Reef Discussion

[Aspidites]

Hey all, just wonderring and thought I would pick everyones brains. Besides cal, mag and alk what would be the optimal elements and level to get zoas going?

 

[lukusis]

Tagging along :)

 

[Agent M]

Vitamin C apparently, never tried it myself. I wonder if you could use citric acid, it does look like the picture here: http://www.exoticaquacultureaustral.../products/vitamin-c-powder?variant=1227446983

I also hear replacing Iodine as it is consumed by corals is beneficial.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/totm/
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/totm/index.php

 

[Lesley]

Put them on a rock. & leave them. They are crazy. I find them a bit like Xenia , hard to actually control. Mag. Alk. Cal is all I think they need. Oh. & light. :)

 

[ezza]

If your water is ASW, it'll probs be fine... I do the Seachem Plus and Trace and recently started dosing Iodide (iodine is poisonous apparently). Next on my care list will be strontium. It's been a while since I had a few extra $ to buy supplements- not that we have extra... We just owe more to the bank...

I do recommend the old Randy's recipe to save money on cal and mag. I had an excess of magnesium supplements from the chemist (it's not a sulfate), so started dosing that instead of Epsom salts. With reasonably decent Params and light... Weed city. Especially when stuck straight to rock instead of plugs too.

 

[ReeferRob]

Just be careful with iodide, it is VERY toxic to marine life, ask me how I know, DOH!!! With iodide and strontium, less is more, you need it in smaller doses than cal, mag and alk.

 

[dino]

Zoas grow fastest when left undisturbed and allowed to remain open at all time. Zoas that are repetitively closing up (through disturbance from human hands, fish picking at them, nearby coral tentacles, or shrimps crawling over them) will use up all their energy and gradually shrink, until one day never to open up again.
I grow out my Zoas in a sump section with good flow, and lights on 24/7.

 

[daveH]

I think the best advice with zoas is to leave them alone. I have zoas in 3 different tanks under 3 different conditions and they all grow just fine.
Light is a strong factor in their growth. If I find that a patch isn't doing as well as the others I'll try moving it to a slightly different position.
I think you will find different varieties will grow better or worse than other varieties under the same conditions.
I have very minimal dosing or additives and they all seem to be going gang busters.