Miami Vice Zoanthids are a beautiful zoa that we aquaculture in our aquarium center. The striking polyps were discovered by Coral Morphologic in the waters surrounding Miami and named after the popular old Miami television show. It's body a baby blue contrasts beautifully against its pink eye/mouth and lashes of deep green. Like all of our polyps they are aquacultured specimens, many generations removed from the original wild starter colonies.
Keeping your parameters at the standard level will help these corals stay happy. Set your salinity between 1.024 and 1.026. Your pH should range around 8.3 and your temperature should stay between 77 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aggressiveness
They are not an overly aggressive coral. They won't sting other corals unless they are attacked first.
Water flow
They do well in moderate to slow water flow.
Lighting
These zoanthids require low to moderate lighting (PAR 60-150) to maintain their color. T5's, Metal Halides, or LED's can all grow Zoanthids and Palythoa when the proper PAR levels are provided. We recommend a 14-20K color spectrum for best coloration.
Placement
Polyps may be placed anywhere which provides the required water flow and lighting level.
Diet and Feeding
It is recommended to feed zoas directly. Zooplankton and cyclopleeze we highly recommended. Each zoanthid is different, so testing different kinds of food is highly recommended. The thing that makes these animals so easy to care for is their high tolerance for dirty water. While it is important to make sure that any tank is always clean, zoas will not be immediately harmed by dirty water. Something important to keep in mind when introducing zoas into a tank is that they multiply rapidly. Keep enough room between the different corals so they do not compete for space.
Caution
Some Zoanthid's secrete a poison through their mucus known as palytoxin. Palytoxin is extremely dangerous, and it affects humans in a very adverse way. The toxin enters the system via open wounds, ingestion, and injection. What is highly recommended with these Zoanthids and Palythoa when handling, is to wear protective gear, such as gloves and goggles, and to use tongs or tweezers to avoid any contact with skin.
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