Zoa growth/shape and lighting

[jlmawp]

Hey folks, looking for a little advice.

I have 4 colonies of zoas. One of them (the ugliest, of course) thrives and grows regularly, to the point where I am always figuring out ways to thin them out. They are mid-level in the tank.

I have 3 others that are higher-up in the tank, but a little off to the side from center. With these three, the one that gets the most indirect light seems to do best, but it also gets the most flow. The other two aren't dying or anything, but they sure aren't growing well. They initially had larger, brighter polyps, but have since faded and aren't getting even half the size they were previously. They are also very stout. They don't get a ton of flow, but I would say it's sufficient. I've had them for maybe 18 months now.

All the LPS I have are growing/thriving/splitting at a much better pace. Overall health of the tank is great and I am having no issues otherwise.

This whole time, I've been thinking that my lighting might not be strong enough for the zoas to grow, but now I'm starting to think perhaps the light is too much for them.

Are smaller/shorter zoa polyps a sign of too much light? Anyone have the same experience?

 

[Uncle99]

Generally they close with too much light, some reach with too little.
I have them at the top (high light, high flow) and the bottom (low light, low flow)
Maybe a pic would help if you,have?
Anything growing near them?
Anybody can sting them?
Do you target feed them?

 

[hkgar]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2515630

 

[jlmawp]

Generally they close with too much light, some reach with too little.
I have them at the top (high light, high flow) and the bottom (low light, low flow)
Maybe a pic would help if you,have?
Anything growing near them?
Anybody can sting them?
Do you target feed them?

Here is a pic. In the upper-right, you'll see the purple and green polyps, which are smaller than when I got them. They've grown in number, but still remain small and faded compared to when they went in the tank. To the right of those is the colony that is doing much better in terms of size, tentacle length, and color. This picture is a month or two old, but I'm not at home to get a new one at the moment. Same layout, though.

https://imgur.com/a/gNzLJ6I


Nothing can sting them. No real nuisance algae (the turf algae is a style choice on my part and is kept away from the corals).

Yeah, I target feed all corals about once a week or every other week.

 

[jlmawp]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2515630

Was this maybe meant for that other thread about the person with the palys?

 

[hkgar]

Was this maybe meant for that other thread about the person with the palys?

No, Zoas and paly are often mistaken one for the other and the terms often used interchangeably.
I will add that 99.999999% of the named polyps you see with the word "paly" in their name.......are zoanthids, and not palys.

from this thread

 

[jlmawp]

Ok, I see, but maybe I’m missing how that thread relates to my question, sorry.

 

[Uncle99]

OK, I see them, the one closer to the back seems faded.
When one thing does not do well, but all else does, I would just move it, downwards would be my guess, give it a month or so to respond.

I believe hkgar is drawing your attention to the handling of Zoa/Paly. Some caution should be exercised when handling as palys contain a toxin which is quite dangerous if it enters your bloodstream.

Wish I could help you more but I see or read nothing that your doing wrong or should do better.
If many corals were shrinking, I might suspect to low nitrate and phosphate but this is not the case.

 

[hkgar]

Ok, I see, but maybe I'm missing how that thread relates to my question, sorry.

Just trying to make you aware of the potential dangers that exist with certain zoas and palys. If you are not concerned, that's fine. I didn't want you to risk hospitalization, but it is your choice. I spent 3 days hospitalized from palytoxin.

 

[jlmawp]

Just trying to make you aware of the potential dangers that exist with certain zoas and palys. If you are not concerned, that's fine. I didn't want you to risk hospitalization, but it is your choice. I spent 3 days hospitalized from palytoxin.

I see, gotcha. Thank you for that. I'm definitely aware of the dangers, but it's nice that there are people warning others just in case.

 

[jlmawp]

OK, I see them, the one closer to the back seems faded.
When one thing does not do well, but all else does, I would just move it, downwards would be my guess, give it a month or so to respond.

I believe hkgar is drawing your attention to the handling of Zoa/Paly. Some caution should be exercised when handling as palys contain a toxin which is quite dangerous if it enters your bloodstream.

Wish I could help you more but I see or read nothing that your doing wrong or should do better.
If many corals were shrinking, I might suspect to low nitrate and phosphate but this is not the case.

I have been suspecting this, but since I have such a small tank, I don't have many places to move them TO, if any, honestly. I'll have to bite the bullet and make the change! I had another colony of green zoas in the same spot that had the exact same issue a couple years back. They ended up withering away to nothing. I guess I should have caught on then, but sometimes too many variables take me in the wrong direction.