Complete Zoa Eradication?!?

[reefinginBD]

Hey guys so I have this 150 gallon tank that will be a softie and lps dominated tank. There is this one rock that I’m not sure what to put and would love to get some zoas for there, but I’ve been putting this coral off just because of the dangers of palytoxin and all (I don’t want to end up killing everyone, myself included). So the thing is I love how some of them look, but the thing is I’m very indecisive, so basically I have this rock that I want to put them in, and maybe in a few years I have plans on moving to a bigger tank where I want to use this same scape with these rocks but just expand it right. And before that I would like to clean this rock out completely with bleach and then use it. So can you guys give me some tips on how I would be able to remove these zoas when I’m upgrading the tank? Giving away the rock is not an option since here you can’t find such nice rocks and nobody is willing to take such a big rock either. There are maybe 200-300 reef tanks in my country so it’s a really small number.
The rock that is circled is where I want to put all the zoas. Also do give me some suggestions on which zoas would look nice and how many varieties would look good here.
I was talking with the store owner and he was saying that if I grow zoas on this rock only and never frag it, I would have close to 500-1000 zoas so it’s a small rock or anything.

The rock in the left that looks like a plate will only house meaty corals and at the back I’ve added a colt tree as well as a toadstool on the step up from the plate rock. And on the right side the bowl shaped rock currently has some hairy mushroom and I want to make that rock for mushrooms only with a gorgonion and a green Kenya tree at the back.
The rock in the middle will have the zoas (if I can find ways to completely remove them without killing anyone or crashing the tank). The back wall will have some gsp as well. I’ll also have som

 

[VintageReefer]

You can not grow out that rock and fill it with hundreds of zoanthids and then years later remove them. You’re asking for a disaster if you tried to remove them.

I guess you could dip it in acid and then recure the rock but it could have some pretty negative side effects

 

[Solo McReefer]

I was talking with the store owner and he was saying that if I grow zoas on this rock only and never frag it, I would have close to 500-1000 zoas

I don't know what he is selling

But he's selling something here

Maybe it's zoas. He knows that half the zoas you buy from him are gonna melt, probably. And you need to come back to him for more for your JoshPorkSandwich zoa garden

Buy the zoas you like, put them on the rock. Hopefully you are a fraction as successful as your store owner says you'll be. I would worry about keeping them alive now

Not killing them years in the future

Good luck

 

[reefinginBD]

the one thing that I can think of is turning em into frags and giving them away, after I take out a good amount then I can get some Zoanthid eating nudibranchs and let them finish the rest. I’ve also heard that aptasia X works. If none of these work then I’ll probably just turn this rock into a Zoa Island, if I can find another rock that will be able to hold all the other socks in this way.

 

[VintageReefer]

Where would you buy zoanthid eating Nudibranch and how would you stop them from eating zoanthids you like?

I am not in your country but I have never seen these for sale.

 

[Solo McReefer]

Whatever country it is

If he is as successful growing zoas as the store owner predicts

He could buy a coral bandsaw, and make enough money to buy another tank. Buy another house, have servants to clean out the skimmer cups

I don't think there is a real problem here, other than a shady LFS owner

 

[reefinginBD]

I’m talking like completely take all zoas out. I’ll keep a few frags in one of my friends tanks before adding the nudis.

It’s not really buy them but like get them from someone who I know. But this my last resort. If there are any other ways I would love to do that!

 

[VintageReefer]

You’re overthinking things. Buy what you like and enjoy it and take the tank, and life, one step at a time.

You don’t know what is going to happen in a few years, and your basing all your future plans around one rock.

You may end up finding a really nice zoanthid to fill it in, and want to keep it. Who knows.

My advise is buy stuff you like, and when it grows, chances are high you will like it more.

 

[reefinginBD]

Yeah you are right, maybe I’m just overthinking this :/

Do you have any tips on sainting a Zoa garden though? Like how often to thin out the corals or like what to do and what not to do?