Little to No Growth Zoas

[Jshelle01]

Tank: 210 gallon display + 30 gallon Sump

Parameters:
Temp = 80F
Nitrate = 0
Nitrite = 0
Ammonia = 0
pH = 7.8
dKH = 9
Calcium = 460

I purchased single zoa frags about a month and a half ago. Each frag has started growing a second polyp but it is only staying small is size. I had a reef tank with zoas and they used to grow like weeds. I am not sure what is happening with these frags.

I feed my fish meaty food as well as supplement with Coral Gumbo.

Any advice on how to increase the growth rate?

 

[organism]

What's your lighting and are they getting good water movement?

 

[Jshelle01]

I have two jabeo RW15. You can see the tentacles on the anemone moving back and forth. I also change the mode from wave mode to continuous flow every couple days to add variation to the tank.

I am using two Reefbreeder Photon-W fixtures. One is a 60" and the other is 24". They are currently scheduled to ramp up over 3 hours to 50% on the white channel and 15% on the blue channel. They stay at 50/15 settings for 5 hours then ramp down over the next 3 hours.

 

[organism]

Wait 50% white and 15% blue? Wouldn't that look almost like a light bulb color temp?

I would do 90-100% blue and 15-30% white, zoas aren't the biggest fans of that much white light... Do they have much color under your current light or kind of brown/greyish?

 

[sde1500]

Little to No Growth Zoas

Yea those colors must look pretty drab. I am slowly ramping up my Reefbreeder still, and I'm doing 45/20 blue/white right now. Had it a bit higher for both but a Yuma I have was bleaching. Definitely switch the intensity you have there.

Edit: actually the colors aren't all that bad, just set it to that real quick on mine. Very sharp and bright though.

 

[Jshelle01]

Oh okay I will increase the blues and see if my results change. How long do you suggest keeping the lights on at this intensity??

 

[organism]

I dunno... Forever would work, 100%/25% is the intensity I have over my frag tank.

 

[huig]

What is the PO4 level?

 

[Jshelle01]

I do not have a way to test for PO4.

I have changed the blue lighting and we will see if the growth changes.