Spellbinder Zoas are instantly recognizable and make a stunning addition to any reef tank. This high-end zoa morph has a light blue centre surrounded by alternative rings of dark blue and yellow. Its skirt is adorned with the same pattern and has alternating blue and yellow horizontal stripes. They have larger polyps than most zoas but generally grow flat to the rockwork, so they are classified as zoanthids rather than palythoas. They reproduce by budding and each polyp is connected to the rest of the colony through a network of fleshy tubes.
Zoas are found throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceans in a wide variety of habitats. While all the different types of zoas that are currently available for sale were originally wild collected, the vast majority of zoas currently offered are aquacultured. This is especially true of high-end zoas such as the Spellbinder. Aquaculturing ensures a relatively high level of colour uniformity and also means that the coral is well adapted to life in a reef tank. In home aquariums, zoas are usually placed on a rock island on the substrate, as this will prevent them from taking over the main rockwork. Often hobbyists will place a number of zoa rocks together to form a garden.
Spellbinder Zoas are adaptable to a wide range of lighting conditions, but they should not be kept in extremely high light areas or areas of total shadow. If the polyps appear to be “reaching” towards the top of the tank it could be an indication they are receiving too little light. Conversely, too much light can cause the polyps to stay closed or even to “melt”. Flow should be sufficient to prevent the build up of detritus but not so strong that the polyps remain closed.
All zoas are photosynthetic and are able to use aquarium lighting to meet their energy needs. However, they will benefit from occasional feedings with foods such as Reef Roids or Vitalis Soft Coral Food.
Due to their speed of growth, fragging zoas is common but it 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. This usually takes a few tries but is fairly easy once mastered. The fragged polyps will soon attach themselves to the plug and begin to grow a new colony. Due to the possibility of the zoas secreting toxins when handled, it is recommended that hobbyists wear gloves and eye protection when fragging zoas.