does feeding your zoos really make them grow faster?

loyalty · #1 02/02/2006, 11:42 PM

i have good light (for zoos haha) but i'd like to encourage some smallish frags and make them look more like colonies. i add phyto once a week to the tank, but don't target feed or anything. i've seen posts where people use cyclopeeze or mysis shrimp to spot feed. does this really work? TIA

CoralNutz · #2 02/03/2006, 08:23 AM

Most zoanthids don't seem to take food. A lot of the paly's I have do eat. I mostly feed the whole tanks frozen cyclop eeze. I spot feed mysis to some of my lps.

ficklefins · #3 02/03/2006, 12:12 PM

Stability and good lights are probably the best method for growth. Allow your zoas to adjust and forget about them.

Reef Junkie · #4 02/03/2006, 01:17 PM

I find talking to them helps. Sometimes if you stare at them long enough, that too can help.

Like Fickle said...
Stability - With your tanks parameters and within healthy ranges helps. Alk 3.5 to 4.5 Dkh 10-13 Calcium Hi300's to Low400's, low Nitite, Nitrate and Amonnia will keep them coloful (but they love the nutrients) Salinity that isn't shifting too high or too low of 35ppm, Temperature!!! Keep your temp around 80 and they'll love you long time.
HTH,
Bill

tygger · #5 02/03/2006, 03:57 PM

Do they need to be fed? I mean, can you just feed the fish and do regular water changes and the zoos be fine without feeding the tank cyclopeeze or anything like that?

llamart · #6 02/03/2006, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tygger
I mean, can you just feed the fish and do regular water changes and the zoos be fine without feeding the tank cyclopeeze or anything like that?

Yes. All they need is light and good water parameters.

tygger · #7 02/03/2006, 06:57 PM

Cool. If you don't mind, what else is easy to keep that doesn't require feeding? Sorry for the off topic...

gflat65 · #8 02/03/2006, 07:15 PM

Most corals don't require feedings. Good lighting and water quality is most need. Some benefit more than others from feedings (acans, blastos, etc.), but even they don't have to be fed. Non photosynthetic corals like some gorgonians, sun polyps, and dendronephthea type corals have to be feed.

Zoalander · #9 02/04/2006, 12:40 AM

I feed my palys cyclopeeze and a few colonies eat brine.