Blackbeards Zoas

General information

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<div class="more_detail">Zoanthids feature a hard exoskeleton and is considered one of the most durable inhabitants in a reef aquarium making them the perfect piece for newbie aquarist. Their appearance resembles like a cluster of miniature sea anemones that often creates a hard matting appearance. While they look similar with sea anemones, Zoanthids are generally smaller with an oral disc measuring only from 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter.</div>
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<div class="more_detail">For the Blackbeards Zoas, they are predominantly colored blue with black polyps and white mouth. This are the water paramaters in cultivating Blackbeards Zoas:</div>
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<li>Calcium: 380 – 430 ppm</li>
<li>Alkalinity: 3.2 – 4.5 MEQ/L</li>
<li>Phosphates: 0</li>
<li>Magnesium: 1250 – 1300 ppm</li>
<li>Strontium: 8 – 10</li>
<li><span class="subListHeading1">Temperature: </span>72° – 82° F (22° – 27° C)</li>
<li><span class="subListHeading1">Salinity / Specific Gravity:</span> 1.023 – 1.025</li>
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In the wild, Blackbeards Zoas has developed a symbiotic feeding relationship with marine algae called zooxanthellae. But in captivity, you have to feed them with nanoplankton or dissolved organics.

A mature tank is highly recommended in propagating Blackbeards Zoas. They should be set in the middle or top part of the tank where they will receive the most amount of light.

Blackbeards Zoas requires strong lighting and moderate waterflow.

While the Blackbeards Zoas are easy to maintain, you have to be alert for filamentous algae that can overgrow and smother their polyps. They are also prone to box snail which feeds on them, so you need to remove this particular snail from the tank. You also have to look out for large crustaceans and fish like angelfish and butterflyfish that nibbles on their tentacles.

Blackbeards Zoas are abundant and can be found in the waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Blackbeards Zoas are known to posses high levels of palytoxin and vibrio bacteria especially in their mucus. So, you need to wear gloves in handling them.