sadie Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 What do you keep your salinity at? Quote Link to comment
Dufus6384956 Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 28 minutes ago, sadie said: What do you keep your salinity at? 1.026. I’ve found they like it saltier. 1 Quote Link to comment
Perthreefer Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 1.025, have 3 different colonies all growing well. Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 I have always ran 1.026 with sps and zoa's. Quote Link to comment
caas1496 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said: I have always ran 1.026 with sps and zoa's. Same here. Keep my pico at 1.026. Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 I did run a smidge higher at 1.027 but didn't really notice a difference at all. Quote Link to comment
Daniel91 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 I have 14 species/color morphs that are all happy at 0.26 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 I tested the water that came with my zoas and it was .20 MAYBE .21, and the zoas looked great in the store. So I thought maybe it was the salinity. I keep mine at .25. I wonder why they keep it so low? It has been 4 days and the zoas are teasing me. They just open up enough to show me some color, but not all the way. Usually after 2 days they open fully. Of course I have never successfully grown zoas. But I figured new tank (Just the tank, LR and LS are a mix of 10-20 yr old stuff), I'd try it. thanks for the replys. Quote Link to comment
caas1496 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 If you are using a refractometer has it been calibrated recently? Seems strange that they would come in water with such a low salinity. Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 I calibrate it every time I use it with the solution, not water. I should ask them the next time I go in. Quote Link to comment
patback Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 1 hour ago, sadie said: I tested the water that came with my zoas and it was .20 MAYBE .21, and the zoas looked great in the store. So I thought maybe it was the salinity. I keep mine at .25. I wonder why they keep it so low? It has been 4 days and the zoas are teasing me. They just open up enough to show me some color, but not all the way. Usually after 2 days they open fully. Of course I have never successfully grown zoas. But I figured new tank (Just the tank, LR and LS are a mix of 10-20 yr old stuff), I'd try it. thanks for the replys. Some stores cheap out and run lower salinity since things can handle it for short amounts of times. Fish only set ups are almost always kept low as it's less stressful on them and helps with parasites, so I've heard. 4 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 You also have to understand,every tank is different and Zoa's love to take those differences and close up and make you mad. Something in your tank may be in totally different ranges than the system they came from. Give them some time,I have had Zoa's be closed for weeks/months at a time evening growing while they were closed up and then BOOM I come home from work one day and they are open. They may stay open for weeks or close back up within a week. Zoa's are definitely a species that will make you scratch your head lol. Also,depending on what type of store they came from they could run lower params hoping to flip the pieces real quick. While some stores that deal mainly in high end pieces like WWC,ASD,UC,LRO,TSA,BC ect ect keep params super steady and cook colonies for months or years before they release one single piece,so they have to keep things super stable and perfect getting the most out of a colony. Just my thoughts. 2 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 3 hours ago, Reefkid88 said: You also have to understand,every tank is different and Zoa's love to take those differences and close up and make you mad. Something in your tank may be in totally different ranges than the system they came from. Give them some time,I have had Zoa's be closed for weeks/months at a time evening growing while they were closed up and then BOOM I come home from work one day and they are open. They may stay open for weeks or close back up within a week. Zoa's are definitely a species that will make you scratch your head lol. Also,depending on what type of store they came from they could run lower params hoping to flip the pieces real quick. While some stores that deal mainly in high end pieces like WWC,ASD,UC,LRO,TSA,BC ect ect keep params super steady and cook colonies for months or years before they release one single piece,so they have to keep things super stable and perfect getting the most out of a colony. Just my thoughts. thanks, I really love zoas and have tried them maybe 3 or 4 times is the past, but they just slowly fade away. Maybe this is a good sign, them slowly opening up. I guess time will tell. 1 Quote Link to comment
spectra Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 21 minutes ago, sadie said: thanks, I really love zoas and have tried them maybe 3 or 4 times is the past, but they just slowly fade away. Maybe this is a good sign, them slowly opening up. I guess time will tell. Nice sun coral in the avatar............is that in your tank ? if so zoas should not be an issue.......... I run my tank at .025 and can grow zoas like a weed...............never had an issue with them as they like dirty water........... Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 14 minutes ago, spectra said: Nice sun coral in the avatar............is that in your tank ? if so zoas should not be an issue.......... I run my tank at .025 and can grow zoas like a weed...............never had an issue with them as they like dirty water........... thanks, that was my sun coral, but from my first tank I had about 19 yrs ago (12 gal). My water is very clean (has been since I cycled it 19 yrs ago). I tried to raise the phos and nitrates a bit ago, but just got an ugly tank. Quote Link to comment
A. grandis Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Zoas can be kept in 1.023 - 1.026. It is pointless to go crazy about it. I keep my system in 1.023. Main thing is to get it stable and it will do great! 1 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 They are opening a bit, but this time they are staying open, just not fully. I will take this as a good sign. 3 Quote Link to comment
Perthreefer Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Zoas can be funny sometimes. I have heard multiple times that they like dirtier water. But then you see people with awesome zoa gardens running an ULNS. I have three colonies at the moment, two of them are growing really well, the third is growing a lot slower, I am struggling to keep my nitrates above 0.2 and Phosphates above 0.03. Both colonies started from a frag plug of 4-5 polyps IMG_1255 by kenpau01, on Flickr IMG_1252 by kenpau01, on Flickr 2 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 when you guys put your zoas where they are now, was that the first place you put them, or did you have to move them around? Quote Link to comment
Perthreefer Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 No I didn’t move mine Sadie, pretty much just put them where I wanted them too grow. Just away from too much flow and too much light. 1 Quote Link to comment
GetPsyched2124 Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 I run 1.025-1.026. Zoa's can be odd/frustrating at times. i had a small colony than would have the same 7-10 polyps closed almost at all times for the first 6-7 months. now each polyp is open and the rock if fully covered and in need of fragging. give it time. if they look closed due to stress from too much flow, or light, then i'd consider moving them. as long as they aren't withering away/melting, patience is key. i've found that the more biodiversity in the tank, the more my zoas thrived. 3 Quote Link to comment
GetPsyched2124 Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 9 minutes ago, sadie said: when you guys put your zoas where they are now, was that the first place you put them, or did you have to move them around? i've moved mine a couple times. once due to my fire shrimp running all over them and irritating them all the time because they were in front of his favorite spot. the first i thought it was too high up and with too much flow. but i bet now if i moved them back to that spot it wouldn't be an issue. different frags, even from the same lfs tank, may respond differently when added to your tank at home. that's happened to me. stability and maintaining consistent parameters should be the best place to start before moving them, assuming they aren't getting blasted with flow or receiving light that's too intense 1 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 okay. I was nervous they weren't happy, but I don't think they are in either too much flow or light. I have one on the back wall in the middle, and one on the sand bed. I will be patient and wait. Thanks!! 1 Quote Link to comment
Perthreefer Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 5 hours ago, sadie said: I will be patient and wait. Ah patience.....the hardest thing about reef keeping! 1 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 46 minutes ago, Perthreefer said: Ah patience.....the hardest thing about reef keeping! I don't mind the wait. I get nervous that while I'm waiting, my coral is actually dying and I should have been doing something about it. As long as I know all is good, I've done all I can, THEN I don't mind waiting. ☺️ 1 Quote Link to comment
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