lighting for zoas

[micahdeane]

im just doing some planning on my tank and i really like zoanthids. i have a 46bow and with T5 39w x 4 be enough lighting for them? thanks

[JMCAquarium]

sounds good to me

[Peter Eichler]

Yep, that's fine, just make sure you get quality bulbs and a quality fixture with individual reflectors.

[jeweldamsel]

The zoas will survive but if you want them to thrive, metal halide would be the choice.

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13144768#post13144768 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeweldamsel
The zoas will survive but if you want them to thrive, metal halide would be the choice.

Totally disagree. Do you have anything to back up such a statement?

[chalaco]

I put in some metal halide and Ive noticed the difference.

[jeweldamsel]

It is just my humble experience and I hope it doesn't offend anybody. Cheers.

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13145056#post13145056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeweldamsel
It is just my humble experience and I hope it doesn't offend anybody. Cheers.

So you've owned a quality T5 fixture and not had your zoanthids thrive? If so, what fixture and bulbs were you using? By the way, not offended in the least.

[reefturkey]

I've also seen crazy growth with metal halides. I used to have PC bulbs and it's not even comparable. I don't know about T5.

[xskyzx]

t-5 are good, got 72 bowfront with marineland fixture and stock bulbs and my zoas grow about 3 a month....so your good to go lol (heck i have one small colony of sps and orange cap that doing good in there too lol)

[micahdeane]

ok i have another question about the lighting would a 192w pwr compact be better? i was thinking i read somewhere that the T5 is a more efficient light over the pc. also if i do use the T5 would i be able to keep many corals with it? thanks for the help so far

[xskyzx]

to me yes, t-5ho is WAY better then pc, you prolly get away to keep some caps, but if you get two more t5ho with diff deflectors i would prolly say you can sps..

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13148394#post13148394 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by micahdeane
ok i have another question about the lighting would a 192w pwr compact be better? i was thinking i read somewhere that the T5 is a more efficient light over the pc. also if i do use the T5 would i be able to keep many corals with it? thanks for the help so far

Watt for watt T5 outperforms both PC and MH par and coverage wise. If you get a good fixture with individual reflectors or retrofits and a combo of ATI and UVL bulbs with proper cooling you will be able to keep anything with little issue as long as they're place properly. If you want to really blast them with some light you can overdirve the bulbs with an Icecap ballast or get the Aquatinics TX5 hood. The ATI power module is also very nice but quite pricey. The Tek and Nova Extreme Pro are cheaper less efficient alternatives, though the NEP looks promising as long as you switch out the stock bulbs. However, the stock bulbs would be plenty for zoanthids and when you're ready for SPS or clams you can upgrade bulbs then.

[micahdeane]

i was actually looking at the nova extreme, is that a not a good one to go with? thanks for all the input

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13149803#post13149803 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by micahdeane
i was actually looking at the nova extreme, is that a not a good one to go with? thanks for all the input

I wouldn't consider the Nova Extreme, it has many things going against it. Though it would probably be fine for zoanthids, softies, and most LPS. The stock bulbs aren't very good and does not have individual reflectors. The Nova Extreme Pro is a better choice since they've upgraded the reflectors, but the bulbs are still pretty iffy.

[jadette]

I have 2 7.5g cubes with zoas in both tanks. One has a 70W MH Pendant (Aquamedic, with the Aqualine 20k bulb.. I didn't go cheap there) and the other is under 36W of PC lighting (50/50 bulbs). Zoas are thriving under the PC lighting, but the ones (from same mother colony) under the MH pendant just look so unhappy and seem to close up if you just look at them the wrong way. Maybe it's just too much lighting (even though I have them on the sandbed).

Don't quite understand it. All I know is PC lighting is more than enough for zoanthids to thrive. I keep my high end zoas (darth maul, PPEs, etc) under the PCs and the more common ones under the MHs!

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13150065#post13150065 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jadette
I have 2 7.5g cubes with zoas in both tanks. One has a 70W MH Pendant (Aquamedic, with the Aqualine 20k bulb.. I didn't go cheap there) and the other is under 36W of PC lighting (50/50 bulbs). Zoas are thriving under the PC lighting, but the ones (from same mother colony) under the MH pendant just look so unhappy and seem to close up if you just look at them the wrong way. Maybe it's just too much lighting (even though I have them on the sandbed).

Don't quite understand it. All I know is PC lighting is more than enough for zoanthids to thrive. I keep my high end zoas (darth maul, PPEs, etc) under the PCs and the more common ones under the MHs!

That makes sense since the two you mention seem to do better in lower light. It just depends on the zoanthid, they have a wide range on conditions in the wild...

[Capt_Cully]

Where does flow figure into the equation. Do you find they respond better to Hi, Med, or Low flow??? Or is it specimen dependent??

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13156322#post13156322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Capt_Cully
Where does flow figure into the equation. Do you find they respond better to Hi, Med, or Low flow??? Or is it specimen dependent??

Again, largely specimen dependant IMO. There are zoanthids that grow on rocks near wave breaks that are just pounded with flow, some the grow driectly on high flow reefs, then there are so that grow in more protected lower flow crevices and lagoonal areas.

[nautilus@sg]

I think zoas are pretty easy about light. They can survive and grow in the dimmest of light but they don't look good in such situation.

I have kept 2 colony of zoanthus (8") under 11w PL 10K, they grew and multiply very slowly, and they look healthy but dull. After 4 months I move them to another tank (10") under 36W PL 8K, they grew and multiply faster (so much so that I had to frag them after 3 months) but still looks abit dull. After another 3 months under 36W PL I replace the light to (11" under) 4 x 24W (2 x 10K + 2 x 20K) T5, they look much nicer but growth rate didn't change much compared to the 36W PL.

My conclusion is that they can probably adapt to "most" decently lighted tank, as long as water condition is suitable. Its colour probably would be different under high or low light situtation, as for wether it look better under higher lighting is subjective. These zoa were not fed during these period.

Now the questions I have with my result are ...... did their colour improve because I increase the wattage 36W -> 96W ? Or because of the addition of 20K tubes. Not only did colour (visible under 10K lighting ) improve, I notice that it's fluorescence (visible under 20K and actnic ) ability also seems to have improved.

[Peter Eichler]

Coral and zoanthid coloration is determined by intensity and not kelvin rating. Perceived color is another story though...