Reef Discussion

[MichelleShocked]

I've loved Zoas (and morphs) ever since I first laid eyes on that first eye-popping polyp some years ago. I've seen and drooled over so many since that I can't even recall my first (yeah, I'm not only into coral porn, I'm a coral 'ho)
But since I've now managed to acquire some awesome zoas (thanks dino and DavidS), I'm interested in how zoas and morphs develop their colors.
I've been reading online and have learned that the general opinion is that Zoas (and other similar corals) develop their colors from the zooxanthelles they capture from the water then cultivate in their bodies for food. Further opinion and anecdotal evidence shows that zoas can adopt colors (presumably from absorbing or capturing) the zooxanthelles of other different colored zoas nearby.
So I'm curious about this.
I'm wondering if all the awesome color patterns we see in zoas can be "created" in the aquarium? Can new colors and combinations be "created"? Would judicious placement of brilliantly colored zoas/morphs/similar be sufficient to change a zoa from plain brown or grey to interesting colors?
If one has a tank of greatly varied colors, will that help lesser colored specimens color up?
Also: what sort of light frequency would be best? More blue? More red?
Has anyone explored this area of coral development?
I am extremely curious to find out!!:)

 

[dino]

I find that zoas generally grow faster and are better coloured under brighter lights. The colonies in my DT running MH do much better than the ones in the frag tank under LEDs. I don't target feed my zoas, but do use reef roids and AA. I also find they don't like excess heat. Best to avoid temp over 27.
As far as colour shifting - I do find some variations in new polyp growths, as well as wild collected pieces already with varying patterns in the one colony. I recall Matt Richards discussing this - and found that not all variations are passed onto the offspring - ie the new baby polyps revert back to the main colour/pattern.

 

[MichelleShocked]

.
As far as colour shifting - I do find some variations in new polyp growths, as well as wild collected pieces already with varying patterns in the one colony. I recall Matt Richards discussing this - and found that not all variations are passed onto the offspring - ie the new baby polyps revert back to the main colour/pattern.

Ok so perhaps each species is genetically geared toward accepting a certain algae species (and therefore color) and if individual polyps take on new ones, the offspring go back to the original symbiotic relationship?

 

[MichelleShocked]

I find that zoas generally grow faster and are better coloured under brighter lights. The colonies in my DT running MH do much better than the ones in the frag tank under LEDs. I don't target feed my zoas, but do use reef roids and AA. I also find they don't like excess heat. Best to avoid temp over 27.
.

The light I have in my nano is an 11W two tube fluro light. One tube is "Marine Blue" and the other tube is "Sunlightl".
This one:

Is this enough, do you think? I'm worried because the orange and green zoas are losing their their vibrant orange faces and green centres :(

 

[dino]

That should be ok - I would run it 12-14 hrs per day, and change it every 6-9months. You should be able to stick a blue LED strip next to the fluoro tube (from eBay for a few dollars) and have the blue on for another 6 hours after the main light goes out. If you don't have any fish, you could leave the blue LEDs on 24/7.

 

[MichelleShocked]

I got a 3m roll of water proof blue LEDs off ebay for $18 but they had to be wired up to a power source. Im not a lekky by a long shot & my friend tried to wire them up & blew the whole roll!
Do u mean those or a different sort?

 

[dino]

Yes - buy 1 or 2 30cm strip instead.
You can cut your 3m roll into 30cm strips and wire to an appropriate 12v dc power plug (work out the correct amperage to use). You prob only blown one LED in your roll only. Or you may have blown your transformer and not the LEDs. Look at the roll carefully - it is wired up in groups of 30cm - you can cut it in between the groups.

 

[MichelleShocked]

Oh ok. There was no transformer, just a roll of lights. I dont kno how to wire up power sockets or anything & once the lights blew, I chucked them out. I need sum sort of stand alone LEDs I can stick inside & change the batteries occasionally. My nano is only 26L- 36cm wide & the light & filter system are all inbuilt so I cant easily add new connections due to the shape & room constrictions

 

[dino]

Buy a 30cm blue LED strip from eBay, stick it on the reflector next to the fluoro tube (self adhesive strip). Thread the wire through the hood (you might have to drill a small hole). Wire up to a small 12v transformer (cut the plug tip off, strip the wires and connect to the wires of the LED strip - make sure to connect to correct polarity). Total cost about $10.

 

[MichelleShocked]

Ok, thanks :) i'll have a shot when I get my nxt pay. I dont have any fish so can probably leave the LEDs on 24/7, as u suggested. I cant get over how quickly the red & fluro yellow-green paly has spread - u cant see the frag tile at all now & its growing off across the tank bottom!! =-0

 

[dino]

Yep, some zoas grow like weeds. That particular strain is a very fast grower. I think it had about 30+ polyps on it when I shipped it to you. Give it a month or two, you'll have a hundred polyps. You can frag them off by sitting the colony on a some coarse coral sand (5-10mm). Cut off the new polyps with coral sand attached and glue onto frag plugs or pieces of rocks. Trade for other zoas.

 

[MichelleShocked]

Well that particular frag has actually attached to the glass bottom (i decided bare was best this time) so I might cut that 1 off & let it go as it will. The other side of that frag is rocketing off across a chunk of LR so I'll let that side go where it will too.

 

[MTG]

you don't need to run that light for 11 hrs, 7hrs will suffice easily invest in a moonlight for earlier and after the main lighting turns off. i only have my lights at full power for 3 hours :)

 

[MTG]

(my lights do sunrise and sunset) with a photperiod of 10 hr but its blues/purple only for 3 hours of the 10

 

[dino]

I recommended the extra photoperiod to get maximum growth and colouration from the zoas.
7hrs is enough to maintain a reef tank, but more is better, keeping in mind that nature provides more than 12hrs of light each day near the tropics.

 

[MTG]

a few months ago i cut down from 14 hour photo periods and noticed zero decrease in growth, if anything my zoos are growing quicker now due to the tank becoming stable. i find good water quality to be more important then how much light your corals get regarding growth.
but i agree dino if you can do sunrise sunset so that the light isn't always at 100pct the tank seems to be much happier

 

[MTG]

dino , one observation i have mad recently is that since i have ramped up my whites to full power i am have lost a slight amount of coloration to my zoos, before i was running it as 2 b per 1 w led, now running 1b per 1 white and at 100pct in turn increasing my par, seems like the extra white light has washed them out a little. do you have any similar storys ?

 

[dino]

I found that zoas grow fastest when they stay open longer - with long photoperiods and avoiding disturbing them. I have my MH on 7hrs, with blue LEDs on the rest of the time for a total photoperiod of 18 hrs per day. They certainly don't like it bright or too hot. My zoas are doing better now under 2x250W (at bottom of a 150x60x75cm high tank), than when I tried 2x400w.