Green Implosion

Green Implosion is a Palythoa strain — identified as Palythoa mutuki — with a solid green colour on a large polyp with notably long tentacles. The size and extended tentacles give it a presence quite different from small-polyp Zoanthus: colonies look lush and almost anemone-like when fully open. It is a Tier 2 name, long established in the hobby as the classic large green palythoa.

Care

It thrives in medium lighting with medium flow, placed in the bottom to middle of the tank. Keep nutrients measurable — zoanthids and palythoa sulk in ultra-clean water — and alkalinity stable, with flow through the mat to keep the large polyps clean. Rated easy in difficulty, it is a hardy strain in a stable system. Handle with gloves and eye protection when fragging (palytoxin caution).

Keeping and spread

Growth is moderate and mat-forming, the thick mat advancing over rock and the large polyps easily overgrowing smaller neighbours. Allow about 2 in of space, ideally more, or isolate it on its own rock. Aggression is moderate. Frag by cutting through the mat between polyps and mounting the section, observing the palytoxin precautions above, then let frags heal in moderate flow.