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Unread 08/10/2010, 03:43 PM   #1
Dracoo9
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Foods that make your Zoas flurish?

I'm currently using Kent Marine PytoPlex, Zooplex, and Coral-Vite for my corals (Frogspawn, Gorgonian, Kenya Tree, Mushrooms, Zoas) and some of my corals are very visually growing while some corals such as my yellow polyps look happy but arent growing out their colony.

What products do you use? Do you run into the same issues of some corals doing extremely well, others not so much?


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Unread 08/10/2010, 04:02 PM   #2
chucktd321
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lets get this out of the way first,all corals are different some grow like weeds some grow terribly slow.

There are over 100 differnt products to feed your tank with and some work some don't. I personally don't buy a lot of that stuff since my tank waste feeds the corals very well. The only products ive been using is Reefplus (cheap vit C) and oysterfeast with and on occasion some phytoplex


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Unread 08/10/2010, 04:11 PM   #3
bluerexy
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Second the fact that corals grow at different rates. Nevertheless, I use aquavitro's Fuel along with dts, reef chili and frozen cyclopees. I've seens pretty decent growth once I started to use fuel.


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Unread 08/10/2010, 04:28 PM   #4
kichimark
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+3 on the different growth rates. When I do feed my pals I give them finely chopped myself and krill. Thats only when I feed the lps and rics though. Other than that they get just light and fish poo haha.


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Unread 08/10/2010, 04:58 PM   #5
CrazyZoa
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I think this topic is brought up once a month or so. Zoanthids are Photosynthetic coral and being as such as they need is stable tank conditions and good lighting. Zoanthids are to small to really take in any kind of food. Now palythoas while also being photosynthetic will take food if fed. Well most larger ones will. I spot feed my Purple Deaths and Nuclear Greens.
Like the others above be started growth rates depends on many many things. We can take a frag of polyps from the same mother colony and place them in 3 different tanks and get three different growth patterns.


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Unread 08/10/2010, 11:51 PM   #6
Dracoo9
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I realize that all corals grow at different rates, but I'm sure not all suppliments/food are made equal. I was inquiring to what products seem to provide more nourishment for corals?


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Unread 08/11/2010, 02:34 PM   #7
whipper99
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A lot of products are just made for increased sales of a large company. Beware of claims.


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Unread 08/11/2010, 10:23 PM   #8
Friday Night
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When your livestock/fish make a donation...


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Unread 08/12/2010, 10:43 AM   #9
Dave VG
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyZoa View Post
Zoanthids are Photosynthetic coral and being as such as they need is stable tank conditions and good lighting. Zoanthids are to small to really take in any kind of food.
I don't think this is true is it? I know to a point they need light but not just light do they? I have had no fish in my tank sense starting it about 2 1/2 months ago so no poo food was available just light. Things started to look a little ragged after about a month zoas,SPS and LPS. So I started using marine snow and one of my zoas sprouted 2 heads in like a a day it seams and the rest look real good as well. It's crazy. That was the only change made. Biggggg differance in growth IMO.


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Unread 08/12/2010, 10:49 AM   #10
chucktd321
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when they are reffering to a stable tank I am asuming that it is a sterotypical reef tank that has at least a fish and some inverts "making donations" lol (good way to say it friday). Thats why a lot of people will add a fish to their frag tanks, so they can poop in there and some for pest control. Everyone knows that sterile tanks just don't have the growing power


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Unread 08/12/2010, 10:58 AM   #11
Friday Night
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yea i mean im not knocking anyone else methods of feeding if it works for you go right ahead.. I just have always used the "free" food from my fish


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Unread 08/12/2010, 12:07 PM   #12
Dave VG
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I understad the whole stable tank thing thats just common sense for growing any coral. This is that statment I was reffering to and i Quote CrazyZoa: Zoanthids are to small to really take in any kind of food.

Edit: Oh and friday I do plan on adding a fish. We have had this discussion in another thread and i totally agree with ya. Just haven't got one yet lol


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Unread 08/12/2010, 12:35 PM   #13
blasterman789
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I'm not a guru on Palys and Zoas, but I have had the time to experiment with different nutrient conditions with them in my frag tanks.

I have noticed that Palys seem to like the addition of meaty micro foods such as oyster feast, etc. Their skirts grow longer and they multiply a bit faster. I have not seen zoas respond at all to coral foods. I can't rule out phyto-plankton, but I'd be skeptical if it did much. Other LPS; acans, candy canes etc do respond to meaty micro foods being added.

In my frag tanks with no fish and hence no nitrate or added nutrients zoa and paly growth was almost 'zero', even with strong lighting over a period of six months. When I added a single small fish growth exploded.

White light LEDs caused Zoas to stretch towards the light. Turning on royal blue LEDs caused them to flatten out like they do under halides, which tells me they need far blue light. Which is rather obvious given they typically grow at deeper depths than many corals.

I've recently began experimenting with adding ammonia directly to one of my frag tanks with no fish for a couple reasons. First, to keep a nitrate cycle going, and second because I've seen some evidence that zoas thrive on ammonia given their affection for growing aroung sewer over-flows, etc. So far, they are growing just as fast with the artifical addition of ammonia as heavy stocked tanks, but I need a bit more time to confirm this. I also need to work out how much ammonia to use, etc. So far though, I might be on to something.

To sum up my own experience, paly and especially zoa growth respond far better to basic water nutrients like ammonia and nitrate (and fish poop which is a precursor to both) far more than adding micro foods. The later might likely decay into the former at some point, but it costs more.


