Fire and Ice Zoanthids

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Semi-Aggressive   • Waterflow: Moderate to Strong
• Placement: Low to Middle   • Lighting: Medium to High   • Color Form: Blue, Red
 • Supplements: Magnesium, Iodine, Trace Elements   • Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
• Origin: Indo-Pacific   • Family: Zoanthidae   • Species: Polyp Corals

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Fire and Ice Zoas (Zoanthus sp.) are a beautiful species of Zoanthid that are sought after for their brilliant steel blue and red coloration. Aqua-cultered Fire and Ice Zoas tend to do best in the aquarium environment, as many wild caught specimens are from deeper locations on the reef. The environment of deep reef species is often difficult to completely reproduce in the aquarium environment. In the case of Fire and Ice Zoas many hobbyists have had good success by placing them lower in the aquarium in a location that receives strong but filtered lighting.

Fire and Ice Zoas also tend to do better when kept at more moderate water temperatures ranging from 72° to 76° F. These conditions are recommended as a good starting point when first introducing this species to the reef aquarium. Given time and gradual adjustments, hobbyists should be able to identify the ideal location in which to keep Fire and Ice Zoas in their reef aquarium.

Fire and Ice Zoanthids (like most zoas) should be introduced in the aquarium in a lower position on the reef and then gradually moved up towards the light source. This is done to ensure that they do not experience photo-shock, which can occur when zoas grown under one set of conditions are then immediately introduced to an aquarium with very different conditions. Fire and Ice Zoas are similar to other Colony Polyps in that they are relatively easy to care for and can be successfully housed in a variety of reef aquarium setups.

They require medium to strong lighting and moderate to strong water flow in order to allow their symbiotic algae zooxanthellae to thrive and produce food for the coral. While Fire and Ice Zoanthids acquire the majority of their nutrition from photosynthesis, many individuals have acquired higher growth rates through supplemental feeding of very fine foods intended for filter feeding invertebrates.

Fire and Ice Colony Polyps will continue to spread or colonize nearby rocks, they can be separated from other coral species by providing gaps between the rock aqua-scaping, in order to create a boundary to limit the carpeting or horizontal growth of the Polyps. Proper placement is important when keeping Polyps with other corals, as Polyps will crowd out other corals by stinging them repeatedly as they grown in and around them.

Fire and Ice Zoas receive the vast majority of their nutrition through the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae contained within the coral. They receive other nutrients from dissolved minerals that they filter from the water currents. They will also benefit from the addition of reef supplements containing calcium, magnesium, iodine and trace elements. They can also be periodically offered meaty foods like micro-plankton, baby brine shrimp and other similar items.

Well established reef aquariums with populations of phyto-plankton work best for all varieties of filter feeders, as they are able to supplement their diet with foods filtered from the water column. The addition of reef additives like: calcium, strontium, iodine and trace elements along with occasional feedings of micro-plankton and similar foodstuffs should allow for the best possible growth rate.