My sps dominant tank has some zoo colonies that are doing great, growth and color. I have fragged a few of these colonies and placed them in my propagation tank with all the sps frags. Lately I have noticed that the zoo frags have lost alot of colors. What do you thnk is causing this. Frags are about 25 polyps each, and placed under the same light as the mother colonies, 18" from 250w 14k.
what can cause zoanthids to loose color in an sps tank?
- Thread starter Felixc
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Reef Junkie
Premium Member
Zoas don't tend to grow or colorup well in an SPS tank.
I'm not totally sure why, but it probably has a lot to do with the cleanliness of the water.
Zoas like dirtier water then SPS. That doesn't mean they like dirt water, but just not nearly as clean as an SPS tank.
Usually they get dull, grow slow and sometimes recede.
I'm not totally sure why, but it probably has a lot to do with the cleanliness of the water.
Zoas like dirtier water then SPS. That doesn't mean they like dirt water, but just not nearly as clean as an SPS tank.
Usually they get dull, grow slow and sometimes recede.
ficklefins
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8195361#post8195361 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Junkie
Zoas like dirtier water then SPS. That doesn't mean they like dirt water, but just not nearly as clean as an SPS tank.
.
Thank you for making it clear that dirtier water doesn't mean putting your zoas in your skimmer cup.
I personally haven't had a SPS dominated tank, but my feeling is that there may be certain things in your wanter column that are affecting your zoas. (No kidding fickle).
So what could it be?
Perhaps it could be supplements that help stony corals grow.
Perhaps it is something that you use to keep your water clean. (UV, Carbon)
Perhaps it is the chemicals released by your SPS to battle other corals for dominance.
In the end this question has been mentioned by a lot of people and most came up with the same reasoning that Bill mentioned above. Are your corals loosing color and shrinking or just loosing color?
Give us more info on your tank setup and perhaps we could find a better spot for you.
Good luck,
Luciano
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
No problem Luciano.
I recently veiwed a tank that was SPS dominated and had some nice zoas as well.
Yet, the zoas were kind of shrunken and not as bright.
I also helped a friend recently plumb his reef and he had SPS and zoas. It was weird how his tank wasn't too clean or too dirty, but both zoas and SPS looked as if they needed some magic markers to brighten them up a bit.
It's a tough balancing act and not many people can pull it off.
If you do keep both, try using a DSB, maybe remotely in a fuge (in case you decide to tear it down). Tanks with Deep Sand Beds tend to be softy friendly. It just means you have to skim and filtrate your water more to help the SPS keep their color. Brown is so 70's.:bum1:
I have no idea what the scientific reasoning behind this phenominon is, but experience has shown me what works and what is work. I have had both SPS, Softy and Mixed tanks.
Softy tanks appear to be easy, but there is a balancing act there as well. It just isn't as demanding as an SPS tank.
Please give more info on your tank like Luciano asked.
I recently veiwed a tank that was SPS dominated and had some nice zoas as well.
Yet, the zoas were kind of shrunken and not as bright.
I also helped a friend recently plumb his reef and he had SPS and zoas. It was weird how his tank wasn't too clean or too dirty, but both zoas and SPS looked as if they needed some magic markers to brighten them up a bit.
It's a tough balancing act and not many people can pull it off.
If you do keep both, try using a DSB, maybe remotely in a fuge (in case you decide to tear it down). Tanks with Deep Sand Beds tend to be softy friendly. It just means you have to skim and filtrate your water more to help the SPS keep their color. Brown is so 70's.:bum1:
I have no idea what the scientific reasoning behind this phenominon is, but experience has shown me what works and what is work. I have had both SPS, Softy and Mixed tanks.
Softy tanks appear to be easy, but there is a balancing act there as well. It just isn't as demanding as an SPS tank.
Please give more info on your tank like Luciano asked.
mine grw better in my sps tank but have lost there color also. i think that the mh wash the color out some. i originally had my zoas under pc and the color was great but they were small, so when i move soon i will get rid of my soft tank and take the pc, get all actinic bulbs, and add them to the sps tank. the pc along with the 2-48in t-5 and 3 250 mh 10k should bring in a lot of actinic lighting for growth and color.
The tank is almost 3 years old
100g main with 2x 250w and great flow up at the top
30g sump with euroreef skimmer
20g propagation with 250w 14K
huge DIY calcium reactor
carbon once a month
3 tangs and a pair of triggers (new) - fed once a day 80% nori and 20% seafood
1.5" sandbed
cal = 400
alk = 9dkh
nitrate = ?
phospate = ?
20% water change once a month
Sps growth and colors are great (over 40 colonies)
Zoo growth was good but color is drab and getting worst
I don't think it's chemicals for additives because I don't supplement with anything. Nor do I think it's toxin/chemicals released from other corals, the skimmer and carbon would absorb most of it. The one theory that really sound possible is the lack of nutrients, like food and fish waste. Perhaps the low levels of nitrate and phospate may be affecting them as well.
100g main with 2x 250w and great flow up at the top
30g sump with euroreef skimmer
20g propagation with 250w 14K
huge DIY calcium reactor
carbon once a month
3 tangs and a pair of triggers (new) - fed once a day 80% nori and 20% seafood
1.5" sandbed
cal = 400
alk = 9dkh
nitrate = ?
phospate = ?
20% water change once a month
Sps growth and colors are great (over 40 colonies)
Zoo growth was good but color is drab and getting worst
I don't think it's chemicals for additives because I don't supplement with anything. Nor do I think it's toxin/chemicals released from other corals, the skimmer and carbon would absorb most of it. The one theory that really sound possible is the lack of nutrients, like food and fish waste. Perhaps the low levels of nitrate and phospate may be affecting them as well.
bobafett
New member
Unfortunately when it comes to zoos and SPS together you have to decide which ones you want to be colorful. For SPS to be colorful you need very clean water and therefore your zoos will fade. For zoos to be colorful the water should no be so clean and therefore your SPS will brown-out.
Also- If you want the zoos to be the colorful ones in your tank chances are they will also grow faster and eventually cover over and kill the SPS.
When it comes to these two in the same tank you need to decide which ones you like better and set up the tank conditions accordingly. You also shouldn't have a tank thats 50-50 zoos and SPS. It should be more like 90-10.
Also- If you want the zoos to be the colorful ones in your tank chances are they will also grow faster and eventually cover over and kill the SPS.
When it comes to these two in the same tank you need to decide which ones you like better and set up the tank conditions accordingly. You also shouldn't have a tank thats 50-50 zoos and SPS. It should be more like 90-10.
jessiesgrrl
In Memoriam
Yep, I only have like 2 sps frags in my tank for exactly that reason... and when I did it I knew they might die cuz I keep my tank oriented to zoas- so less flow as well than the SPS like...
Laurie
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