How to care for Zoanthid corals
Your simple guide to keeping Zoanthid corals
These guides are designed to help you get the best from your coral. The information we provide works for us, not only here at coral HQ, but also at home in our home aquariums.
NOTE: Zoanthids contain palytoxin, so extra care is needed when handling these corals
Basic care
Difficulty to keep level: Easy
Lighting: Moderate
Flow: Moderate
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Placement: Middle to Bottom
Kh: 8-11
Ca: 400-420
Mg: 1260-1320
Care information
All zoas and palys should be handled with care, especially when out of water. We recommend wearing gloves and safety glasses.
Acclimatise your zoas slowly (about 1 hour). First float the pot in your water with the lid on for about 15-20 minutes. Then tip away into a container approx 1/2 the water slowly top the water up about 5ml at a time, until the pot is full, repeat this 2 or 3 times.
Before putting in your system, we always recommend you dip corals in a coral dip of your choice (we use two little fish Revive dip for all our corals).
Before placing in your tank, find suitable spots in your system and place the plugs there some people putty or glue them in place, but we like to observe the corals for a few weeks in place before fixing them into position.
Feeding
As zoas are a photosynthetic coral so get nutrition from their symbiotic zooxanthellae. They will also take most nutrients from the water column. However to maximise growth zoas and palys will benefit being fed Vitalis Soft Coral food once a week.
Using a small amount of powder, mix it with some tank water in a container. Leave for about 10-15 minutes. Using a pipette add the food to a high flow area of the aquarium.
NOTE: it is common zoas close up when feeding.
Top tip
Create a zoa garden by spacing zoa frags about 1 inch apart on a rock or structure. Over time, the zoas will grow together and create a colourful garden.
