Blueberry Zoas

Blueberry Zoanthids are a hardy, vivid soft coral with deep blue to purple discs and contrasting skirts. They’re easy to grow, easy to frag, and perfect for both nano collectors and high-production systems.

Lighting

Moderate light, usually 80 to 150 PAR. Too little and they stretch upward and lose saturation. Too much and they may shrink or wash out. Blue and actinic-heavy spectrums pull the deepest blue tones from the polyps.

Flow

Moderate, indirect flow. Enough movement to keep detritus from settling between polyps but not so strong that skirts stay pinned back. A gentle, rolling flow keeps the colony clean and encourages new head formation.

Placement

Very flexible. Mid to low areas work great. Zoas often prefer rock ledges or rubble where they can spread outward. Avoid placing them near aggressive LPS with sweepers, since zoas don’t fight back well.

Water parameters

They thrive in stable, nutrient-friendly reef conditions.

Calcium about 420.
Alkalinity around 8 to 8.6.
Magnesium near 1350.
Nitrate 5 to 20.
Phosphate 0.05 to 0.1.

Zoanthids tend to lose color in ultra-low nutrient systems and do best when the tank isn’t starved.

Feeding

They don’t require feeding but will respond positively to occasional small-particle foods or amino acids. Feeding promotes faster head production, though most growth comes from light and stable nutrients.

Growth behavior

Moderate to fast depending on the strain. Blueberry Zoas usually form tight mats and spread outward across rock and plugs. They’re easy to frag by cutting between polyps or slicing a strip of mat from the edge.

Sensitivities

Watch for zoa-eating nudibranchs, sundial snails, and vermetid snail irritation. Palytoxin isn’t as strong in many zoa strains, but safe handling is still important. Sudden salinity or temperature swings can cause temporary closing.

Compatibility

Peaceful, low aggression. They spread faster than most LPS, so avoid placing them near slow, fleshy corals. In zoa gardens, they mix well and create strong contrast thanks to the deep blue coloring.