Do I separate these Zoas?

[shoxite]

Hello Everyone,

So I have been 2 months into this hobby, so a total beginner. I purchased this zoa frag colony 2 weeks ago and used a razor to get them off the frag plug. They were all bunched up together. There are about 11 polyps on here and some of them do not want to open. I think that they are so squeezed up together that they can't spread and open comfortably. Should I remove them and divide them and glue them separately? Hopefully the picture would give a better idea of what I am talking about.

Thank you for all your help!
Eddie

 

[Versys47]

No I wouldn't keep disturbing them. They will make their own space. Being that the tank is only 2 months old they probably will take longer to adapt to your water/lighting conditions.
Patience is key in this hobby. What are your water parameters?

 

[shoxite]

55 Gallon Tank
Salinity 1.025
Alk: 9.5
Calcium: 480
PH: 8.4
Magnesium14.40
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0

Running a 3k Gyre / 10% / 20% Gyre mode.
Lights 2 Kessil A160we 9" Inches from the water surface - light schedule 12 hour cycle - sunrise to sunset schedule max intensity for 3 hours at 75%


Thought those additional info might help.

Thank you,
Eddie

Hello Everyone,

So I have been 2 months into this hobby, so a total beginner. I purchased this zoa frag colony 2 weeks ago and used a razor to get them off the frag plug. They were all bunched up together. There are about 11 polyps on here and some of them do not want to open. I think that they are so squeezed up together that they can't spread and open comfortably. Should I remove them and divide them and glue them separately? Hopefully the picture would give a better idea of what I am talking about.

Thank you for all your help!
Eddie

Water parameters are great

 

[DangerDave]

I agree, let them be. Time and stability is probably all you need. Good luck with the new reef!

 

[Versys47]

You have done your homework! Any algae? Might want to bump the phosphate up a bit.
Do you have any fish?

 

[Wilson]

How are the kessil 160s on a 55 gallon?

 

[shoxite]

Thank you! Been studying for well over 2 years before I committed to getting into the hobby! I had some diatom and went away, now I have hair algae. I called up my local fish store to get a sand sifting goby and maybe a few Mexican turbo snails and I am waiting on those. My phosphate was at 0.02 a few days ago, until a friend told me to add a refugium. I have a 10x8x4 inch gang on back breeder with a light with some chaeto and grapes, calerpa ( I think thats how you spell it) running and ever since the, I've had 0 phosphates. I have 2 clowns, banggai cardinal, bicolor dottyback, clownfish goby, fire shrimp, long spike urchin, tuxedo urchin and few hermit crabs and snails all in the tank. I also threw in some dragon breath in the display tank. I have a 18" x 14" Inches sump below with a bubble magus skimmer and a pump below. Attached some pictures for you to see.

Thanks,
Eddie

You have done your homework! Any algae? Might want to bump the phosphate up a bit.
Do you have any fish?

 

[shoxite]

Thank you very much! Been wanting to get into this hobby for along time and finally my wife gave me the OK . I lost a green bubble tip anenome because of unstable parameters, but I think everything is stabilizing pretty well now. I'll wait on anemome when my tank matures a bit.

I agree, let them be. Time and stability is probably all you need. Good luck with the new reef!

 

[shoxite]

How are the kessil 160s on a 55 gallon?

They are working pretty good. I was going to get Radions, but i went to the Aquatic Experience Expo this year and was convinced to go with the Kessils because how easy they are to work. Love the shimmer in my tank. I dont have to worry about what colors to set or any of that. Everything is getting a fair amount of light, but I don't know if my placements of the corals are good yet. Plus the price were good on the Kessils too. Got them for under $230 a light.

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[DangerDave]

Well you seem to be starting in the right direction, and there are a thousand directions in reefing that will work. The only thing I would say is stability and diversity is what seems to work best.

 

[Versys47]

Looks great. I like the scape.
Some say its 1-2 years for a tank to fully mature. The uglies will come and go.
I recently had some green algae on my sand, it went away on its own in about a month.
You are off to a great start. I'm sure in you research you've seen the phrase " Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank". I cant emphasize how true this statement is.

