How long for zoanthids to open?

[Johnson.cody]

Hi I just introduced some zoanthids and palythoas to my aquarium! How long do you think it will take for them to open? Or are they all different, it has been a day now and they have not opened the plays are half open but not all the way. I have a 60g cube under a 250w metal halide. It could be the light, they were under an LED before. I did the full acclimation process took me about an hour. What do you guys think?

 

[Ron448]

I've had polyps open up during the acclimation process for me and then I've got another colony that still hasn't opened that i acclimated at the exact same time as the ones that opened during acclimation. I'm about to let a friend of mine take them and see how they like his tank so I think the individual colony or frag does depend on it

 

[nate12]

give it time adjust the light i would start out low then go higher to find the spot it like best.

 

[650-IS350]

start them in the bottom of tank not directly under the MHs, have them slightly off to the side as time goes move them closer to the center or higher on the rock work gradually.

 

[Wryknow]

First of all - I hope you practiced safe trading and did a zoa dip before putting them in your tank!

Second - I never acclimate zoas - I just do the zoa dip and put them straight in.

In answer to you actual question; IMPE it seems to vary a great deal depending on the specific zoa. Most of my new frags open up within an hour or so or being put in the main tank under actinics (always start them off under actinics only if you can.) Some take a day or two. I've had some take a week. Rarely, one may never open at all and just melt away. You can try moving them around to give it more or less current or light and also spot feeding it a bit. (Sometimes they'll open up when there's food around.) You should check to see if you can find something irritating them (pest, fish, fungus, algae, etc.) Sometimes there's not much you can do except ensure a good home for them and keep you fingers crossed.

 

[650-IS350]

lways start them off under actinics only if you can

agreed, if you have a combo MH plus t5 attinics then just have the attinics on for a day or 2, shouldn't hurt SPS. or if for some doing LEDs then just lower the intensity of the LEDs and have only blues on.

 

[padgett152]

I don't acclimate zoas either. I simply dipped in water and added to my tank. I use LED lighting and have them in the middle of the rockwork. They thrive with moderate lighting and medium flow. They may be easier than mushrooms IMO.