So are GSPs and Zoas that bad?

[uwharrie]

Reading on a couple of sites it seems there is a faction of the hobby that really dislikes GSP and Zoas. I understand they can be invasive. And a small tank only has so much room. But are they that bad? As a newby them seem cheap and easy to keep

[HarryPotter]

Zoas are definitely not bad! Who says they are? Zoas are great, don't grow too fast, bad come in a variety of awesome colors.

 

GSP is also very pretty, but if you put it in your rock work you have to understand that it will spread to cover it quickly.

[uwharrie]

Thanks!

I put the GSP on the sand base at back of tank. Hoping it might spread up the back.

Zoas are definitely not bad! Who says they are? Zoas are great, don't grow too fast, bad come in a variety of awesome colors.

GSP is also very pretty, but if you put it in your rock work you have to understand that it will spread to cover it quickly.

[Chris S]

GSP will spread. Just keep it trimmed where you want it and it won't be a problem.

[FlowerMama]

You can also put gsp on one rock, that is an island alone, in a a front part of the tank and the gsp will only engulf it, then it has no where to go, it will not spread. But if you put it on a bunch of rocks, yeah, it'll spread onto them.

[spectra]

Agree with all of the above.....I love GSP and will be somehow trying to get it on the back wall of my new build. My son had a 29 gallon with it on half of the back wall and it was sweet looking.

 

As for zoas well I love them also and some of them can grow pretty quickly. Since starting my tank 2 to 3 months ago I have some that have almost doubled in quantity.

 

I love it when many zoas grow together and just cover the rocks or the bottom of a tank.

[FlowerMama]

Just put a few pieces on the bottom edge and it will creep up towards the light, OR.....take 1/2" pieces and super glue it to the back of the tank, you can always use a razor later if you want to remove it. Easy. Again, put it down lower as it'll creep up and you don't want hit hitting your overflow space.

[Benny314]

I assume there has been a confusion between zoa's and paly's here.

Paly's are another type of polyp coral like zoa's but don't tend to be as pretty (normally dull colours) and they can be quite invasive and hard to keep under control. See Markalot's 150 thread for his battle with annoying green paly's.

They are however very hardy and great first corals like gsp when getting started. Xenia is another beginner coral that is often hated as containing it once it's established is a pain in the ass.

 

All of these corals can be very nice in your system as long as you plan ahead and give them their own 'islands' to keep them contained, grow them on the tank walls which looks supper cool or have a plan of action/easy access to trim them back occasionally.

If you like a coral then keep it, I'm not into all this designer or must have rubbish. It's your tank, keep what you like and what you think looks good.

[Hammerstone]

Iam at a loss as of who will get along with who when you trim them back don't they make toxic slime? Just wondering?

[Benny314]

Yes zoa's and paly's are toxic and you should be careful when handling and fragging them. You should ideally frag them outside of the tank, but sometimes you have no choice but to cut stuff in the tank. Running carbon and a decent skimmer will help and doing any pruning on water change day before you carry out the water change will also reduce the risk of ill effects.

As for coral compatibility. Most have ways of establishing real estate for them to live on/expand too.

Some like paly's and xenia just grow really fast and will over grow and smother things in their way, others like most LPS have stinging tentacles that keep space around them free of competitors, Favia and acan's actually have tiny hair like tentacles that they stick into nearby corals and feed off them. Leathers and gorgonian often release toxins into the water column to keep things away from them (running carbon is always advised if you have them).

I had a lobo take out a big stag horn colony the other month, it's feeding tentacles stung it one night and it started to RTN from the point of the sting and even fragging off the healthy tips didn't save it. I was not amused. But I have a frogspawn and a hammer within 3 inches of each other and neither has tried to sting the other (yet).

As I said before, applying fore thought and common sense to you coral placement and coral choices (do your research and try and avoid impulse buys) and you shouldn't encounter many problems...... other than the constant need for that one more cool piece for that spot over there that looks empty lol.

[uwharrie]

So I think one frag must be a paly ( it is kinda plain brown/ green) and my other is a true zoa ( green with an orangy center)

I will keep them each on their own rock and try and get the GSP to grow up the back of the tank ( I just love the neon green color) right now the GSP is on a frag plug sitting in the sandbase at the rear of the tank. would it be better to glue the frag to the tank wall itself?

 

I assume there has been a confusion between zoa's and paly's here.

Paly's are another type of polyp coral like zoa's but don't tend to be as pretty (normally dull colours) and they can be quite invasive and hard to keep under control. See Markalot's 150 thread for his battle with annoying green paly's.

They are however very hardy and great first corals like gsp when getting started. Xenia is another beginner coral that is often hated as containing it once it's established is a pain in the ass.

 

All of these corals can be very nice in your system as long as you plan ahead and give them their own 'islands' to keep them contained, grow them on the tank walls which looks supper cool or have a plan of action/easy access to trim them back occasionally.

