Zoa help please

I am still pretty new to the whole saltwater reef keeping thing and I am having problems keeping zoas. My tank is mostly sosfties with a few lsp. I keep water params in check, but have never had good luck with zoas. They just shrival up and starve themselves to nothing. Now I have read on here all kinds of things, to little light, to much light, and preditors. So I am a little confused. Right now my lights coinsist of 2 t5 ho 36" bulbs (one is a 10k and the other is a 20k) and 2 t8 24" atinics. In a few weeks I am planing on ordering another ballast and new ati light bulbs (2 36" blue plus,1 36" aqua blue, and 1 36" purple plus) I plan to run these over a standard 55 gal... Will that be enough light? As for the preditors I plan to look for them tonight. I know of the nudibranch one, but not to familier with spider and other possiblebad things. So could someone please direct me in a dirrection to some some pictures so that I know what I am looking for. Or give some direction or advice on what I could be doing wrong? Thanks Rick

 

Sometimes, some systems seem to have a hard time keeping zoas. It's is often times a mystery as to why. I have 40B mixed reef and have absolutely no problem with SPS corals, but have struggled with zoas until just recently. It may have nothing to do with your lights, filtration, flow, or pests. Just keep trying with some easier/cheaper zoas. Once they take hold move on to some of the more rare ones. I also try to get frags of no less than 4-5 and often time try for 10+. Not sure I would ever buy a single polyp....

 

Ok thanks coastie. I will keep that in mind.

 

I have perfect params, and I recently lost a small frag that melted away for no reason.
Zoas dont need lots of light, I would say medium. also I personally blow mine off every few days with a baster, to clear off crud. this helps a lot. when ever you buy any coral, its a great thing to dip them this helps kill of anything but also send them into "go mode" lol. IME anyway lol

also, check out
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

 

I tried keeping zoas in my 8g bio cube for 2 years. Only 1 type lived. No matter what I did the others all melted. Almost a year ago I upgraded to a 26g with t5ho lighting. Now I couldn't kill a zoa if I tried. They go crazy in my tank!! I honestly think it was my lighting.

 

I dont think i have ever lost a zoa lol "knock on wood"

 

Nanareef your zoas look awsome! I will keep trying. I was able to keep them in my 29gal, but after I switched to the 55 gal that when they started declining. I am hoping my new bulb configuration works for me.

 

Those guys/gals on RC are very passionate about their zoanthids.

I would first rule out all the mos common predators and disease of zoanthids and palys and move on from there.

Zoanthid Information Draft - Reef Central Online Community