Tubbs Blue Zoa Care Guide
Tubbs Blue Zoa (Zoanthus sp. 'Tubbs') is a photosynthetic zoanthid morph kept in reef aquariums under moderate light and low flow; like all zoanthids it may contain palytoxin.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Tubbs Blue Zoa (Zoanthus sp. 'Tubbs') is a deep-blue Zoanthus morph with a neon-blue ring; a slow-growing collector morph. Zoanthus, colloquially called button polyps or "zoas", are colonial polyps of the order Zoantharia. They are zooxanthellate corals: they host symbiotic zooxanthellae and obtain most of their energy from photosynthesis, while also exhibiting fluorescent proteins responsible for their bright colours. Trade morph names such as this one are hobbyist designations, not formal scientific taxa.
Taxonomy
- Order: Zoantharia
- Family: Zoanthidae
- Genus: Zoanthus (Lamarck, 1801)
- Trade morph: Zoanthus sp. 'Tubbs'
Habitat
Wild Zoanthus colonies spread across hard substrate on reefs, often forming brightly coloured mats that can cover a rock. Aquarium specimens of designer morphs are aquacultured rather than wild-collected.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 specific gravity
- Carbonate hardness: 8-11 dKH
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Phosphate: below 0.1 ppm
- Nitrate: below 15 ppm
- Minimum tank maturity: ~3 months
Lighting and flow
Zoanthids do well under low to moderate lighting, with roughly 50-150 PAR suiting this morph. They prefer moderate, indirect water flow that keeps debris off the colony without blasting the polyps flat; this shard lists a low flow requirement. New lighting should be increased gradually to avoid light shock.
Feeding
As a photosynthetic coral it derives its primary nutrition from its zooxanthellae. It can additionally benefit from amino acids and fine particulate reef foods dosed to the water column, though supplemental feeding is optional.
Compatibility and growth
It is passive and lacks aggressive stinging tentacles, and is considered reef-, shrimp- and fish-safe. Reported growth is about 0.2-0.4 cm per month. Care difficulty is rated intermediate.
Tubbs Blue Zoa Propagation Guide
Overview
Tubbs Blue is an iconic deep-blue Zoanthus morph with a neon-blue ring, regarded as a slow-growing collector zoa. It belongs to the genus Zoanthus (family Zoanthidae) and forms colonies of button polyps connected by a shared tissue mat. The colony is photosynthetic; because growth is slow, propagation calls for patience and careful timing once the colony has built up enough polyps.
Reproductive Mode
Tubbs Blue is increased asexually. New polyps bud from the connecting stolon, but the colony enlarges slowly, so fragging is best done from a well-established mat to avoid setting the parent back. Asexual division preserves the deep-blue coloration in daughter colonies.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Following Reef Builders, score the tissue around the polyps with a razor blade and trace the cut with coral cutters until the section frees, staying close to the base. Because this morph is slow, take only a few polyps at a time so the parent colony retains enough mass to recover.
- Wear gloves and eye protection before any out-of-water step.
- Cut the stolon mat between polyps with a fresh razor blade.
- Trace the line with coral cutters until the frag separates near the base.
- Dry the plug and frag base, add a small dab of glue, and seat the frag gently.
- Return it, baster off mucus, and allow extra time for slow re-anchoring and budding.
Conditions for Propagation
- Lighting: 50-150 PAR (medium)
- Flow: low
- Temperature: 24-26 degC
- pH: 8.1-8.4; salinity 1.024-1.026
- Nitrate below 15 ppm, phosphate below 0.1 ppm
Palytoxin Safety
Palytoxin is documented in Zoanthus and Palythoa, and aquarists have been poisoned handling colonies at home. There is no antidote, so protective equipment is the only reliable safeguard during propagation.
Common Challenges
Slow growth makes Tubbs Blue intolerant of overzealous fragging; taking too many polyps stalls the parent. Excess glue on the skirt, deep cuts, and unstable parameters also cause failures. Frag conservatively, use minimal glue, and keep chemistry steady through the long recovery.