Lighting
50-180 PAR is a broad starting range; color morphs vary, so acclimate by colony response rather than trade-name expectations.
ZoanthidBeginnerCare score 3/10
Zoanthids
Zoanthus spp.
Zoanthids zoanthid guide focused on colonial button polyps, lookalike separation from Clove Polyps and Mushroom Coral, and early checks for closed polyps or irritated mat before changing light or flow.
Compare colonial button polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Care score
- 3/10
- Placement
- Variable
- PAR range
- 50-180 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Low
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Minimum tank age
- 2 months
- Minimum tank size
- 10 gallons
Care note
This entry has low confidence or is marked for expert review. Treat the ranges as conservative starting points and compare them with your own system.
- Verify taxonomy before species-level SEO or care claims.
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Franklin Samir Dattein
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
Photo: Kazvorpal
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ahmed Abdul Rahman
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 7.5-10 dKH
- Calcium
- 390-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 2-25 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.15 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate flow should clear film and detritus from the mat without forcing polyps closed.
Stability
For Zoanthids, check pests, film, salinity, and recent light changes before treating a closed colony as a diagnosis.
Variability
Zoanthids requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- fine coral foods, amino acids, small suspended foods
- Frequency
- optional weekly broadcast feeding
ID
Identification
Key features
- colonial button polyps
- skirt around oral disc
- mat or connected stolons
Common colors
- Green
- Orange
- Red
- Yellow
- Blue
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Zoanthids have distinct button polyps with skirts; cloves have feathery polyps and mushrooms have single fleshy discs. Zoanthids is best separated from Clove Polyps and Mushroom Coral by weighing colonial button polyps, skirt around oral disc, and mat or connected stolons. Look at polyp size, skirt shape, mat or stolon structure, and pest-related closure patterns; then compare that structure with where the coral expands, retracts, or shows early recession. Do not rely only on color under blue lighting. Seller morph names vary, so confirm polyp size, skirt shape, mat structure, and handle colonies with basic safety precautions.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 2 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Zoanthids closed polyps or irritated matOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- polyps remain shut, skirts stay tight, or the mat collects film
- Zoanthids shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- pests, detritus, salinity swings, or too much light after transfer
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Zoanthids
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- inspect Zoanthids for nudibranchs, spiders, film, or detritus
- increase gentle cross-flow without blasting closed polyps
- check salinity, alkalinity, and recent light changes before moving the colony
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- inspect Zoanthid mats for pests before assuming parameter problems
- placing Zoanthids before confirming colonial button polyps and its spacing needs
- using Zoanthids color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Clove Polyps
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Zoanthids looks irritated
- ignoring mat pest checks when keeping Zoanthids
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Mushroom Coral
Discosoma spp. / Rhodactis spp.
- Category
- Mushroom
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Ricordea Mushroom
Ricordea florida / Ricordea yuma
- Category
- Mushroom
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Green Star Polyps
Pachyclavularia violacea / Briareum violaceum
- Category
- Soft Coral
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Leather Coral
Sarcophyton spp. / Sinularia spp. / Lobophytum spp.
- Category
- Soft Coral
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Moderate
FAQs
FAQs
Are Zoanthids beginner friendly?
Zoanthids can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still need acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Zoanthids be placed?
Start Zoanthids on a movable frag plug or isolated rock so it can be adjusted without disturbing the main aquascape. Use 50-180 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Do Zoanthids need feeding to open?
Zoanthids may take fine coral foods, amino acids, and small suspended foods, but feeding is not the only reason polyps open or close. Use the database frequency as a starting point: optional weekly broadcast feeding. Also check film, pests, salinity, and recent light changes.
Can Zoanthids spread onto nearby rock?
Give Zoanthids about 2 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Low. Use caution near Chalice Coral, Favia, and Favites. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand. For spreading or mat-forming corals, also watch the edge of the colony so it does not grow into neighbors unnoticed.
What should I check if Zoanthids look stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Zoanthids, polyps remain shut, skirts stay tight, or the mat collects film and Zoanthids shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Zoanthids closed polyps or irritated mat. Likely causes to check include pests, detritus, salinity swings, or too much light after transfer and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Zoanthids. Start with these database checks: inspect Zoanthids for nudibranchs, spiders, film, or detritus and increase gentle cross-flow without blasting closed polyps.
What should I check before treating closed Zoanthids?
For Zoanthids, check pests, film, salinity, and recent light changes before treating a closed colony as a diagnosis. The database lists 2 months as the minimum tank age and 10 gallons as the minimum tank size. For zoanthid-style colonies, inspect for film, pests, salinity shifts, and recent light changes before assuming one cause.
Coral Identifier
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