Symptoms of too much light on zoas

[MikeandNicole]

I know we have had plenty of theads about zoas that are stretched out and need to be moved up. On the flip side of that it got me thinking I have never heard of what happens when they get too much light. I know they can bleach out, but I am sure there are other symptoms before that happens.

One of the reasons I am asking is I am having a problem with some of my zoas and just moved them down in the tank to see if the light was the issue. The 30g tank was just switched over from a 250w MH pendant to an AI sol blue unit. They started to decline before the switch and have not bleached out in the slightest under the new unit.

The problem is the zoas look like they lose their skirt and can't really close if that makes sense. I will see if i can get some pics up tonight.

 

[Neya]

Ive had zoas and palys alike drop their skirts when getting way too much light. I move them lower again and they grow back.

 

[A. Grandis]

I would like to see the pics, yes.

I don't believe that zoas would have limit to any of the "bright" artificial lights we use in our tanks. As I've pointed before in another thread, we can't bit the sun. Most of the zoas are from shallow waters. Some from VERY shallow!!

The problem comes when the adaptation for the new environment (including light) is too fast/different from where it came from (reef or tank).

Some species would need more than a month to be able to handle new light directly.

Bleaching could be a sign that you didn't help the zoa to adapt to the new light.

My 2 cents.
Grandis

 

[Scopus Tang]

I've also found that most morph can handle just about anything we want to throw at them, provided we give them ample time to adapt. That said however, I have noticed that some morphs may require more shaded conditions in order to thrive. When I did some research into the origins of those, I was told they typically occur in more shaded or overhung positions in their natural environment. So I think that surviving and thriving are two seperate issues.

 

[A. Grandis]

I agree.
Yes. Surviving and thriving are totally separate issues.
I agree with finding those species in certain habitats and the importance of trying to reproduce such environment for them is very good. Hard is to know for sure their needs in that regard, once the hobbyist didn't collect them.
Still, that's an important observation to keep in mind.
Perhaps overhangs and cracks on the reef. There are those zoas we find in "duty water" also, rich in nutrients and sediments (so called many times "reef lagoons" or close to the "mangrove forests").
However, if we put all of those zoas in the same home system (relatively clean, with skimmer and water changes...) they will be ok with the best quality of artificial light we provide, after proper adaptation. The ones from nutrient rich water will like some extra feeding, perhaps. But any proper (best we can offer for the zoas) artificial light, after the adaptation period, will be ok for them.
Could be that those are found in cracks or overhangs because of other then light (current? predation?).
Many times we find the same species of zoas in different environments on the reef (same geographic area)

Well, bottom line is: IMO it's basically impossible for the hobbyist to know where the polyps came from and how they were on the reef (overhangs and cracks) to judge where to place them in the tank. To try and care is the best bet.
That could be why we have hard times to keep some species coming from the wild.

There are those that comes from the wild directly to be divided into pieces and sold as frags. Please note that when they do that they really stress the organism and that one polyp will have to find the strength to fight and survive. They are strong organisms, but when we press the stress on them and the limit is reached is so hard to have them reproducing and growing.

Good point, Scopus!


Grandis.

 

[flyyyguy]

I've also found that most morph can handle just about anything we want to throw at them, provided we give them ample time to adapt. That said however, I have noticed that some morphs may require more shaded conditions in order to thrive. When I did some research into the origins of those, I was told they typically occur in more shaded or overhung positions in their natural environment. So I think that surviving and thriving are two seperate issues.

absolutely

just becasue you bleached your polyps or hurt them with too much light in no way means that you have "too much" light.

you just did too much too fast compared to where they have been recently kept

there are of course some exception that simply do better in less, but most will thrive with everything most people use for light and more

 

[MikeandNicole]

Well I am glad I got a good discussion started. The ones I moved down look better. Thank you for chiming in

 

[krustyart]

When I lived on an island off of Andros Island (largest and least inhabited island in the Bahamas) I would find bright green zoanthids in huge colonies covering rocks IN TIDE POOLS and close to shore in literally less that six inches of water in All day long full sun. (I am still amazed that the lack of oxygen and very hot water of the tide pools just before the tide started coming back in did not kill them.)

FYI: A.U.T.E.C., site 7 & site 3, 1986 to 1990.

 

[ponda]

if you bleach the zoas - will the colour ever return?

 

[reefwars]

if you bleach the zoas - will the colour ever return?

yes it will as long as the problem is fixed

 

[Mael]

I agree with with the tolerance to light, my two fastest growing zoas are higher up, one of them at the top of the tank.

I am running full spec 120w LEDs, 80% blues and 60% white right now about 10-12" above the tank The pink PE that are my fastest growing colony are the ones at the top, 6" below the surface.

 

[650-IS350]

I've had zoanthids, Palythoas, Protopalythoas, neozoanthus, and others near top of water level under 8 T5s where the lighting was only 8" from the water surface. I've also had them when under 250MH and 5 T5s same height. If properly acclimatized you should be good. Your Z's and P's will tell you if they don't like where they're at.