What? First Zoanthids.. Small?

[Almenmarine]

Hello guys. I just received my Zoanthids via UPS today. They are aclaimating now. I do have a question or two though..

My first coral was last week. It was a small red mushroom. It arrived a little bit smaller than a dime. I noticed it expands when the lights come on.

I got my second Corals today. They are Candy apple zoa's, and Whammin Mellon Zoas.

Holy crap they are SMALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like really small. Are they babies. New polpys? How big will they get, and how long will they take to get that big? I'm a little upset, because my local reefers have some of these Zoa's and they are a very decent size. Almost the size of a quarter, but usually a little under a nickle.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

ALSO

I received a hairy mushroom, but he is no where near hairy. Is this because he is stressed?

And i also got a Multi-color Ricordea. He is a little guy also. A little under a nickle size. but there are two heads. The rock they are mounted to is very small, so should i glue it onto a shell or something then put it in the tank when it drys?

Like i said, they are still aclaimating.

Your help and suggestions is very much appreciated.

May reply with a question or two!

 

[manhorsedog]

just the fact they are open is a good sign now. Give them a few weeks and see how it works out. Start them out low in the tank and work them up until you get the color you want. I also recommend staying good on water changes for at least the first year if you can.

good luck.

 

[Almenmarine]

I have 2x 96w. 1 actinic, 1 12,000k.

Alot of people said put them half way in good flow, you reccomend bottom of tank and slowly move up?

 

[Reefman29]

That way they can adjust slowly to your tank lights. Especially after they have been in a dark shipping box and you don't know what kind of lights the store had them under.

 

[Almenmarine]

i should have no worries about them bleaching up too high, right?

 

[manhorsedog]

it you start them lower you can find there sweet spot. Your lights are not that strong and could maybe have old bulbs so its really hard to tell. Just take your time, keeping your hands out of your tank works wonders also.

 

[Almenmarine]

Will do

thanks!

 

[Almenmarine]

Wow. already opening. Been in the tank for 30 mins.

Here's a pic. They may look big, but they are VERY small. I hope they atleast triple in size.

 

[Scott-CapeCoral]

Zoanthids are small, palythoa are a little larger. What you have there is a zoanthid...

 

[Almenmarine]

That picture makes them look huge. Of course Zoanthids are small, however, these little guys are VERY small. Some local reefers have some near the size of a nickle as i said. These guys are less than half the size of a time. I assume they are babies. Most mature ones that people have around here, and the shops as well, are atleast the size of a dime. I'll see if they grow with time. Do you mean that larger zoanthids are cosidered palythoas? Usually when i search through websites with coral, they just state Zoanthid, and not Palythoa

 

[Scott-CapeCoral]

Some are even smaller than the ones you have shown. And yes I understand your picture makes them look big.. I know how big a watermelon zoa is. Check out some japanese deep water varieties, la lakers for example are only about 1/4 inch maybe a little more. I also have some bleeding suns that are that size. When yours get more established to your tank the tentacles may extend more but thats about it.

Even the fruitloops in my avitar picture, I can put a dime on 4-5 of these and you won't see them..

 

[Almenmarine]

Very interesting Scott. This was probably the most i learned all day! So Japaneese Zoa's are typcailly smaller, or just the Jap deep water? I suppose i should start looking for Paly's then, right?

I know this sounds lame, but my friend had a little rock anemone in a bucket of cycling rocks he had. It was big enough to eat small pellets. It was so fun feeding that little guy. He ended up killing it because it's unwanted in reef tanks. I want to be able to do that.

 

[tate1]

+1 on the Fruitloops. Mine are real small. I fully agree with the Jap zoas. My purple hornets were a lot smaller than I ever imagined. Sounds like you got a good start on some nice looking zoas. 6 plus years in the hobby and I still love zoas more than my sps.