New zoa garden advice

[Dontknowmuch]

I have ordered some zoas to make my zoa garden. I have some questions about placing them.

I started the tank in Feb this year, so 3 months. Tank will be a softy/LPS mixed reef, 195litre/50G cube with an AI Prime HD light.

Parameters are stable:
Temp 24.5
Ammonia 0.001
pH 8.1
Alk 8-9
Mag 1380
Calcium 450
Nitrate 14
Phosphate .2

I have a Seneye monitor which is working well, and I’ve mapped out the light par readings around the tank, ranging from 150 on the top of the rock to 50 at the bottom sand.

The softies in the tank look really happy and I’ve had some zoas on a frag rack for a couple of weeks waiting to go. I have started feeding Reef Roids and everything loves that stuff!!!

I am mindful that some zoas might need to be moved or cut back in time so I don’t want to glue them to the base rock towers, so I have stacked two removable rocks in the middle of the tank at about 75 par for the zoa garden.

I watched the BRS video on coral placement techniques and was going to do either hybrid glue-epoxy-glue or glue-rubble-glue.

Most of the zoas are on a cut frag plug sliver glued to a full plug, so I think I can remove most of them off their plugs and attach them to rubble to glue to my zoa garden. Otherwise glue them to epoxy on the rock.

The questions I have are:
- should I use epoxy around the zoas to fill in holes so they have a smooth surface to grow over?
- will the zoas even grow on epoxy?
- is there something better to use, eg Plastimake mouldable plastic?
- do zoas grow on plastic?

I have CA superglue, but it isn’t as easy as the videos! I guess I just need more practise. I have never used epoxy so expecting that to be a learning experience as well.

Also I will take precautions for toxins by wearing gloves, glasses and a mask, and trying to keep the zoas underwater as much as possible.

Any suggestions or advice would be welcomed!

Thanks!!

 

[Reefing102]

I’ve only ever used super glue gel, but zoas have never really done well for me (everything else fine but zoas not so much).

If you want to smooth it out you can, but I’m more of natural look so the zoas will just grow to where they want/can.

That said, they should be able to grow without issue over the epoxy or glue. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the moldable plastic so I don’t even know if that’s a safe option.

A special note of the toxins, they can release them into the water column too so if working in tank, watch your other corals as it can affect them too and make sure the gloves are the right length (I.e. elbow length or similar as any cut will allow the toxins in. I’d likely recommend using a Tupperware dish or similar to work with if possible.

Others with more experience may chime in

 

[Dontknowmuch]

I’ve only ever used super glue gel, but zoas have never really done well for me (everything else fine but zoas not so much).

If you want to smooth it out you can, but I’m more of natural look so the zoas will just grow to where they want/can.

That said, they should be able to grow without issue over the epoxy or glue. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the moldable plastic so I don’t even know if that’s a safe option.

A special note of the toxins, they can release them into the water column too so if working in tank, watch your other corals as it can affect them too and make sure the gloves are the right length (I.e. elbow length or similar as any cut will allow the toxins in. I’d likely recommend using a Tupperware dish or similar to work with if possible.

Others with more experience may chime in

Thanks for your reply. I will use a Tupperware container and gloves. I’ll stay clear of the plastic and stick with the epoxy for now, thanks!