Best zoa food

[Circleofdocs]

What's the best stuff to feed your zoas for optimal growth?

[tbettis]

fish crap

[sneeyatch]

fish crap

Yep, but add in good water quality, lighting and flow.

Zoanthids don't eat, palythoa do.

[rqc]

Feed mine with Coral Frenzy 3x a week.

[organism]

Yep, but add in good water quality, lighting and flow.

Zoanthids don't eat, palythoa do.

I have zoanthids that eat, it just doesn't make enough of a difference to make up for the lower quality. I love threads like these, for the most part you get the more experienced hobbyists saying not to bother, and the newer hobbyists arguing about how awesome it is.

[sneeyatch]

I've seen their mouths open in response to something in the water column, but as for catching and eating something, never. Then again, I really don't pay too much attention to them anymore - LOL!

I second Coral Frenzy though, it's a great food for all kinds of things.

[Jacwil]

+1 to Coral Frenzy...I feed z's and p's once every couple of weeks.

[A. Grandis]

Zoas can grab the food, yes. Their response is slower, comparing to Protopalythoas and Palythoas, but they will grab the particles.

I believe there is only so much food that can help zoas to growth. Primarily, the zooxanthellae relationship will fulfill their needs. I think they don't need or can't process the food as efficient as Protopalythoas and Palythoas. I feed mine once a week and they do fine. There is a difference when you feed, but there is more things involved. The fish food and other wastes in the water can contribute to that also, so once a week is more than enough.

Small amounts of amino acids and vitamins could help some. Small amounts!

Say, if you have efficient lights, a good skimmer, water change schedule, the right water movement, no predators, and good water quality, the feeding will add to it. If you have a tank with poor water quality and all the others lacking, the food can add as negative too because their basics are not there. The more food into the system, the more to be removed.

All that is also relative because how much is too much light? What about the water changes? Well, there is the balance, and basically speaking, it will depend on how many bioload one has in the tank to begin with.

Zoas don't need to be fed as much or can't be fed as much.
I found that when all the pumps (including the return) are off they tend to have a better reaction to the particles touching the polyps.

I like the Zoa/Acan food, from Tropical Marine and Microvore, from Brightwell Aquatics.
I've never tried Coral Frenzy yet. That's next!

Grandis.

[Friday Night]

Fish waste

[SIR PATRICK]

Anything from dissolved nutrients up to anything the polyp can grab and consume.

[Reef Bass]

While I'm feeding my sps with freeze dried zooplankton (reef chili or coral frenzy), I'll pour some in my lps tank for the z's and p's. When I'm thawing mysis, brine, etc., to feed my lps, I'll toss in some rotifers. So while I'm not target feeding, there are small bits flying around which polyps can ingest should they so desire.

I do target feed my nuc greens chopped mysis.

[caudill187]

As mentioned, my experience has been that for the most part, zoanthids don't capture and eat particulate matter large enough to see with the naked eye (coral frenzy). There are exceptions, of course.

I used to think my smaller zoas were eating because they closed when I squirted them with food, but on closer observation they were just exhibiting a defensive behavior in response to the irritation of being pelted with stuff....

I think that for the most part, they filter organic material from the water column.....fish crap or its decomposition products (amino, fatty acids, proteins.....etc.)

[Circleofdocs]

Somit looks like coral frenzy is the way to go... I usually use cylcopeeze... What's your thoughts on CP...

[Reef Bass]

As mentioned, my experience has been that for the most part, zoanthids don't capture and eat particulate matter large enough to see with the naked eye (coral frenzy).

I used to believe this but my thoughts have shifted for several reasons. First, have you every watched video of a colony of zoanthids on a time lapse basis? There was a good video posted here several months ago which demonstrated this, and I believe Mooch even asked his usual type of "make you think" question, like "what do you think those polyps are doing there?". You'll see every so often a different polyp "blink", or close and then reopen (slowly over several to many seconds, but looks like a blink in time lapse). Now I'm not talking about being touched or hit by a piece of crud and recoiling, or when one can watch a line of them close as a bristleworm slithers through the mat beneath the open polyps.

