Invertebrate of the Week: Zoanthids!

[Anonymous]

Invertebrate of the Week: Zoanthid spp.

Zoanthids are easy enough for beginning reefers, yet come in a wide variety of unusual colors that keep advanced aquarists and collectors interested.

There have recently been a number of threads involving the toxicity of Zoanthids, which may contain Palytoxin, one of the most poisonous naturally-occuring substances. This substance was discovered in a Palythoa with a very restricted distribution on Hawaii, but the paucity of information on how much toxin is present in various species suggests that we treat all with respect.

Let's hear your experiences, and if you have some pictures, please post them as well.

About the RDO Coral of the Week Discussion:

This discussion is meant to get at your experience and to share information that is in your head, so don't necessarily treat it as information gathering. State your opinion and, if available, use material, anecdotal or otherwise, that will back up your opinion. Past weekly discussions will be archived in our archives. If you have topics that you think would be helpful for the RDO community to discuss, please send me a PM.

 

[Len]

I don't think anyone was aware of how toxic they were until recently. I used to handle zooanthids without much thought, but now I'm a bit wary around them.

 

[reefland]

This hardy bunch all sprouted from a bare rock, neat little hitch hikers.

 

[EmilyB]

ZOOS ! :wink: :lol:

Well, several of us are collecting them, you gotta get them all you know ! I've always just fragged them with my bare hands..... :roll:

 

[reefNewbie]

where can i buy these awesome zoos!

 

[investigator1]

I got mine at the LFS for 2 dollars two weeks ago. They are kinda plain though. I decided that I need some Palyotoxin in my tank too. I don't want to be left out. I live for danger. hehe.

 

[curator]

I have been collecting Zoanthus since 1996 and
a building a small farm, that took about two years.

I have over 50 color morphs currently, these are
Some of my favorites.

 

[Anonymous]

Man those lavender and green ones are spectacular. Nice little "Zoo" of Zooanthids.

 

[texman]

Hey curator, are you selling any of those? - the purple center with green rim is the coolest zoo I have ever seen.

 

[Len]

Those are <beep>ing beautiful!

 

[Anonymous]

How do you all feel about zoanthids in an SPS tank? I know Rich Durso was looking for zoanthid-eating snails a while back, but he had mushroom problems also...

 

[fishfanatic2]

Those Zoanthids are NICE!! I'm upgrading a 29 gal. to a reef with 130 watts PC. Can I keep them/where can I get them?

 

[Micah00]

These came in a tank I bought Monday from the paper. Len tells me they are zoos, but I have never seen any like this.

 

[Piero]

Someone was nice anought to give me the heads-up on this thread. I've got many types of zoos available on my site at Reeflabs.com
_________________
Television Forums

 

[EmilyB]

Those Zoanthids are NICE!! I'm upgrading a 29 gal. to a reef with 130 watts PC. Can I keep them/where can I get them?

Sure A lot of my zoos pale out if in full MH so I keep them lower and more shaded in the tank. I know people with them under NO and they are VERY colorful.

Hard to find colorful zoos up here in Canada, we sort of seek out every new reefer possible and zoo trade ! We get eight polyps, and somebody already trades us for four.... :lol: :lol:

I have one rock that I've had for four years that is totally covered in green buttons now, but that is the most encroachment I've had. They don't seem to grow fast enough in my tank that I think they would ever be a problem for me, although I'd probably rip out the SPS first and leave the zoos.... :lol:

 

[CAT]

I've had this colony for about a year. They've multiplied to six times the original colony. They're under one 50/50 PC bulb near the top of my tank.

 

[ReefRian]

Micah00, You are the first person I've seen to ever post those kind of zoos before. I've been trying to find out what they were. I received a single one from Rob Toonen a while ago and I emailed him and this is what he told me:

"This coral is usually called grand/giant sea mat or button polyp, and is a member of the Zooanthids. The real name is usually listed as Palythoa grandis, but I think it should be Protopalythoa grandis -- Julian talks about them in this column, and Eric Borneman has a nice write-up on them in his Aquarium Corals book. In any case, despite the fact that it is hardy and grows well, this is a coral that you probably won't find in any of the local shops."

Good luck with them, they grow great. I started with one in November and now I have two full grown and 3 buds coming up.

Here's mine, not as colorful as yours but I love them just the same.

 

[Anonymous]

I think you are right on that ID. I do see them for sale on occasion, though, and some of the online places carry them.

 

[Len]

FWIW, I put my zoanthids on a seperate "island" rock so they don't disturb my other corals. Too bad I didn't do the same for mushrooms :? Time to get me some more NaOH .....