Red People Eaters Colony Polyp

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Semi-Aggressive   • Waterflow: Moderate to Strong
• Placement: Middle to Top   • Lighting: Medium to High   • Color Form: Red, Purple
 • 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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Red People Eaters Colony Polyp (Zoanthus gigantus) are by far one of the more popular species of Zoanthidae found within the aquarium hobby trade. The popularity of the Red People Eaters Colony Polyp has led them to be fully identified down to the species level, which is rare amongst zoanthids as most are not fully identified.

Red People Eater Zoas are considered relatively slow growers, but overall a very hardy zoanthid species. They have a large oral disc that because of its large size causes many hobbyists to confuse them with similarly colored Palythoa species. (Zoanthus gigantus) are an excellent coral species for a wide variety of aquarium sizes and hobbyist skill levels, as they are equally at home in the beginners nano aquarium as that of the advanced reef aquarium hobbyists full blown reef tank.

Red People Eaters 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 most People Eater Zoanthid morphs acquire the majority of their nutrition from photosynthesis and do not require supplemental feeding. Some individuals have acquired higher growth rates through supplemental feeding of very fine foods intended for filter feeding invertebrates. 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.

Red People Eaters 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.

Red People Eaters Colony Polyps 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 fare.