Myths & Myth Busting !!!
- Thread starter MUCHO REEF
- Start date
XSharkboyX
Wishin' I Was Fishin'
There are such things as "high end" zoas or palys, or any coral for that matter!
"High end" means high price tag. The only reason they are called "high end" is because they have a designer name, and are the latest and greatest fad with the price gougers.
"High end" means high price tag. The only reason they are called "high end" is because they have a designer name, and are the latest and greatest fad with the price gougers.
XSharkboyX
Wishin' I Was Fishin'
Couldn't resist... :fun2:
Having zero nitrates in a mature reef tank...
"low nitrates is good...but zero is bad. Once you learn, you can see it immediately when you view any aquarium. The coral colors are "flat" dull or pale. Hobbyists often make the mistake of thinking that corals get enough food from light. That is not the case at all. Having a heavy fish load where the fishes are frequently fed is a very good way to feed corals such as sps that we cannot easily target feed."
Anthony Calfo
Having zero nitrates in a mature reef tank...
"low nitrates is good...but zero is bad. Once you learn, you can see it immediately when you view any aquarium. The coral colors are "flat" dull or pale. Hobbyists often make the mistake of thinking that corals get enough food from light. That is not the case at all. Having a heavy fish load where the fishes are frequently fed is a very good way to feed corals such as sps that we cannot easily target feed."
Anthony Calfo
kichimark
Μολὼν λαβ
i feed heavy with fish and with tons of sun corals...use a cannister as well
. No matter what it couldnt go below 15-20ppm till I used Vit C.
Mine grew well under PC for some reason, but didn't look that great unless I added more actinics when I photographed them.
Mucho
kichimark
Μολὼν λαβ
I see you added something afterwards. It is a 0 reading on an API test kit (new kit...test twice each time) and ofcourse all grade tests will show error. Some will show more than others. As long as fish are present and fed there will be the nitrogen cycle. It is as saying 0 ammonia is in my tank but that would be false since there is still ammonia present but not enough to register on a hobby grade kit.
As you quoted, light plays a big role but corals still need other nutrients and minerals to complete growth and reproduction. Just as a plant needs light but still needs water and nutrients/minerals.
I am excited I have been able to control my nitrates since I have many fish and only clean my cannister once a month. I see excellent growth on my zoanthids (some more than others). Vit C has been used in my tank for multiple months without seeing any detrimental effects. My tank is mostly softy/lps dominated with a few sps pieces. I also think Vit C MAY be indirectly feeding some coral too since it does increase bacteria concentrations which MAY be finding their way to some corals mouth. Can't prove it but its just a theory of mine.
XSharkboyX
Wishin' I Was Fishin'
Glad it worked out for you man. :beer:
mallorieGgator
New member
You know, I could kind of see how maybe zoas could grow faster after fragging. For example, with orchids which I also have, you must simulate wild conditions to induce flowering. So, some plants must go through dryness or a stressful condition to flower. This flowering is sometimes a last ditch effort to reproduce. Possibly, it is also the same with zoas? Maybe in the wild, a colony will go through a hurricane or whatever and become accidentally fragged and reproduce quickly to insure survival? Just a thought.
Scopus Tang
New member
My very first colony of zoanthids was grown out at the top of a tank under two blue PC 65watt actinici bulbs, gotta call busted on that one. As Mooch said, colors were not that great, but they did indeed grow.
h20player101
New member
+1 to JAPANESE deepwater zoas
Unless you are prepared to pay a fine for breaking the law, you should probably hope they are not Japanese.
Unless you are prepared to pay a fine for breaking the law, you should probably hope they are not Japanese.
A. Grandis
Active member
Here is my contribution to te topic:
IMO deep water zoas are not deep water at all. And not Japanese!
Please don't waste you time to try the actinic only for zoas. That's bad!
It will grow, yes, but the colony/polyp will loose it's ability to receive the regular PAR that we offer. You'll need lots of time and patience when you want to adapt it to the regular light again. I'm sure you won't keep the "actinic only" forever, right? If you do, you'll change the zoas' natural metabolism to adapt to that, and in a medium to long therm it will probably die, after grow for a while. The growth is like a fight back (response with the energy it has at the moment) to be able to survive. That's crazy stuff. Excuse my french!