This "blinking" is, in my opinion, zoanthid feeding. Let's also keep in mind that zoanthids, just like palythoas, have a mouth. That mouth didn't just magically appear so zoos could put on lipstick. Those polyps with mouths have a survival advantange - the ability to ingest more and larger pieces of food than a polyp which gets its nutrition by absorption / diffusion across its external membranes.

I totally get and have experienced attempting to target feed zoos only to have them appear to not react at all, or to recoil from being pelted with a stream of water and food. They seem positively disinterested compared to some palythoas which are like little venus fly traps closing in around prey as soon as it makes contact with their skirt tentacles. But if you take a longer view (literally!), you will see zoos feeding, just at a glacial pace compared to their paly cousins.

[A. Grandis]

Just watching the tank for a while you can see feeding behavior, if you've got enough zoas in the tank. Like Reef Bass talked about.
Another proof is that when you put the food in their mouth they close and when they open, there is nothing in the center of the polyp.
When I feed them I try to turn off all the pumps, so I can make sure that I'm not just seeing a recoiling or a reaction against the object (food particle).
Do we need more proof? Well, they actually poop too. :)

That "blinking" is indeed a natural feeding behavior. I notice that in my system once in a while. We can't see the micro food particles, most of the time. They are like dust in the water. Some times they eat, and some times they reject those micro particles.
Also, they grab some of the Spectrum pellets by accident when I feed my fishes and eat them. We cant' miss that. They close for a while and open, and the pellet is gone.

Yes, I'm sure they eat and probably love to do so. :)

They also absorb dissolved nutrients.

They are slower eaters.

One more thing: they don't eat people, but we call some of them people eaters for fun. :)

Grandis.

[kershak]

nice im learning a few new things lol

[A. Grandis]

... and I'd like very much to see that video, Reef Bass.
Hope you can find.
Grandis.

[cody6766]

I occasionally feed Coral Frenzy. I don't do it specifically for my Zs and Ps, but they do eat like the rest of the corals in the tank. It's the only small particle food I've ever fed, so I can't say it's better or worse than others.

[dublo8]

I have always fed mine at least once a month. I tend to just dust them with small particle food but not much of any reaction has me to believe they feed in the same way as a palythoa or similar larger polyp type coral. We know they eat but eat what, when and how is the question. Yes they have mouths but I have never once seen them open or ingest food (for what I have seen). I guess it isn't a big deal because they still grow and show signs of being healthy even when I don't feed them. Either way if you are looking for a smaller particle food to try and feed them with, the smallest I have found is reefroids by polyp labs. I usually mix this with reef chili and spot feed my sps. It's not cheap food by any means but the little container will last a long long long time.

[A. Grandis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFnG3Hrb6bk

I've found this video.
It's kinda fast to show us if the polyps are actually eating, but it's still nice to watch. We can see the "blinking" of the polyps collecting the micro particles in the water.
Enjoy,

Grandis.

[Lynnmw1208]

I've seen a zoanthid eat a NLS pellet. It opened it's mouth wide and ate it! They won't eat if I try to spot feed though.

[sunilp]

just ordered some coral frenzy

[Gamepro_inc]

I feed my entire tank in a broadcast method once a week with a mix of all kinds of stuff in varyiing particle size. I don't know if the zoes eat it but I will say about 1-2 days later they seem to poop something out of their mouths which leads me to believe they do eat but then again they seem to do this during other times too so maybe thats from the fish poop, I don't know. I don't feed for the zoes its more for the other corals.

[MUCHO REEF]

I used to believe this but my thoughts have shifted for several reasons. First, have you every watched video of a colony of zoanthids on a time lapse basis? There was a good video posted here several months ago which demonstrated this, and I believe Mooch even asked his usual type of "make you think" question, like "what do you think those polyps are doing there?". You'll see every so often a different polyp "blink", or close and then reopen (slowly over several to many seconds, but looks like a blink in time lapse). Now I'm not talking about being touched or hit by a piece of crud and recoiling, or when one can watch a line of them close as a bristleworm slithers through the mat beneath the open polyps.

This "blinking" is, in my opinion, zoanthid feeding. Let's also keep in mind that zoanthids, just like palythoas, have a mouth. That mouth didn't just magically appear so zoos could put on lipstick. Those polyps with mouths have a survival advantange - the ability to ingest more and larger pieces of food than a polyp which gets its nutrition by absorption / diffusion across its external membranes.