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Unread 08/12/2010, 04:54 PM   #14
Dave VG
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Nice Blaster thanks for sharing that info alot of fuel for thought


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Unread 08/12/2010, 08:50 PM   #15
Friday Night
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave VG View Post
I understad the whole stable tank thing thats just common sense for growing any coral. This is that statment I was reffering to and i Quote CrazyZoa: Zoanthids are to small to really take in any kind of food.

Edit: Oh and friday I do plan on adding a fish. We have had this discussion in another thread and i totally agree with ya. Just haven't got one yet lol
LoL.. thats right Dave lmk when you do add i wanna know what would be on the list.


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Unread 08/13/2010, 05:00 AM   #16
Dave VG
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I will list here first before I buy for sure friday. To much to lose as my tank will be zoa and poly dominate. Now back to the OP subject sorry if i got off track a little here.


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Unread 08/13/2010, 05:17 AM   #17
Arusso713
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Thanx blasterman for the good advice


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Unread 08/13/2010, 08:20 AM   #18
Timanator
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I'm experimenting as well all the time on the growth of corals. So far I think the best thing I can link growth to is lots of fish(High bioload good skimmer) and high indirect flow. Unfortunately I have a Blue Anthelia bloom right now that covers all the rock spaces making growth very difficult for anything else. Anyone know how to kill these smurfs?


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Unread 08/13/2010, 09:07 AM   #19
zachfishman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluerexy View Post
Second the fact that corals grow at different rates. Nevertheless, I use aquavitro's Fuel along with dts, reef chili and frozen cyclopees. I've seens pretty decent growth once I started to use fuel.
Do you experience algae issues adding Aquavitro Fuel? The product page says it adds phosphorus.


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Unread 08/13/2010, 09:15 AM   #20
Timanator
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Do you experience algae issues adding Aquavitro Fuel? The product page says it adds phosphorus.
Been using Fuel since it hit the shelves on a few tanks right now. No sign of any algae if you keep your mag up.


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Unread 08/13/2010, 06:46 PM   #21
blasterman789
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I can now firmly say with total conviction that elevated nitrate (in my case via ammonia dosing) cranks up Zoa growth in a very short time, although this might be preaching to the choir. Previously I'd been running my softie tank at low nutrients to try and coax better growth on some stubborn acro frags, but gave up a couple weeks ago. Tossed the acros in another tank.......just too small a tank with bouncy parameters.

This is the tank I've been adding some ammonia to, and hence this has caused nitrate to go from zero to 20ppm in a very short time. Since I don't have any fish in this tank it's easy to control this way. There is no question that the zoos and palys in this tank are far happier than my main low nutrient tank, or just a couple weeks ago when nitrate was ziltch. I mean, it's not even a constest. Not only has growth accelerated, but polyps are more vivid and fatter, and the difference occured in a week. Acans have increased in polyp size as well and colored up.

Oddly, when I experimented with adding nitrate rich water from my fresh water tank for top offs I did not get the same result. So, there's more to this ammonia / nitrate thing than just fertilizer.

Obviously though there's a potential down side to this. As per a couple comments above, you need to be careful about running high nutrients because of all the potential bad things, like nuisance algaes. Hair algae will kill zoo colonies if it gets embedded between polyp clusters; been there done that. However, knock on wood, I'm not seeing any of this. Will be interesting to see what happens to growth as nitrate levels recede.


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Unread 08/14/2010, 10:11 AM   #22
luckydud13
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Good information, I have been using chopped krill. I will be trying someof the above. Thanks guys


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Unread 08/16/2010, 04:06 PM   #23
MUCHO REEF
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Good topic and discussion.


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Unread 02/19/2018, 11:15 PM   #24
Jone
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blasterman789 View Post
I can now firmly say with total conviction that elevated nitrate (in my case via ammonia dosing) cranks up Zoa growth in a very short time, although this might be preaching to the choir. Previously I'd been running my softie tank at low nutrients to try and coax better growth on some stubborn acro frags, but gave up a couple weeks ago. Tossed the acros in another tank.......just too small a tank with bouncy parameters.

This is the tank I've been adding some ammonia to, and hence this has caused nitrate to go from zero to 20ppm in a very short time. Since I don't have any fish in this tank it's easy to control this way. There is no question that the zoos and palys in this tank are far happier than my main low nutrient tank, or just a couple weeks ago when nitrate was ziltch. I mean, it's not even a constest. Not only has growth accelerated, but polyps are more vivid and fatter, and the difference occured in a week. Acans have increased in polyp size as well and colored up.

Oddly, when I experimented with adding nitrate rich water from my fresh water tank for top offs I did not get the same result. So, there's more to this ammonia / nitrate thing than just fertilizer.

Obviously though there's a potential down side to this. As per a couple comments above, you need to be careful about running high nutrients because of all the potential bad things, like nuisance algaes. Hair algae will kill zoo colonies if it gets embedded between polyp clusters; been there done that. However, knock on wood, I'm not seeing any of this. Will be interesting to see what happens to growth as nitrate levels recede.
I know im dragging this from the almighty dead but curious to know what happened with dosing the ammonia as per your experiement here long term..


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Unread 02/22/2018, 01:39 PM   #25
Vlad 1.026
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I also noticed such a feature of good growth. Provided just flow and light. In the tank, a minimal bio-loading in the form of a pair of snails.


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