Predator Zoanthid

Zoanthids & Palythoa (Commonly called “Zoas” or “Button Polyps”)

Zoanthids are the colorful, fast-growing, nearly indestructible soft corals that cover half the rockwork in most mixed reefs. They come in every color imaginable: Rasta, Utter Chaos, Goblin Fire, Bam Bam, Sunny D, Rainbow Incinerator, and thousands of designer “morphs” with nerdy names.
Perfect for absolute beginners – if you can keep a goldfish alive, you can keep zoas!

Why Everyone Starts with Zoas

• Grow like weeds under almost any conditions
• Tiny polyps (⅛–½ inch) form bright mats that spread across rocks
• Available as 1–2 polyp frags up to huge 100+ polyp colonies
• Super cheap to ultra-expensive ($200+ per polyp rare morphs)
• Very peaceful – almost never sting neighbors

Natural Habitat

Worldwide in warm waters:

• Indo-Pacific (Indonesia, Australia, Fiji)
• Caribbean & Florida
• Even Red Sea and Hawaii
  Found from shallow tide pools to 100 ft deep, usually in strong light and moderate-to-high flow.

Recommended Tank Placement & Flow

• Placement: Anywhere! Top, middle, bottom, overflow, back glass – they grow everywhere
• Light: Low to extremely high (50–400+ PAR)
  – Cheap/common zoas love bright light
  – High-end morphs often keep better color in medium (150–250 PAR)
• Flow: Medium to strong
  ✓ Polyps should be open and gently waving
  ✗ Too little flow = algae & detritus buildup (they’ll close or die)

Ideal Water Parameters (Zoas laugh at bad water)

They tolerate more swing than almost anything else.

Feeding

Not required – they get almost everything from light, but they love food:

• Broadcast Reef-Roids or coral snow 1–2× week = faster growth & brighter colors
• Some large Palythoa will eat mysis or brine or tiny pellets

Common Challenges & Issues

1. Palytoxin Warning ⚠️
   Some Palythoa (especially brown/button types) contain one of the most potent natural toxins on Earth.
   Never boil, microwave, or handle without gloves. Rinse frags outside the tank.
2. Zoapox (“Pox”)
   Small white pimples on polyps – usually stress-related. They usually go away on their own or with a quick iodine dip.
3. Closed Polyps / Melting
   Usually caused by:
   – Zero flow + detritus buildup
   – Nudibranchs or sundial snails
   – Extreme parameter swings
   Fix: Increase flow, dip in CoralRx or iodine.
4. Pests
   – Zoanthid-eating nudibranchs
   – Zoanthid-eating spiders
   – Sundial snails
   → Always dip new frags (even from trusted sellers)

Final Tips for Beginners

• Glue them to a small rock or frag plug – they spread faster on flat surfaces
• Don’t chase rare morphs until you master the basics
• They grow so fast you’ll be trading frags with friends in 3–6 months
• Mix colors and heights for a stunning “zoa garden”

Zoas are the ultimate “set it and forget it” coral. Buy a frag, stick it on a rock, watch it take over half your tank in a year. Welcome to the addiction!