Zoa

Zoanthids, usually just called zoas, are colonial soft corals that spread as mats of small, flat-faced polyps across rock. This is an assorted listing, so colour and morph vary with what is in the system on the day: greens, oranges, reds and multi-ringed combinations all turn up. Colonies are picked from current stock rather than matched to a set pattern, and the polyps typically open within a day or two of settling in.

Aquarium care

• Undemanding by coral standards, which is why zoas are such a common first coral.
• Adapt to a wide range of lighting, and colour or polyp shape often shifts as they acclimatise.
• Prefer moderate, indirect flow that keeps detritus off the mat without holding the polyps closed.
• Spread readily across adjacent rock, so leave space between them and slower-growing corals.
• Zoanthids can contain palytoxin. Wear gloves when handling or fragging, keep fluid away from your eyes, and never boil or dry-scrape rock covered in them in an enclosed space.

Zoas suit beginners and experienced reef keepers alike, and sit well in a mixed reef with soft corals, mushrooms and LPS given a little separation. Because this is an assorted listing, please ask staff which colonies are actually on hand. Stock rotates; local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See more in saltwater livestock.