Zooanthids

[nterry]

Hi,

 

I have been trying to create a zoo garden in my LED nanocube. I've been trying for about a year now and it just isn't working well. My zoos are surviving, but not thriving. Now I think that part of the problem is that I am not doing enough water changes, so I've been trying to up that. But I wonder if there might be something else going on too.

 

My LEDs (75 W of white) is on about 7 hours a day and my blue LEDs (4 W) is on about 10 hours a day. I just added two 6W stunner strips (1 blue and 1 blue/UV) strip. I have 3 gobys in the tank, aurora, randall and rainford. I also have a large pagoda cup which is doing great.

 

But my zoos just aren't growing and reproducing.

 

Should I lower my photoperiod or is there some other neat trick to growing zoos? I'd really like my colonies to spread rather than just having frags. Part of the problem is my pistol shrimp occassionally makes off with the smaller colonies, so I got a frag rack last month and have all the zoos on there. But still, not seeing much reproduction.

 

thanks!

 

nterry

[mike c]

I read that zoas like a slightly dirty water. More nurtients to feed I guess. Do you dose phyto? I've got some zoas that have spread pretty good and others barely at all. I know it takes time, but I want them to encrust the rock Ive got em too. Overall they've all had decent growth. I do weekly water changes, run my skimmer 24/7, and dose phyto 2x a week.

[adambreakey]

I have had pretty good luck with my zoa garden in my LED lit Solana 34g. I run my LEDs 7 hrs full spectrum, and 11 hrs of blues/violets only. I dose Lugols, Stronium and MB7 weekly and run Kalkwasser in my ATO. I change 5 gallons each week.

 

Some varieties of my zoas are growing like weeds, but others are a little slower to replicate. The biggest thing is that once they start growing you will see the rate of growth increase exponentially.

 

Good luck, be patient.

 

- Adam