Zoanthids Care Guide
Zoanthus is a genus of colonial button polyps popular in the reef hobby for being easy to keep and very colourful, spreading across rockwork by budding.
Overview
Zoanthus is a genus of colonial anthozoans known in the aquarium hobby as button polyps or zoas. Individual polyps form colonies that can spread to cover a rock in brightly coloured circular patterns. The genus is valued because it is relatively easy to raise and very colourful, and some species express proteins similar to green fluorescent protein.
Taxonomy
- Family: Zoanthidae
- Genus: Zoanthus
- Scientific name: Zoanthus sp.
- Order: Zoantharia (type genus of family and order)
Habitat
Zoanthids are widely distributed colonial reef organisms. The genus contains roughly 15 recognised species, including Zoanthus sociatus, Zoanthus sansibaricus, Zoanthus gigantus and Zoanthus kuroshio, occupying shallow reef rockwork in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: SG 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 dKH
- Placement: attached to rockwork; low to moderate light and flow
Diet
Zoanthids are primarily photosynthetic, relying on symbiotic zooxanthellae for nutrition; moderate light and flow promote faster growth. They reproduce rapidly by budding to form expanding mats.
Compatibility
Zoanthids are peaceful, reef-safe and suit beginner reef tanks alongside clownfish, gobies, wrasses, snails and hermit crabs. They are vulnerable to specialised zoanthid-eating nudibranchs and to large angelfish that may nip the polyps.