Northern Lights
Zoanthus sp.
Species profile
Crazy Cakes
Zoanthus sp.
Also sold as: Crazy Cakes zoa, Crazy Cakes zoanthid
Crazy Cakes is a zoanthid with an orange face, a lime-green mouth and maroon tentacles banded with lime green and orange.
Colors
Orange disc with fine radial lines around a lime-green slit mouth; a red-orange outer band; and dark maroon tentacles banded with lime green and orange
Care at a glance
Care level
Easy
Light
Medium
75-150 PAR
Flow
Moderate
Growth rate
Moderate
Placement
Lower to middle rockwork, ideally a spot near the front of the tank where the banded tentacles can be seen up close
Temperature
75 to 80°F (24 to 27°C)
Salinity
1.024-1.026 specific gravity (about 32-35 ppt)
Feeding
Mostly light-fed, with optional fine foods once or twice a week.
Photosynthetic; optional fine particulate food once or twice a week
Care notes
A warm orange face with a lime-green mouth leads out to dark maroon tentacles banded with lime green and orange, which give the edge of each polyp a striped look. Under strong blue light the colors look more intense, and under whiter light they look softer. Care values here are typical for zoanthids, not measured for this morph: medium light, moderate, indirect flow and steady water. Give a new frag time to settle before judging its growth or color, and if it starts to pale, move it lower rather than changing several things at once. Zoa trade names are used loosely, and colonies sold under this name can look different, so buy from photos of the actual colony.
⚠ Palytoxin safety
Like any zoanthid, Crazy Cakes may contain palytoxin, so treat it as toxic. Wear gloves and eye protection when handling or fragging, and wash up afterward.