If you like a coral then keep it, I'm not into all this designer or must have rubbish. It's your tank, keep what you like and what you think looks good.

[Gary.F]

Yes zoa's and paly's are toxic and you should be careful when handling and fragging them. You should ideally frag them outside of the tank, but sometimes you have no choice but to cut stuff in the tank. Running carbon and a decent skimmer will help and doing any pruning on water change day before you carry out the water change will also reduce the risk of ill effects.

As for coral compatibility. Most have ways of establishing real estate for them to live on/expand too.

Some like paly's and xenia just grow really fast and will over grow and smother things in their way, others like most LPS have stinging tentacles that keep space around them free of competitors, Favia and acan's actually have tiny hair like tentacles that they stick into nearby corals and feed off them. Leathers and gorgonian often release toxins into the water column to keep things away from them (running carbon is always advised if you have them).

I had a lobo take out a big stag horn colony the other month, it's feeding tentacles stung it one night and it started to RTN from the point of the sting and even fragging off the healthy tips didn't save it. I was not amused. But I have a frogspawn and a hammer within 3 inches of each other and neither has tried to sting the other (yet).

As I said before, applying fore thought and common sense to you coral placement and coral choices (do your research and try and avoid impulse buys) and you shouldn't encounter many problems...... other than the constant need for that one more cool piece for that spot over there that looks empty lol.

I think the frogspawn and hammer should be okay. Euphyllias can generally handle each other's more obnoxious behaviour.

[olemanwinter]

imo zenia is much harder to control than GSP. GSP spreads like turf. You can always beat it back. Zenia will "pop up" all over the place.

 

a large colony of Zenia also has been known to nuke a tank and turn a "mini-crash" into a "major crash".

[xCry0x]

Zoas are only bad because they quickly turn into an expensive addiction since there are tons available to buy and the prices can be fairly reasonable.

 

The last problem I could imagine is my zoas growing out of control =P would just be time to buy a frag kit and cash in lol..

[Hammerstone]

Fragging scares me lol. I don't have heavy equipment and bone cutters or the strength to use them. But I only have one coral so I shouldn't be worrying about that now lol.?

[uwharrie]

I have seen some truly spectacular Zoa only tanks on here! I can see why they are so appealing. And compared to other corals they are reasonable for sure

 

 

Zoas are only bad because they quickly turn into an expensive addiction since there are tons available to buy and the prices can be fairly reasonable.

 

The last problem I could imagine is my zoas growing out of control =P would just be time to buy a frag kit and cash in lol..

[Hammerstone]

Zoas like each other don't they?

[uwharrie]

I have no clue but judging by some of the tanks on NR I would guess they do. Am sure someone with experience will chime in

 

Zoas like each other don't they?

[xCry0x]

Define like -- You have to pay some attention because a zoa strain that grows fast in your tank can choke out another.

 

I had some generic dragon eye zoas that went from a few polyps to over 100. They squashed out some other zoa I had on the same rock and eventually the rock became a dragon eye only rock.

 

My guess would be the people who have these eye candy tanks with 20 different zoas on a rock are actively taking care of them and harvesting/fragging the colonies.

[Hammerstone]

Define like -- You have to pay some attention because a zoa strain that grows fast in your tank can choke out another.

 

I had some generic dragon eye zoas that went from a few polyps to over 100. They squashed out some other zoa I had on the same rock and eventually the rock became a dragon eye only rock.

 

My guess would be the people who have these eye candy tanks with 20 different zoas on a rock are actively taking care of them and harvesting/fragging the colonies.

i do want one of those eye candy tanks but I know not one thing about fragging and such :-( I guess I'll have to learn one day ?

[ReeferReefer]

If you like the look of them its not a problem. Fast growers can be great since they will fill in the tank. They are afforable and attractive in my option. I grow xenia, palys and gsp but I have tons of room for them to fill in. As others have said putting them on an island in the sand will help control them. I know reefers who use high powered lasers to burn back the GSP that are encroaching on sensitive SPS.

[hooligan_78]

I assume there has been a confusion between zoa's and paly's here.

Paly's are another type of polyp coral like zoa's but don't tend to be as pretty (normally dull colours) and they can be quite invasive and hard to keep under control. See Markalot's 150 thread for his battle with annoying green paly's.

They are however very hardy and great first corals like gsp when getting started. Xenia is another beginner coral that is often hated as containing it once it's established is a pain in the ass.

 

All of these corals can be very nice in your system as long as you plan ahead and give them their own 'islands' to keep them contained, grow them on the tank walls which looks supper cool or have a plan of action/easy access to trim them back occasionally.

If you like a coral then keep it, I'm not into all this designer or must have rubbish. It's your tank, keep what you like and what you think looks good.

 

So what about Darth Mauls, Gold Darth Mauls, Utter Chaos, and the like? Fall under dull?

[Benny314]

 

So what about Darth Mauls, Gold Darth Mauls, Utter Chaos, and the like? Fall under dull?

 

Thought they were all types of Zoa lol.