need lower light, I keep mine on the bottom for the most part and let them climb up rock toward the light. Also flow is key, almost as important as light IMO. What kind of flow is on them??

[SaltwaterNuB]

Also what are tank parameters? +1 on the flow. Flow is almost as important as the lighting. They need good flow.

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by Jmkb02

Zoas need lower light, I keep mine on the bottom for the most part and let them climb up rock toward the light. Also flow is key, almost as important as light IMO. What kind of flow is on them??

So low light? And more flow? So I should move them lower then? Am I burning them with to much light?

And my parameters are fine and stable. Just did a water change so its good now. Should I be feeding them?

[SaltwaterNuB]

I target feed mysis and brine 2-3 times a week. Then I feel phyto feast by reef nutrition 2 times a week.

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by SaltwaterNuB

I target feed mysis and brine 2-3 times a week. Then I feel phyto feast by reef nutrition 2 times a week.

Should i start target feeding then? How would I do that without the other fish swooping in?

[SaltwaterNuB]

I put some seaweed on a clip right before I target feed. The fish will grab some of the food but the zoas will get some too. Some people cut the bottom off of a liter bottle, flip it upside down with spite over zoas and target that way.

[Jmkb02]

Your zoas don't really need to be target fed, they get their food through photosynthesis and what's in the water. Yes higher flow, and lower light. I would keep them on the bottom for two weeks the move them up a third of the tank to its eventual home prob every two weeks or so.

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by Jmkb02

Your zoas don't really need to be target fed, they get their food through photosynthesis and what's in the water. Yes higher flow, and lower light. I would keep them on the bottom for two weeks the move them up a third of the tank to its eventual home prob every two weeks or so.

Wow I didn't think it took that long too acclimate them to the light. The thing is at my lrs they have em under high powered leds and I brought them home to t5s so I thought maybe they needed to be higher. So I should just set them on the very bottom again and let them adjust? Or mid height?

[Jmkb02]

I always start at the bottom, just bc your lfs had them under LEDs doesn't really mean they had time to acclimate properly. They may have even had them turned all the way down. There are too many factors and I will always rather be safe than sorry. You have a good amount of light coming off your fixture and you can't dim yours, so it's prob better to just let them get used to your spectrum and flow and go up from there. You may not have to wait a full two weeks, I always wait till they have good polyp extension for a day or two then move up then. It differs from tank to tank do that's what I go by. Good luck!

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by Jmkb02

I always start at the bottom, just bc your lfs had them under LEDs doesn't really mean they had time to acclimate properly. They may have even had them turned all the way down. There are too many factors and I will always rather be safe than sorry. You have a good amount of light coming off your fixture and you can't dim yours, so it's prob better to just let them get used to your spectrum and flow and go up from there. You may not have to wait a full two weeks, I always wait till they have good polyp extension for a day or two then move up then. It differs from tank to tank do that's what I go by. Good luck!

That's great advice, I was thinking maybe 48hrs then decide to move, but what troubles me is they looked so alive and brilliant in their tank. I moved them back down to right before the sand bed ill see what happens by monday.

[mr_X]

It's not the light that's keeping them closed. A 2 lamp T5 fixture is not a lot of light. If they were fully opened at the LFS, then I would look to flow and/or parameters.

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by mr_X

It's not the light that's keeping them closed. A 2 lamp T5 fixture is not a lot of light. If they were fully opened at the LFS, then I would look to flow and/or parameters.

They were using high powered kessil led lights and I can't afford one right now so all I have to work with is t5

[mr_X]

What I'm saying is, if zoas don't have enough light, they open more and stretch out to try to get closer to the light source. They do not close up. The reason they are closed up is not your lighting.

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by mr_X

What I'm saying is, if zoas don't have enough light, they open more and stretch out to try to get closer to the light source. They do not close up. The reason they are closed up is not your lighting.

Well what else could it be? Its like half of them are prospering and the other half isn't, I've tried rotating 90* every other day and its just the same side that does well.

[mr_X]

Have you tried dipping them? Try a coral dip like coral RX. This would rule out any nudibranchs. An iodine dip would help with any fungus or pox. Where did you get them? From another reefer or the LFS? If it was the LFS, chances are they did not dip them. They just got a bunch of rocks in and cut them all up and glued them to plugs.

[Big Tex]

Originally Posted by mr_X

Have you tried dipping them? Try a coral dip like coral RX. This would rule out any nudibranchs. An iodine dip would help with any fungus or pox. Where did you get them? From another reefer or the LFS? If it was the LFS, chances are they did not dip them. They just got a bunch of rocks in and cut them all up and glued them to plugs.

Well I got them from my lrs and I had been watching this little colony for about 2wks then I bought them whenever I went to go see them they were always open and full of color

[mr_X]

Well, let's say they aren't infected with anything. You have to rule out your parameters, and your flow. There is nothing else. I'm telling you lighting is not the issue. I've kept zoas under all sorts of lighting and this is definitely not a symptom of low light.

Another thing I should mention just as a FYI, zoas are not low light corals. I don't know why everyone thinks this. They grow very close to the surface. They can survive in low light, but also can do well in high light situations.

The specifics are that you bought the colony when it was fully open, brought it home, and this is as open as it's gotten in 2 weeks, or it was fully open and over the course of 2 weeks it has partially closed up?