The victamin C thing is another bad!!
I've tried and could see my system changing in less than a week!!
Tried again. Same thing! Good brand, bad concept.
Yes, algae, weird algae, by the way!!! Some coralline died also. BAD!
I noticed also the placement of different species of zoas close to each other to help multiplication of polyps. The show better colors too.
Grandis.
IMO deep water zoas are not deep water at all. And not Japanese!
Please don't waste you time to try the actinic only for zoas. That's bad!
It will grow, yes, but the colony/polyp will loose it's ability to receive the regular PAR that we offer. You'll need lots of time and patience when you want to adapt it to the regular light again. I'm sure you won't keep the "actinic only" forever, right? If you do, you'll change the zoas' natural metabolism to adapt to that, and in a medium to long therm it will probably die, after grow for a while. The growth is like a fight back (response with the energy it has at the moment) to be able to survive. That's crazy stuff. Excuse my french!
The victamin C thing is another bad!!
I've tried and could see my system changing in less than a week!!
Tried again. Same thing! Good brand, bad concept.
Yes, algae, weird algae, by the way!!! Some coralline died also. BAD!
I noticed also the placement of different species of zoas close to each other to help multiplication of polyps. The show better colors too.
Grandis.
SnapDragon
Member
A. Grandis
When you are saying close to eachother, do you mean touching, 1" away or how close?
Thanks
When you are saying close to eachother, do you mean touching, 1" away or how close?
Thanks
organism
code monkey
Exactly, they're from Vietnam, Indonesia, and some come in from the Solomon Islands. None of them are "deepwater".
Actually that's a myth, there's some t5 actinic bulbs that have higher PAR than t5 daylight bulbs. I used to farm out zoanthids under 6 actinic bulbs, 1 pure actinic (purple), and 1 daylight bulb. Colors and growth were fantastic
A. Grandis
Active member
Both. I don't think it matters that much. They will know the other is placed close, even if not touching. Most of the time I place them close (about an inch a part), but they will touch soon.
Grandis.
A. Grandis
Active member
Exactly, they're from Vietnam, Indonesia, and some come in from the Solomon Islands. None of them are "deepwater".
Actually that's a myth, there's some t5 actinic bulbs that have higher PAR than t5 daylight bulbs. I used to farm out zoanthids under 6 actinic bulbs, 1 pure actinic (purple), and 1 daylight bulb. Colors and growth were fantastic
I can do that with 3 Blue plus + 2 actinic + one 10.000K.
Colors are great.
We're talking about all actinic only, like actinic 03 and pure actinic.
If you try to bring them back to the daylight or similar you'll need to go slow.
Well, I gues it all depends on how many bulbs you're playing with also.
That's a fact.
Grandis.
organism
code monkey
I'm talking about actinic only, with one aquablue 14k. Actually I think at the end it was all actinic with one KZ fiji purple. It let me put the fixture a lot closer to the zoanthids, they'd color up and grow like crazy. Never had any issues acclimating to other lights since they were getting blasted with the equivalent of a 400w halide
XSharkboyX
Wishin' I Was Fishin'
Yes, there are alot of posts floating around where people mislabel zoas and palys alike.
My favorite ones are: "The skirts are longer, they are palys..." ~ "The polyps are the size of a dime, they are clearly palys..." ~ and "Only palys feed, zoas don't..."
:lolspin:
A. Grandis
Active member
I'm talking about actinic only, with one aquablue 14k. Actually I think at the end it was all actinic with one KZ fiji purple. It let me put the fixture a lot closer to the zoanthids, they'd color up and grow like crazy. Never had any issues acclimating to other lights since they were getting blasted with the equivalent of a 400w halide
Well, I've used actinics and blue plus bulbs in the past and I didn't think I would need to be very careful if I added, say a daylight or a aquablue, for example.
I've lost some zoas in the past with that experience. They bleached hard in a 24hr period. I've lost an anemone also. I don't recommend the test of using of only actinics without slowly bringing back some white. Sorry, that's my experience.
They also grow much faster and healthier with the balanced bulbs (about 14K) than with mostly actinic types. That's my experience.
Aquablue bulbs are good! I like the 75/25 also.
Perhaps there is more to look for in order to determinate the growth fact (differences between our systems).
Grandis.
