? About Zoo's and Ricordea

[xabxam]

I want to set up a tank primarily for zoanthids and ricordea. Would they do ok in a 30-50 gal. tank? How much water flow do they thrive in? I was thinking that they would do ok under power comcact lighting, is that true? What small, colorful fish would do well in a tank designed for these corals, that don't produce too much waste, and won't disturb anything? What other kinds of soft coral/polyps thrive under the same conditions as zoanthids and ricordea, that won't poison, inhibit their growth, or sting them? Are there any colorful starfish, that are hardy, colorful, and won't eat any of the other inhabitants. What kind of shrimp would do well? I used to have hermit crabs that killed my snails. What kinds of crans and snails should I get, that will get along? Anything else that I forgot, or you guys have learned that helps zoo's and ricordea, woud also be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance
-Justin

 

[speg]

Rics and zoas would both do well in that size tank.. they can actually do well in very very small tanks. Rics have the same kinda lighting requirements and flow requirements as a lot of your normal mushrooms.. low and low.
Zoanthids like as much light as they can get, but will do fine (but not thrive) under lower lighted tanks.
Zoanthids and mushrooms can be kept with a lot of other corals, just make sure that you restrict the zoanthids from getting close to things and you can keep just about anything you'd want with them.
Just about any reef safe shrimp will do well in that tank... Peppermint, blood, pistol, skunk all come to mind.
Hermits do sometimes kill snails.. the trick is to keep only a few hermits in a tank.. overstocking a tank in hermits leads to many snail deaths Nassarius snails are always a good buy to help eat up any uneaten food and also move your sand bed around a bit. Mexican turbos will quickly consume any and all algae laying around. Astrea even though they are lazy and dont do much.... etc etc

 

[celacanthr]

I agree!
Also, the basic answer is no. there are no hardy colorful reef safe starfish that can go in a 50.

 

[xabxam]

Would zoanthids do ok under pc lighting if I placed them higher up in the tank?

 

[wax32]

They'd do OK. Mine sure look better under MH but they did ok under my old VHO's.

 

[sleeper]

Zoanthids will do fine under PCs even at the bottom. Some species actually prefer the moderate lighting (let's not kid ourselves, PC isn't exactly "low" light) and will wilt away under MHs.
I've heard of some zoas that color up real nicely under MHs but I've never heard of any that don't thrive under PCs...

 

[xabxam]

Do zoanthids or ricordea need any special kinds of care, like special nutrients, or feeding? Would a refugium be needed for a tank that is only about 30 gal, or would a sufficient cleaning crew, filter, and skimmer be enough for them to thrive?

 

[underoath1]

those guys are the easiest things to keep. you could keep them with regualr filtration and low lighting and they would thrive. Mine have done great and even split when my water quality went bad at one point. have fun they are awesome and fun to watch spread all over the tank.

 

[underoath1]

oh and ive dropped some zoanthids behind my rocks on accident where they could get relatively no light only to find later that they had reproduced there too.

 

[fishmamma]

I keep many corals under PC lights, 5 watts per gallon. Leathers, shrooms, rics and zoanthids. They all are growing/spreading but I have been unhappy with the color change in my some of my zoas after they are put in my tank (from the halides at LFS). You may be very happy with PC lighting but if are going to be a zoa fanatic like I am and want the stunning colors then you should consider going with halides, wish I did the first time around.

 

[xabxam]

How many skunk, blood red, and pistol shrimp would do wel in a 30 gal. tank?

 

[fishmamma]

1 pistol, 1 blood and a pair of cleaners.

 

[reefiness]

for the question about colorful, hardy and reef safe starfish, i believe that the orange and gren serpent stars fit this category. they look nice as ive seen in pics never had then in my
tank

 

[celacanthr]

Actually, they are not stars....
Also the green serpent stars, are a BIG no no, they are known predators, and the orange brittle stars usually succumb to osmotic shock

 

[xabxam]

Does it help to spot feed, or put additives in the tank for zoanthids or ricordea? I know that you said most corals will do fine with zoo's and ric's, but which corals thrive in the same conditions as them? Like, current, calcium levels, lighting, etc. ?