20gallon Tank of Zoos! check pics

[flamehawkfish]

I've posted on the main message board, but I really wanted to share some pics of my zoos with you guys. I don't want to only show you the postcard pics; I want you to see some of the subtle growth and competition taking place in my 20 gallon reef tank.

This is my first orange/red zoo; it's been in my tank, expanded, and spread for almost a year.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/344631_1317994708109973712_vl.jpg

This photo isn't great, but I wanted to show you new growth in the tank- there are adult zoos spreading on my base live rock. Also, notice how the zoos on top are fully outstretched competing for light
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/344630_6531768635198277973_vl.jpg

This section of zoos has at least 5 varieties- all intermingled.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/344632_1919699383650415968_vl.jpg

Again, the photo isn't great, but I'm trying to capture the chemical warfare between the pearl bubble and these ugly red zoos. Notice the conspicuous empty space between them, and a few zoos cowering away from the pearl. I'd move 'em, but there's no more space in my tank.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/344629_7137743578589700081_vl.jpg

[joe_fro]

nice zoanthids, want to trade or sell, where you located, what kind of lights? sorry so many ?'s

[flamehawkfish]

Hey, Joe_Fro.

I'd be interested in fragging and swapping with you. Do you also have a good collection of zoos? I live in the S.F. Bay Area; what about you? Can you post any photos of your zoos?

[l8_apex_it]

Great looking zoos. What do you do to get the growth? What kind of lighting, additives, food do you use?

[flamehawkfish]

Here are a few more photos of my 20 gallon zoo tank.

To answer the questions, I use 91W of PC lighting, make weekly 2 gallon water changes, add Bi-ionic daily, and weekly doses of iodine. I feed the fish flakes everyday.

Here's a shot of a patch of zoos; there are a few varieties on this particular piece.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/358609_2221232142124832970_vl.jpg

These are some new zoos. Recently, I've discovered a pretty steady supply of zoos mixed with these yellow polyps; hopefully, they'll coexist well.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/358610_8730997252014075237_vl.jpg

Here's a shot of the entire tank. While I've finetuned my close-up shots with my Nikon 775, I'm still working on these further-distance shots; I might need a tripod. Anyway, this shot gives you some sense for the layout.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/358611_1783527742647316091_vl.jpg

[TippyToeX]

Wow, thats 20 gallons? It looks larger from those pics. :thumbsup: Way to go! Love the color and the depth the tank has. Keep up the good work.

[shahramkel]

Sweet tank. I've just started a twenty and was hoping to have a setup similar to yours. Do you think it would be possible to maintain zo's like this without the power compact lights? Like with ho fluorescents? Or would you not be able to support that many zoanthids without high-wattage light?

[joe_fro]

Shah,
High output flourescents would do just fine. You could probably get away with N.O. flourescents but to get good growth from your zoanthids the more light, the better. good flow also helps these guys grow well along with good water quality.
joe

[kozmo02]

sweet tank, im in the process of doing the same thing with my 30 gallon right now!!

[flamehawkfish]

From what I've heard and experienced, here are a few pointers on keeping zoos successfully:

1) Give them decent water flow/circulation. I just use 3-4 cheap aquaclear powerheads; they're so cheap, they don't output the flow consistently- and I like that. I also have two hang-on-the-back skimmers; they don't skim much these days, but, again, they provide more water flow.

2) A few fish in your tank would do zoos some good. They actually absorb nitrates and depend on a nutrient-rich water which can be achieved by hosting fish and feeding them flakes periodically.

3) If you're dedicated to zoos, be prepared to forgo buying other coral. Clams, feather dusters, some shrimp/crabs, and several others don't appreciate the ideal zoo aquarium conditions. Furthermore, I understand that zoos are pretty toxic; if you partner them with some very delicate and vulnerable coral, I suspect that the zoos will dominate.

4) I believe that VHOs and PCs are both fine, but I've only used PCs; they seem very comfortable in blue light, and some spots in your tank might actually get too much light for zoos.

