zoas v palys
- Thread starter iReef1234
- Start date
SIR PATRICK
New member
Palys take sand into their bodies- zoas generally do not- or possibly do in much fewer situations.
most zoanthids are the size of a pencil eraser possibly a little larger. a palythoa is larger. in many areas zoas will spend low tide above water. palythoas usually do not.
palythoas will usually take food where as a zoa may but will spit it out. they eat plankton and feed by filtering. imho palythoas grow much faster.
palythoas will usually take food where as a zoa may but will spit it out. they eat plankton and feed by filtering. imho palythoas grow much faster.
fity2pounder
New member
Care is pretty much the same in my experience, but I try to keep things low maintenance. Neither require much attention at all once established. I do think that palys are much more likely to eat though as was mentioned above.
blasterman789
New member
I'm pretty sure the only agreed upon difference is palythoa take up sand (if available) while zoanthids don't.
While not an actual technical difference I classify the two varities in a more pragmatic way; those that will actively take up food if available and those that don't. Most paly varities if you blow something like brine shrimp over them will snag it like venus flytraps and gobble it up. Most zaos will simply close up. If you're having trouble growing purple deaths or nuclear greens try feeding them with brine shrimp.
Size isn't an indicator of classification either. Gobstoppers for instance are pretty darn big and given their rapid rate of growth on bare rock with no nearby substrate I don't think they qualify as palythoa.
While not an actual technical difference I classify the two varities in a more pragmatic way; those that will actively take up food if available and those that don't. Most paly varities if you blow something like brine shrimp over them will snag it like venus flytraps and gobble it up. Most zaos will simply close up. If you're having trouble growing purple deaths or nuclear greens try feeding them with brine shrimp.
Size isn't an indicator of classification either. Gobstoppers for instance are pretty darn big and given their rapid rate of growth on bare rock with no nearby substrate I don't think they qualify as palythoa.
