Nirvana Zoas

Nirvana Zoas are a relative newcomer to the reefing hobby and are rapidly becoming very popular.  They have a violet covered face with hints of gold and neon green skirts.  Their polyps are average size for zoanthids and they grow flat to the rockwork.  Like all zoas, they reproduce by budding and a small frag can become a beautiful colony in a fairly short period of time.

Zoas are widely distributed throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceans and are found in a variety of habitats.  The vast majority of zoas available for sale in the hobby, especially those with specific trade names such as Nirvana Zoas, are aquacultured.  This helps to reduce stress on marine environments and also reduces the likelihood of introducing unwanted pests into the tank.  Zoas are more tolerant than most corals to higher levels of nitrates and phosphates but still do best in tanks with stable water parameters.  Because they have no “off switch” most hobbyists place zoas on rock islands in the substrate to prevent them from growing out of control.  Multiple rocks can be placed together to form a “zoa garden”.

Nirvana Zoas are able to adapt to a wide variety of lighting conditions, but they should not be kept under extremely intense lighting or in total shadow.  Lighting that is too intense can cause the polyps to fail to open or even cause the specimen to melt and die entirely.  Flow should be strong enough to prevent the buildup of detritus but not so strong that the polyps remain closed.  Placing zoas on rocks on the substrate will usually meet their lighting and flow needs.

All zoas are photosynthetic but they can be spot fed if desired.  Feeding will accelerate their growth and may improve colouration.  Vitalis Soft Coral Food and Reef Roids are both good options for feeding zoas.

Because they grow so quickly, zoas are extensively propagated but fragging them is a bit of an art form.  They do not have a calcified skeleton that can be cut, so polyps need to be carefully cut from the mother colony with a sharp blade and glued to a frag plug.  Due to the fact that some zoas release toxins when handled it is a good idea to wear gloves, eye protection and mask when fragging them.

Under 50/50 Blue and white

Photo under all blue led