Grand Master Krak Zoanthid

Wow.. just wow.  Those really are the only words to describe the Grand Master Krak Zoa.  While beauty is always subjective, there really is nothing else like a colony of this beautiful coral.  Its relatively large polyps have a light blue mouth surrounded by a purple center and then topped off by circles of pink, orange and dark purple.  It’s skirt is a gorgeous combination of green and yellow.  It is a colonial coral and grows by budding.  This means that a single polyp can become a colony quite quickly.  The polyps generally grow quite close together and create a beautiful carpet effect.

Zoas are found in a wide variety of tropical and subtropical ocean environments but the vast majority of what is available for sale in the saltwater hobby is aquacultured.  Specimens of very specific and well known colour morphs, such as Grand Master Krak, are always available as aquacultured frags rather than being wild collected.  Aquaculturing ensures a uniformity among specimens and also allows for the selective breeding of morphs that are adapted to living in aquariums. Generally zoas are placed on rock islands to prevent them from growing out of control, but this coral is so beautiful that some hobbyists want them to grow on the main rockwork.  Multiple zoa rocks can also be placed together on the substrate to form a beautiful zoa garden and the Grand Master Krak makes a stunning centerpiece for any zoa garden.  We carry a Frag Plug Rock Holder that makes zoa gardens a breeze!

Grand Master Kraks are fairly tolerant of a variety of lighting conditions and some report that they like higher levels of lights than other zoas, but they still should not be placed in very high light areas of the tank.  This could cause the polyps to stay closed or even for the whole specimen to “melt”.  Flow needs to be sufficient to prevent detritus from building up on the coral’s polyps but not so strong that the polyps are blown around violently.  Flow levels that are too strong may even cause the polyps to remain closed.

Like all zoas, Grand Master Krak are photosynthetic, although they respond well to spot feeding.  This will increase their growth rate and may improve colouration.  They can be fed a general coral food such as Reef Roids, just remember to turn off the flow when feeding

Due to their speed of growth, fragging zoas is common but is a bit of an art form.  Since they do not have a calcified skeleton that can be cut, polyps must be scraped from the rock and glued to a frag plug or piece of rubble rock.  While this is relatively straightforward, it might be a good idea to practice on a less expensive zoa before trying to propagate a Grand Master Krak colony.  It is a good idea to wear gloves and eye protection when handling any type of zoa as some do contain toxins.

For a hobbyist who desires the best of the best the Grand Master Krak is a must have.  Its colours are unmatched and it will make any reef tank a true standout.