Orange Oxide Zoanthids Coral

Orange Oxide Zoanthids Coral

Sale price  $49.99 Regular price $69.99
Skip to product information
Orange Oxide Zoanthids Coral

Orange Oxide Zoanthids Coral

Sale price  $49.99 Regular price $69.99
SAVE $20
5-Day Guarantee Reef Guard Covered Ships Overnight Free at $299.99 Earn 250 Points With this purchase

Grow your Orange Oxide Zoanthids with:

Quick Specs

Care Level
Shop live corals by care level: Easy
Flow
Shop live corals by flow: Moderate
Lighting
Shop live corals by lighting: Low–Moderate
Placement
Shop live corals by placement: Low–Mid
Growth Rate
Shop live corals by growth rate: Slow–Moderate
Temperament
Semi-aggressive(fast-growing; 2–3 inches spacing)
Feeding
Photosyntheticphytoplankton, zooplankton (rotifers, copepod nauplii), microplankton, powdered coral foods, marine snow, dissolved amino acids
Description
Photo is of mother colony. Frags will be 2-3 polyps.

Aquacultured Zoanthids and Palythoa Coral

Zoanthids are among the most popular corals in the reef hobby, admired for fluorescent color, bold patterns, and fast growth. These soft corals form colonial mats of polyps that can carpet rockwork, and varieties such as Rastas, Eagle Eyes, and Pandoras show the group's range. Their adaptability makes zoa coral a favorite for reefers at every experience level.

Zoanthids are closely related to palythoa. The two look similar, but palythoa species tend to have larger polyps and form thicker mats. Palythoa coral care generally follows the same guidance below. We farm and propagate our zoanthids for sale from healthy mother colonies in our Florida aquaculture facility.

Handle With Care: Palytoxin

Some palythoa and zoanthid species can produce palytoxin, a potent toxin that can be harmful to humans and pets. Always wear gloves and eye protection when handling these corals, practice good hygiene afterward, and never expose them to high heat, which can release toxins into the air.

Zoanthid and Palythoa Care at a Glance

Parameter Recommended Range
Care level Beginner-friendly and hardy
Lighting Moderate, 75–150 PAR
Water flow Moderate and indirect
Temperature 75–80°F
Salinity 1.024–1.026
Calcium 380–450 ppm
Alkalinity 8–9.5 dKH
Magnesium 1250–1350 ppm
Nitrate 5–15 ppm
Phosphate <0.10 ppm
Origin Indo-Pacific; aquacultured by Top Shelf Aquatics

Water Chemistry

Zoanthids tolerate minor parameter fluctuations better than some corals, but stability is still the key to long-term growth and color. Test regularly and make small adjustments.

Lighting

In the wild, zoanthids live in shallow reef flats, lagoons, and rocky outcrops around Indonesia, Fiji, and the Great Barrier Reef, where light is plentiful. In the aquarium they do well across a wide range of lighting, with 75–150 PAR as the ideal. Some varieties handle high light and color up even more under it, but most need a slow transition to avoid stress or bleaching. We grow ours under a combination of EcoTech Marine Radions and metal halides.

Water Flow

Moderate, indirect flow keeps debris off the polyps and delivers nutrients while letting the colony stay open and fully extended. Flow that is too strong can cause polyps to close. We use EcoTech Marine MP pumps, Reef Octopus OCTO Pulse, and Sicce XStream wavemakers to create adjustable flow, and we place colonies where movement is steady but gentle.

What We Feed Our Zoanthids

Zoanthids get most of their energy from symbiotic zooxanthellae, and they also capture dissolved nutrients and fine plankton from the water column. We feed our exclusive Royal Flush phytoplankton blend (Tisochrysis, Rhodomonas, and Tetraselmis), and Reef Roids and Benepets a few times a week also support health and color. Broadcast feed, or lightly target-feed the colony with a turkey baster, and pause flow for about 10–15 minutes so the polyps can feed.

Coloration and Growth

Colors range from neon greens and deep blues to pinks and bright orange zoanthids, often with intricate patterns. Lighting spectrum, water quality, and feeding all influence color. Nutrient-rich foods, amino acids, and trace elements such as iodine and iron support pigmentation. In good conditions, a small frag grows into a dense mat that adds texture and color to open rockwork.

