Adding Zoanthid coral food to your aquarium can be a very easy process, but you should first understand some of the common problems with feeding these colorful creatures. After reading this article, you should be more knowledgeable about the ingredients in the food and how to cure zoanthid chickenpox, a condition that causes your staghorn coral to die. In addition, you should know how to treat Zoanthid chickenpox so that it does not affect your tank’s overall health.
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Adding zoanthid coral food to a tank
If you are new to coral reef aquariums, you might be wondering how to add zoanthid coral food to your tank. If you have a few Zoanthids, feeding them can increase their growth and color vibrancy. To feed your Zoanthids, you can purchase a small container of cloudy solution from a pet store or fish store. Once you’ve bought the food, you’ll want to place it in the tank and swirl it around to make it dissolve. Zoanthids are not able to digest large chunks of food, so you want to make sure that the food is dissolved.
The first thing to remember about zoas is that they need a stable water temperature. Even a slight change in temperature can result in shrivelled tentacles and faded color. Zoas need a constant temperature, so keep the water temperature at 78degF. You should also change the water on a regular basis to replenish lost alkalinity and remove excess nutrients.
Problems with feeding zoanthids
One of the most impressive and challenging parts of maintaining a reef aquarium is feeding zoanthid coral. While it might remind hobbyists of the Kraken, feeding zoa is an intricate process that requires extreme care. If you’ve never fed one before, you should consider purchasing a healthy specimen before attempting to feed it yourself. It’s also important to buy a zoanthid coral that’s healthy and growing in its natural habitat, as not all zoas are as colorful as others.
First, remember that zoas are polyps, not animals. They form colonies that work together like a living community. They may look like one large entity, but are in fact a collection of individual polyps. They reproduce within the colony. Their offspring never leave the parent polyp and remain attached to it for life. Similarly, zoas are hermaphrodites, meaning that their sexes are different.
Ingredients in zoanthid coral food
The most common food for zoanthids is pellets from Fauna Marin. These foods are designed to sink, making them less likely to blow away from your coral. When they are wet, they have an oily consistency. You can use this food with any LPS coral, such as Cyphastrea and Tridactylus. If you are feeding only a single coral species, a blend of two or three types of food is usually sufficient.
Coral frenzy, for instance, contains fish protein, oyster larvae, and carotenoids. Its formula is complete, providing zoanthids with the nutrients they need to thrive. Coral frenzy also contains fish protein, HUFA, PUFA, Omega 3 and 6, and vitamin D. This food is suitable for a beginner or intermediate reef aquarium and is also proven to improve the growth and appetite of corals.
Treatment for zoanthid chickenpox
In the absence of a hard skeleton, zoanthids are made of leathery tissue. Polyps are arranged in cylindrical bodies with a flat circular disk at the top and small tentacles. Zoanthids thrive in water that is 78 degrees Fahrenheit and between eight.4 In addition, the water flow should be moderate to low. Strong flow may damage zoanthids.
If you suspect that your zoas have a disease, you can treat them with Furan2, an antibiotic. You can purchase Furan2 at a local fish store. You can use a disposable container and mix it with water to soak the zoa. Allow it to soak for about 30 minutes and repeat the procedure three times a day, for three days or until no longer ill. You should never move your zoa back to the display tank after treatment.
Using freshwater to treat zoanthid chickenpox can kill the hitchhiker nudibranchs, zoas, and other live rock organisms, but it has many disadvantages. The fresh water method is not recommended since it is not suitable for achieving the exact balance of the salt and freshwater in the tank. You should consult a marine aquarium specialist if you are unsure of how to treat your coral.
