zoa's reaching for the sky

[CMDRAPER]

i noticed that zoa's appear to be closely bunched together in most displays...but mines are stretching or extending from the rock as though they are reaching for the sky...why is that?

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Could be due to low flow.

 

[CMDRAPER]

well...i can provide a counter example for that theory...

i once had the zoa rock close to the water surface in direct path of one of the return lines...and they were reaching for the sky.

so one day i accidently knocked over my rock stack chasing a frag of montipora that slipped out my hands...and decided to move the zoa rock about midway of the tank...and they are still reaching for the sky

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

What are your water parameters? Lighting?

 

[CMDRAPER]

2 - 250W 12K Halides. 100 gal aquarium (60 x 18 x 18). as3 skimmer, mag18 connected to ocean motion squirt as the return.

0 nh4
0 no3
no4 < 20 ppm

ca=449 ppm
alk = 2.9

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Where are the zoas located? Do they have a lot of flow, low flow, direct current, indirect,... Near the lights, shaded,...???

Any pics?

 

[CMDRAPER]

Indirect flow...they are approx 21" from the halide...no shaded area...they are receiving unobstructed light from the halides. i could post a pic later tonight..

 

[VoidRaven]

Could also just be the type of zoa too. Got any pics that you can post here for an ID???

 

[CMDRAPER]

they came from a mother of piece like this:

 

[VoidRaven]

Well, it sounds as if it is a lighting issue. I have some zoas that are only maybe a half centimeter "tall" on top of a rock. Since they have taken over the rock and grown down the back side of it I have noticed that the zoas on the back side of the rock are considerably taller as they reach for the light....a few are as "tall" as one inch. Mind you, same colony on the same rock, some simply have grown lower in the tank than the main colony.

Same observations have held true in my wife's 30g extra tall tank.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

I agree^

 

[tulkas71]

Alk=2.9 ..as in 2.9dkh?

 

[CMDRAPER]

hmmm...ok thats a good a nice observation experienced...thanks for sharing that.

would it be safe to say that the zoas are more light sensitive than most softies?

i have hammers, frogspawns, muchrooms that are looking great. but my cabbage, montipora are have a few issues...as well as a just recently added rose anemone.