Quick qeustion

[Reefer07]

I have just set up a 10 gallon nano-reef. I have been reading for the past hour or so on zoas.
I realize as any other coral, feeding them helps them tremendosly but they can live just autotrophically.
For my first coral/invert I plan on getting a frag or 2 of zoas. My question is, can I get them in my tank and leave them for a couple weeks before starting to feed them?

 

[Muggle]

They'll do fine without feeding as long as you have adequate lighting.

 

[Reefer07]

65 watts daylight and 65 watts actinic on a 10 gallon....I have my rock placed somewhat low as this is pretty high lighting for a 10 gal.
Do you think with this lighting if I do feed them and have VERY good water conditions I could get some color out of them?

 

[InADream]

With those lights on a ten gallon you should get some good coloring... What i do is place them at the bottom of the tank and see how they like it... If thye begin to fade a little or the new polyps dont look as great move them up...

Dream

 

[Reefer07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10883413#post10883413 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by InADream
With those lights on a ten gallon you should get some good coloring... What i do is place them at the bottom of the tank and see how they like it... If thye begin to fade a little or the new polyps dont look as great move them up...

Dream

So there is no way they will be "overlighted"?

 

[InADream]

What kind of bulbs are they, T5s... If so do they have there own reflectors... Maybe they are power compacts... Either way you should be ok... Most corals wont have a problem with the lights just make sure you properly acclimated your new corals to the lights...

To properly acclimate corals to the light, place a piece of egg crate over the top of the tank... then place 7 - 14 pieces of outdoor screen on top of the egg crate... Then gradually begin to remove each piece of screen over a 2 week span...

Dream

 

[Reefer07]

I have power compact lighting and I was told to just put the frags at the bottom of the tank and slowly move them up.

 

[Lytehouse]

That is correct. Put them on the sand bed and watch them. If they stretch upward, they are seeking light and you can move them up a bit and repeat until they quit stretching. If they partially close, one option is they are responding to light and need to be moved back down a level.

They are great, good luck.

 

[Reefer07]

I have heard they are quite easy to acclimate too....any suggestions?

 

[InADream]

You should be able to acclimate most zoos, to be able to place them anywhere in the tank... Just do like Lytehouse said, start on sand bed for a couple weeks and then slowly move them up until you notice them not wanting to open...

Personally i keep all my zoos on the sand bed, except one, the desert storm people eater. It requires so much light that if I put it on the sand bed it wont open, but put it directly under the bulb maybe 8" from the halides and it opens full...

Dream

 

[Lytehouse]

I would at least acclimate to temperature. Some also acclimate Ph and salinity.

The other thing I've seen reading here and in our local club is the same frag will do different things in different people's tanks. Friend and I bought the same item and the same time from local dealer. He's very experiened and has a well established tank with great paramaters and MH lighting. I have a 2 month old tank with PC lighting. His frag melted away and mine is growing like a weed. you just have to do what works for your tank, but these are the general guidelines.

 

[Reefer07]

I have heard of people just temp acclimating them too and that is it.