I'll post more photos of this tank down the road, but let me know if you have questions.

[mnreefman]

i am shocked that you say you cant have clams in a zoa tank. with the zoanthelge ( spelling) in both of these diff erent species they coincde greatly. now it is true that zoa are toxic, but if you add dt's both the zoa's and clams or featherdusters will be fine.

now i dont recomend keeping a wide variety of diff species with zoas but you can deffinetly kepp clams with them
jmo

[flamehawkfish]

MNReefman,

You make a good point. I have such a small tank with so many zoos, my luck may have been different. Perhaps my misfortune with clams has nothing to do with the zoos, but in a small space, you need to give the zoos some room to expand (like planting a flower).

[mnreefman]

very true in my 55 gal i try and leave 3-5 inches for growing room even though they need more. this was i can propagate them!
i have not had a clam although i have 2 on the way.... so i can shed more light on the subject here shortly

btw beautiful tank

[flamehawkfish]

MNReefman,

I hope those clams worked out for you. . .

As promised, here are a few more photos from my 20 gallon zoanthid tank (although the zoos share the tank with 4 pearl-bubble corals, 1 cerianthus anemone, some star polyps & shrooms, a few peppermint shrimp, a purple red sea captive-bred pseudo, a pair of gold-rimmed maroon clowns, a yellow-tailed blue damsel, a male banana wrasse, and a six-lined wrasse).

Here's a picture of a large baseball sized rock of orange/red zoos intermingled with some nice green zoos that are also starting to extend well.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/364586_5993600944683467328_vl.jpg


Here is some more variety; at first, I didn't like the nerdy green & white zoos in the back, but they've grown on me.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/364588_5162787082627078441_vl.jpg

Here is one of my three peppermint shrimp. After I feed the tank flakes, these guys get bold and trample over the zoos. Usually, they stay tucked away beneath the cave.
http://www.digitalpose.com/mbr/1/21129/p/364587_4126709926953690891_vl.jpg

[mnreefman]

i dont think thats a peperment shimp, but a calmel back shrimp instead

[giantxtc]

Yes,that's a camelback shrimp.Do you see any traces of them eating polyps or zoos?I had three in my tank and they ate ALL my yellow polyps and then they started eating the zoos too!They are now gone.

[flamehawkfish]

giantxtc,

Yeah; I guess you're right. I tend to use local terms to describe reef species, but there is definitely a difference between camels and humpbacks. . .

As for their predatory tendencies, that's very interesting. They're not eating the zoos; I know that for sure. However, maybe they are nibbling on those yellow polyps. For some odd reason, I haven't had success w' those "yellow tree polyps" (here I go again w' my local slang); I figured it had something to do w' water quality, but your posting made me rethink that theory. Perhaps the shrimp attack the yellow polyps when I'm not looking. Generally, the shrimp are very skittish and bashful, but bold and territorial at the same time.

By the way, you mentioned that you removed those humpback shrimp from your tank; that must have been tough! Did you net them, or empty out the tank (or both)?

[giantxtc]

Well,you are right about them being shy.I only noticed them out at night,when I peeped in with a flashlight.That's when I saw them on the yellow polyps.Unfortunately I put a hawkfish in my tank to rid me of the camelbacks.I tried to catch them for sometime and they were always up in the rocks.The hawk took care of them in no time.But,then the hawkfish became the problem.He started chasing any fish that was smaller tahn his self.I could'nt get him out until I moved.I just did'nt research the shrimp enough before I bouth them.I took the advise of the "kid" working in the store.Now,I am more experienced and look into whatever I purchase to place in my tank.And,asking through this board has helped alot too!

[JOHNNYHO]

those dam shrimps ate my bubble coral, maxima clam, hammer tips, frog spawn and brown polyps, i didnt feed them for 3 days and they went crazy and when they got use to eating them they just wouldn't stop!!! Get rid of those shrimps because they are just down right dangerous, Oh by the way im in daly city and do u wanna sell and of your polyps, im looking for good polyps and cant find any around, pm me if you do thx, john