Common Challenges

  • Overgrowth: colonies spread quickly and can overrun neighboring corals; trim and place them strategically
  • Pests: nudibranchs and zoa-eating spiders are common threats; inspect and dip new additions
  • Light sensitivity: acclimate gradually before moving colonies into higher light
  • Polyp retraction: excessive flow or debris buildup can keep polyps closed

How We Farm Our Zoanthid Frags

Our team of marine biologists monitors water parameters across more than 30,000 gallons of farmable water volume. We frag healthy mother colonies into manageable pieces, mount each frag on a plug with reef-safe glue or epoxy, and grow them out under Radions and metal halides with dynamic flow.

How to Acclimate Zoanthids and Palythoa

  1. Temperature: float the bag in your aquarium for 15–20 minutes to equalize temperature.
  2. Drip acclimation (optional): a precautionary step to introduce your tank water gradually; zoanthids may adapt to your system more slowly with this method.
  3. Lighting: start the colony in a lower-light area, or reduce intensity, then increase light gradually over 2–3 weeks.
  4. Placement: glue or epoxy the frag to rockwork or a ledge with moderate, indirect flow, and watch its behavior and color while it adjusts.
FAQs Common questions about Orange Oxide Zoanthids Coral

Why do my Orange Oxide Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.) stretch tall and lose their orange pop under strong lighting?

They can photosaturate and respond by elongating and browning as zooxanthellae density rises. Try lowering PAR to 80–150 on the colony, add a blue-heavy spectrum (420–470 nm) for fluorescence, and keep moderate nutrients (NO3 5–15 ppm, PO4 0.03–0.08). Ensure randomized, moderate flow to prevent film buildup that dulls color. Gradually acclimate any light changes over 2–3 weeks.

My colony is open but not spreading—what growth tweak helps Zoanthus mats take off?

They encrust fastest on rough, porous surfaces. Place a textured tile or rubble “runway” against the mat’s leading edge and increase intermittent flow to clear detritus. Keep stable alk 8–9 dKH and slightly elevated nutrients versus SPS tanks. Target tiny particulate foods or amino blends 1–2x weekly at low flow to encourage edge budding, then resume normal flow after 10–15 minutes.

How can I prevent chemical skirmishes with nearby corals without moving the zoas?

Run fresh activated carbon and change it monthly to reduce allelopathic buildup. Aim cross-flow so shed mucus and slime don’t settle on neighbors. Give 2–3 inches of buffer from aggressive sweepers, and trim the mat perimeter with a scalpel to keep it from overgrowing other encrusters. Weekly small water changes help dilute metabolites that can keep polyps partially closed.

Closed polyps with tiny white pustules—could this be zoa pox, and what’s the safest response?

Likely. Isolate the frag and dip in Furan-2 solution (per package) daily for 3 days, then rest 2–3 days. Follow with an iodine-based dip to curb secondary infection. Improve flow and cleanliness, and reduce light slightly during recovery. Discard dip water safely. If no improvement in a week, frag away healthy skirts and regrow on clean plugs to salvage the morph.
Price Match Guarantee We match verified competitor prices.
Looking for something specific? Tell us what you need.
SKU: CTOxOrangeOxide

Related items

Inverts ship FREE with Corals

View all

Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Algae Control

Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Algae Control

$34.99

Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Sand Cleaners

Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Sand Cleaners

$44.99

Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Full Arsenal

Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Full Arsenal

Sale price  $79.99 Regular price $85.83

Nassarius Snail

Nassarius Snail

$3.99

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

$42.49

Tiger Sand Conch

Tiger Sand Conch

$14.99

Astrea Snail

Astrea Snail

$2.49

Emerald Crab

Emerald Crab

$7.99

These items ship FREE with Corals

View all

Green Seaweed - Premium Nori - Reef Genetics

Green Seaweed - Premium Nori - Reef Genetics

$8.99

Reef Glue - Reef Genetics

Reef Glue - Reef Genetics

$2.99

Chemi-Pure Blue - Boyd Enterprises

Chemi-Pure Blue - Boyd Enterprises

Sale price  $2.54 Regular price $2.95

Chemi-Pure Elite - Boyd Enterprises

Chemi-Pure Elite - Boyd Enterprises

Sale price  $16.99 Regular price $19.99

Reefer Madness UV Reactive T-Shirt

Reefer Madness UV Reactive T-Shirt

Sale price  $27.99 Regular price $34.99

TSA Mini Logo Hat

TSA Mini Logo Hat

Sale price  $27.99 Regular price $34.99

Zesty Bites (Sour Candy) - Zesty Snacks

Zesty Bites (Sour Candy) - Zesty Snacks

$6.99

Command Bus Cable - Hydros

Command Bus Cable - Hydros

$7.50