I totally get and have experienced attempting to target feed zoos only to have them appear to not react at all, or to recoil from being pelted with a stream of water and food. They seem positively disinterested compared to some palythoas which are like little venus fly traps closing in around prey as soon as it makes contact with their skirt tentacles. But if you take a longer view (literally!), you will see zoos feeding, just at a glacial pace compared to their paly cousins.



+1 on the Coral Frenzy hands down. But as a secondary source of nutrition a couple times a week.

I'll try and find that video Reef Bass.

Mooch

[Circleofdocs]

I guess it's timenfor some coral frenzy for me... Bestbplace to buy it? Love the YouTube vid too

[mattGgator]

Coral Frenzy every few days works great. I think zoas do eat since I've seen all of mine eat. If they don't come in eating, they eventually start eating in the tank.

[Spek]

Marc Weiss Reef Bugs works great once a week, Mine also grab cyclopeeze and mysis when the fish are fed

[RokleM]

Marc Weiss products are typically viewed as complete trash, or at best incredibly deceptive advertising. I don't have any experience with that one, but I suggest you search and use with extreme caution.

[Spek]

Ive used it for years now with no issues my zoas tend to grow faster when I use it regularly vs. when I get lazy

[klepto]

I like the combination of Reef Nutrition's Phyto and Oyster Feast products. I dilute them (roughly with a 4-1 ratio of tank water to food) and lightly baste the polyps. Because of the varied and appropriate particle size, a feeding response is easily elicited.

[A. Grandis]

I've used MW Coral Vital, MW Reef Vital DNA and MW Organics Combo Vital.
Used as recommended.
Noticed marks on my fish on the very first day.
Something in one of the products "burned" the fishes. Probably in the MW Organics Combo Vital The wrasses were more evident.
My system is parasite free, so I now it wasn't anything to trick the parasites. It was "burning" on scales. White marks.
They went away after 10 days. Never again!!!

Grandis.

[Spek]

haven't used the other stuff just the bugs and IME no problems

[endlessblue]

Zoas can grab the food, yes. Their response is slower, comparing to Protopalythoas and Palythoas, but they will grab the particles.

I believe there is only so much food that can help zoas to growth. Primarily, the zooxanthellae relationship will fulfill their needs. I think they don't need or can't process the food as efficient as Protopalythoas and Palythoas. I feed mine once a week and they do fine. There is a difference when you feed, but there is more things involved. The fish food and other wastes in the water can contribute to that also, so once a week is more than enough.

Small amounts of amino acids and vitamins could help some. Small amounts!

Say, if you have efficient lights, a good skimmer, water change schedule, the right water movement, no predators, and good water quality, the feeding will add to it. If you have a tank with poor water quality and all the others lacking, the food can add as negative too because their basics are not there. The more food into the system, the more to be removed.

All that is also relative because how much is too much light? What about the water changes? Well, there is the balance, and basically speaking, it will depend on how many bioload one has in the tank to begin with.

Zoas don't need to be fed as much or can't be fed as much.
I found that when all the pumps (including the return) are off they tend to have a better reaction to the particles touching the polyps.

I like the Zoa/Acan food, from Tropical Marine and Microvore, from Brightwell Aquatics.
I've never tried Coral Frenzy yet. That's next!

Grandis.

Where do u get the tropical marine acan/Zoa food??

[Tyler10121012]

actually..mine eat misis shrimp...now my polyps are super sized ;)

[A. Grandis]

Where do u get the tropical marine acan/Zoa food??

I've got a sample at MACNA, last year.
I think Cherry Corals still sells them.

Grandis.

[thecaptain]

is coral frenzy really that great?

[A. Grandis]

is coral frenzy really that great?

I can't speak for the nutrition part, just because there is nothing serious done to get more info to know how much good it does to the zoas.
All I can say is that they must add some good "taste" to it.

Grandis.

[jnjsad]

I've been using Coral Frenzy now for about 4 months and see all corals and fish go nuts over this stuff. After the first month of use, I started to see more pop in the color of my zoas and acans. I am going to experiment with mixing Coral Frenzy with Reef Chili to see if that helps in further coloration/growth.