Attention All Zoa Experts...need Opinions!

[zoomster]

Hey all!
I have a situation that is baffling me a bit.
For about 3 or 4 years now I have had a nice successful colony of dragon eye zoas. I started them with just a small plug and now have two rocks about the size of small melons covered in them. They have a neon green frill, dark blue/green centers with tan mouths.
I recently moved one of the rocks to my new frag only QT tank and in the last week or two, only the ones in my frag tank have started turning into radioactive dragon eyes. Some of The mouths and centers are turning a super bright glowing green and look AMAZING! ( hope you can see it in the pic )

The thing that I want / need to know is why?
The only thing of any real difference between my DT and frag tank that I know of is that the DT has T5s and the frag tank has 50/50 LEDs.

Any ideas or suggestions as to what may be going on to cause this Morph???
Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[MrHermit85]

Could just be the lighting. LEDS (blue/actinic) tend to give more of a pop with capable corals zoas being one of them. I had LEDS with my old tank and have noticed a considerable difference between the new t5s and the old LEDS.

Move the ones left in your DT to the fragtank under Leds and see whether they look any different. If they do its the lighting. If they don't then you have a new zoa

 

[Sewerat]

Assuming you have your qt on a separate system, I'm also going to say, different parameters in the water can change the corals. That's why a coral can look great at a retail place but not so good when you get it home, or sometimes the other way. No two tanks are the same.

 

[Shooter000]

I've got a 30+ colony and 15+ from zoomster of them same ones the ones in my nano are t5's aswell, they haven't changed any colour either, but the ones in my big tank are slowly morphing aswell, but I am using full spectrum leds, must be something to do with the LEDs?

 

[zoomster]

Could just be the lighting. LEDS (blue/actinic) tend to give more of a pop with capable corals zoas being one of them. I had LEDS with my old tank and have noticed a considerable difference between the new t5s and the old LEDS.

Move the ones left in your DT to the fragtank under Leds and see whether they look any different. If they do its the lighting. If they don't then you have a new zoa

Hey Mr Hermit.
Thank you for your reply!
I am going to move the ones from my dt to my ft later today and see what happens.
The ones that are in the ft now have just started morphing after being in there a few weeks now, and it seems to be the ones on the top half of the rock (closest to lights)

 

[zoomster]

Assuming you have your qt on a separate system, I'm also going to say, different parameters in the water can change the corals. That's why a coral can look great at a retail place but not so good when you get it home, or sometimes the other way. No two tanks are the same.

Hi Sewerat!
Yep, it is on a completely separate system.
Although I am using the same salt, RO water, reef carbon ect. You are correct that no two have the same.parameters.
Which is why I am not sure if it is the water parameters or the different Lightning.

P.S.- still got some hose here for you @Sewerat!

 

[zoomster]

I've got a 30+ colony and 15+ from zoomster of them same ones the ones in my nano are t5's aswell, they haven't changed any colour either, but the ones in my big tank are slowly morphing aswell, but I am using full spectrum leds, must be something to do with the LEDs?

Not sure but they are turning a stunning colour so as long as they are healthy, i am not going to complain for sure.

 

[zoomster]

I also had a frag of about 6 polyps in the frag tank which had also morphed ( all of them on that frag ) I have now put it in my dt and waiting to see if it morphs back.
I do hate waiting for these long term test results though! Lol