Utter Chaos Zoa Care Guide
A Zoanthus morph with red, orange and yellow streaks forming a chaotic flame pattern; a hardy, photosynthetic encrusting zoanthid for reef tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Utter Chaos Zoa is a named color morph of Zoanthus, a colonial zoanthid in the family Zoanthidae. The morph shows red, orange and yellow streaks that form a chaotic, flame-like pattern. 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. 'Utter Chaos' (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.
Utter Chaos Zoa: Propagation Guide
Overview
Utter Chaos is a designer Zoanthus morph (family Zoanthidae) with red, orange, and yellow streaks forming a chaotic flame-like pattern. It is one of the many trade-named strains the hobby has selected from these colonial button polyps and is not a distinct species. The polyps of a colony stay connected by a stolon, or coenenchyme mat, and Zoanthus is noted for a large number of color morphs of the same or similar species.
Reproductive Mode
Aquarium propagation is asexual. A colony grows because offspring polyps remain attached to the original by a fleshy stolon, and new polyps bud along that mat across the rock. Growers rely on this budding rather than spawning to expand an Utter Chaos colony.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
- Choose the polyps to remove and slice the connecting stolon mat with a sharp razor blade.
- Follow the score line with coral cutters until the section detaches; a diamond band saw handles thick rock.
- Soak and dry a plug or rubble, dry the frag base, and apply a small amount of cyanoacrylate glue.
- Press the frag onto the plug, let it cure for a few seconds, and return it to the tank.
- New tissue and polyps confirm the frag has established.
Conditions for Propagation
Zoanthus are among the hardiest corals and accept lighting from lower to higher levels with about 8 to 12 hours of light per day. Healing frags do best in moderate to higher flow that feeds the polyps and clears waste. With time the stolon spreads and grouped frags knit into a colorful mat.
Palytoxin Safety
Zoanthids can contain palytoxin, one of the most poisonous non-protein substances known. Wear gloves and eye protection during fragging, avoid touching your face, and wash up afterward. Never boil, heat, or scrape the rock, since heat 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 aid recovery. The chaotic red, orange, and yellow streaking that names Utter Chaos varies with lighting and water quality. As with all zoas, safe palytoxin handling is the primary concern, not the cut itself.