Magicians Zoa Care Guide
A named Zoanthus morph with a metallic purple-blue skirt and turquoise center; a hardy, photosynthetic encrusting zoanthid for reef aquariums.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Magicians Zoa is a named color morph of Zoanthus, a colonial zoanthid in the family Zoanthidae. The morph is recognized by a metallic purple-blue skirt around a turquoise center. Zoanthids form colonies of small polyps that spread across rock as an encrusting mat and are commonly called zoas or button polyps. They are hardy and tolerant of parameter fluctuations.
Taxonomy
- Phylum: Cnidaria; Class: Anthozoa (Hexacorallia); Order: Zoantharia
- Family: Zoanthidae
- Genus: Zoanthus Lamarck, 1801
- Scientific name: Zoanthus sp. 'Magicians' (aquacultured designer morph)
Biology
Zoanthus is a zooxanthellate genus: the polyps host symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) and obtain most of their energy from photosynthesis, supplemented by capturing fine food particles with their tentacles. Polyps are connected by shared tissue and reproduce asexually by budding, allowing a colony to spread over a rock surface.
Tank requirements
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Nitrate: below ~15 ppm; Phosphate: below ~0.1 ppm
- Lighting: medium, around 50-150 PAR
- Flow: low to moderate (enough to keep detritus off the polyps)
- Minimum tank maturity: about 3 months
Care and placement
Zoanthids tolerate a range of lighting spectrums and intensities; medium light suits this morph. They benefit from moderate flow, since low-flow areas allow detritus and algae films to settle on the polyps. They are peaceful and reef-safe with other corals, fish and invertebrates. As an encrusting coral it spreads across the rock over time.
Feeding
The colony is primarily photosynthetic through its zooxanthellae. Optional target feeding with fine foods such as phytoplankton or zooplankton, roughly twice a week, can support growth, but is not strictly required.
Magicians Zoa: Propagation Guide
Overview
Magicians is a high-end Zoanthus morph (family Zoanthidae) showing a metallic purple-blue skirt around a turquoise center. It is one of the many trade-named strains hobbyists circulate from these colonial button polyps and does not represent a distinct species. The polyps of a colony stay connected by a stolon, or coenenchyme mat, and Zoanthus is well known for carrying a large number of color morphs of the same or similar species.
Reproductive Mode
Aquarium propagation is asexual. A colony develops because offspring polyps remain attached to the original by a fleshy stolon, and new polyps bud along that mat to spread across rock. Growers depend on this budding rather than spawning to enlarge a Magicians colony.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
- Select polyps at the colony edge and cut through the stolon mat with a clean razor blade.
- Trace the cut line with coral cutters until the section frees itself; a diamond band saw is used for thick rock.
- Soak and dry a plug or rubble, dry the frag base, then apply a small amount of cyanoacrylate glue.
- Set the frag on the plug, let it cure for a few seconds, and return it to the tank.
- New tissue and polyps indicate the frag has established.
Conditions for Propagation
Zoanthus are hardy and adaptable, accepting lighting from lower to higher levels with roughly 8 to 12 hours of light per day. Healing frags do best in moderate to higher flow that feeds the polyps and clears waste. As the stolon spreads, grouped frags grow together into a continuous garden.
Palytoxin Safety
Many zoanthids contain palytoxin, one of the most poisonous non-protein substances known. Wear gloves and eye protection whenever fragging, avoid touching your face, and wash up afterward. Never boil, heat, or scrape the rock, as heating can aerosolize the toxin for inhalation. There is no antidote; only the symptoms can be treated.
Common Challenges
Cut polyps may stay closed for several days while healing; stable parameters and gentle flow help recovery. The metallic purple-blue and turquoise coloration of Magicians can vary with light spectrum and nutrients, and high-grade morphs often grow slowly. Safe palytoxin handling is the most serious aspect of the work.