Red Hornet

Red Hornet is a Zoanthus strain with a red face, a purple ring and an alternating skirt that gives each polyp a busy, high-energy edge. The red and purple pairing is the signature: warm centre, cool ring, and that flickering skirt pattern borrowed from the famous hornet style. It is a tier 1 zoa, long popular because the pattern is sharp at small size and a full colony looks like a field of tiny warning signs.

Care

This easy zoanthid sits well low to mid in the tank under medium light, with medium flow through the mat to keep polyps clean and open. Keep nutrients measurable rather than stripped; zoanthids sulk in ultra-clean water and lose their fullness. Stable alkalinity supports steady growth, which for Red Hornet is moderate: not the fastest mat in the garden, but reliable once the colony is established and left undisturbed in a spot it likes.

Keeping and spread

Red Hornet spreads by mat growth, creeping over rock and plugs as new polyps form at the margin. Allow about 2 in of space around the colony so its moderate aggression stays a placement note rather than a problem; a spreading mat can smother slower neighbours it reaches. To frag, cut through the mat between polyps, lift a small section, and glue it to a fresh plug, keeping it in similar conditions while it attaches.