The only thing I would say is stability and diversity is what seems to work best.

+1

 

[shoxite]

Thank you! I will be patient. Just need to make sure I'm not killing my corals. There are way too many steps. But taking one at a time.

Looks great. I like the scape.
Some say its 1-2 years for a tank to fully mature. The uglies will come and go.
I recently had some green algae on my sand, it went away on its own in about a month.
You are off to a great start. I'm sure in you research you've seen the phrase " Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank". I cant emphasize how true this statement is.





+1

 

[jmags080307]

rock work looks great! from my experience, zoas tend to like the water a little dirtier. but like @DangerDave said, there are tons of ways to be successful in this hobby. be careful with the refegium, it may suck up a lot of nutrients so just make sure yo're not sitting on 0 an 0 for nitrates and phosphates.

 

[nightmarepl]

Thank you! I will be patient. Just need to make sure I'm not killing my corals. There are way too many steps. But taking one at a time.

tell you this, i started about 11 months ago pretty freakin new to this hobby hard to learn everything i got some rasta zoas off a fellow reefer like 5 maybe? had them on a magnetic cleaning brush dont ask why i dont really know haha, got infested with algae due to my lighting being too intense i tried everything also think my phosphates played a role in this never really fixed water just the lights and tanks back to normal. besides that the zoas where closed up for i want to say a month at the lowest... once my algae started disappearing the rastas blew up to about 10-15 withing 3 weeks maybe like everyone preaches on the forums stability is key keep water topped off. temp stable , water as best as you can growth will appear just takes forever cant sit there and watch every day cause youll die of old age haha. i just upgraded to a 32g biocube trying to cycle and set up rock work ( got rocks off amazon ) the size of boulders so trying to break them up and fix it

 

[shoxite]

I know man. I can't sit and just wait for things to get right. I try to test ever day or every other day to make sure the parameters in check. How long did it take for you to get coraline algae in your tank? Did you use anyones rocks?

tell you this, i started about 11 months ago pretty freakin new to this hobby hard to learn everything i got some rasta zoas off a fellow reefer like 5 maybe? had them on a magnetic cleaning brush dont ask why i dont really know haha, got infested with algae due to my lighting being too intense i tried everything also think my phosphates played a role in this never really fixed water just the lights and tanks back to normal. besides that the zoas where closed up for i want to say a month at the lowest... once my algae started disappearing the rastas blew up to about 10-15 withing 3 weeks maybe like everyone preaches on the forums stability is key keep water topped off. temp stable , water as best as you can growth will appear just takes forever cant sit there and watch every day cause youll die of old age haha. i just upgraded to a 32g biocube trying to cycle and set up rock work ( got rocks off amazon ) the size of boulders so trying to break them up and fix it

 

[shoxite]

Thanks brotha. Well my Nitrates went from 5 to 2 ever since I added the refugium, although I have some hair algae in the tank. My phosphates have been forever at 0.002, even though I do feed a little more than usual. I have 5 fish some snails, urchins and a few soft corals. So I thought my nitrates and phosphates would spike a bit, but barely anything.

rock work looks great! from my experience, zoas tend to like the water a little dirtier. but like @DangerDave said, there are tons of ways to be successful in this hobby. be careful with the refegium, it may suck up a lot of nutrients so just make sure yo're not sitting on 0 an 0 for nitrates and phosphates.

 

[nightmarepl]

I know man. I can't sit and just wait for things to get right. I try to test ever day or every other day to make sure the parameters in check. How long did it take for you to get coraline algae in your tank? Did you use anyones rocks?

well i first noticed coraline about 2 months in maybe? i got like 5 hermits 5 snails and they had some spots guess they got it from like the petco i got my stuff from " cheapest " maybe 2-3 weeks after wards i started seeing it on rocks never really had crazy amounts cause i had an urchin for about a month plow everything out