The Blue Hornet Zoanthid is a rare deep water color morph that is extremely sought after. It has a light blue center, then is surrounded by a green ring and a dark blue outer oral disk. The fringe has two layers, the bottom is dark blue, top layer is neon green. We love this Zoa! When you look straight down on the it, it looks like it has an alternating color pattern. When you look from the side, you can see the layers are stacked and it takes on a completely different look. Like all of our polyps they are aquacultured specimens, many generations removed from the original wild starter colonies. There are other variants to the Blue hornet, which include the popular Purple hornet, Red hornet, African Blue Steel, and the Black Hole Sun. All of these zoas have the halo and alternating skirt colors that distinguish them as “true” hornets. Easy to feed, and easy to propagate. Like all of our polyps they are aquacultured specimens, many generations removed from the original wild starter colonies.
Keeping your parameters at the standard level will help these corals stay happy. Set your salinity between 1.024 and 1.026. Your pH should range around 8.3 and your temperature should stay between 77 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aggressiveness
They are not an aggressive coral. They won't sting other corals.
Water flow
They do well in fast to slow water flow.
Lighting
These zoanthids require low to moderate lighting (PAR 100-250) to maintain their color. T5's, Metal Halides, or LED's can all grow Zoanthids and Palythoa when the proper PAR levels are provided. We recommend a 14-20K color spectrum for best coloration.
Placement
Polyps may be placed anywhere which provides the required water flow and lighting level.
Diet and Feeding
It is recommended to feed zoas directly. Zooplankton and cyclopleeze we highly recommended. Each zoanthid is different, so testing different kinds of food is highly recommended. The thing that makes these animals so easy to care for is their high tolerance for dirty water. While it is important to make sure that any tank is always clean, zoas will not be immediately harmed by dirty water. Something important to keep in mind when introducing zoas into a tank is that they multiply rapidly. Keep enough room between the different corals so they do not compete for space.
Caution
Some Zoanthid's secrete a poison through their mucus known as palytoxin. Palytoxin is extremely dangerous, and it affects humans in a very adverse way. The toxin enters the system via open wounds, ingestion, and injection. What is highly recommended with these Zoanthids and Palythoa when handling, is to wear protective gear, such as gloves and goggles, and to use tongs or tweezers to avoid any contact with skin.
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