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Zoanthus "Utter Chaos"
The exquisite Utter Chaos Zoanthids have a purple-speckled base surrounded by yellow/green and accentuated by bright orange skirts.
One-of-a-kind piece - "WYSIWYG"!
What You See Is What You Get
The Zoanthid Family (Zoanthids)
Zoanthids and Palythoas (Palythoa) are a large group of corals famous in the aquarium hobby. With an incredible range of colors and patterns, they have become very popular both for beginners and for collectors of rare corals seeking less common colors and patterns.
In terms of care, both zoanthids and palythoa are fairly easy to maintain. They tolerate a wide range of lighting intensities and water conditions. Once attached, zoas multiply rapidly.
Identification
There is no scientific consensus on the phylogeny of Zoanthid and Palythoa. In layman's terms, it's not clear where zoanthids end and Palythoa begin. What once were 300 identified species has been reduced to about 50-60 in recent years, depending on the criteria used to differentiate the different morphs. There is new knowledge about classification due to the introduction of genetic testing, but for the purposes of Aquaorinoco, focusing on the hobby, we have chosen to arbitrarily group individuals with larger polyps into Palythoa and specimens with smaller polyps into zoanthids.
Handling Care
Some zoanthids and palythoa contain a powerful neurotoxin called palytoxin in their tissue, which can be extremely harmful if it enters your bloodstream. By harmful, we mean lethal. Take special care when handling these polyps for this reason, especially if:
1) You have open cuts on your hands.
2) You're cutting the corals, irritating them.
We always recommend using gloves and a mask when handling zoanthus in these circumstances.
See below for more care tips for Zoas and Palys.
Location
Found in coral reefs around the world, these polyps are primarily harvested from islands in the Indo-Pacific, including Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. Zoanthids and Palythoa have an incredible variety of colors and patterns that make them one of the most popular corals in the reef aquarium.
Lighting
Zoanthids and Palythoa are not as demanding as other corals when it comes to lighting. They can be kept under a wide variety of lighting types and tolerate low and high lighting conditions. However, it is always advisable to acclimate newcomers in low-light areas, as they are much more likely to be damaged by overexposure than to starve from underexposure.
Low Light |
Low light is between 30 - 50 PAR per unit area |
Medium Light |
Medium light is between 50 - 150 PAR per unit area |
|
High Light |
High light is above 150 PAR per unit area |
Water Flow
Moderate to high water movement is recommended. Zoas and Palys benefit from sufficient flow to prevent debris from accumulating on them.
Feeding
Although zoanthid and palythoa polyps derive much of their energy from the products of their zooxanthellae, they have the ability to capture prey. Palythoa seem to feed much more readily than their Zoanthid counterparts. We recommend using suspended phytoplankton (e.g., Easy Booster) as food for Zoanthids and Palys!
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