Space Monster

Space Monster is a Palythoa strain with a green face decorated by a pink speckle and ring, an alien colour pairing that earns its name the moment the lights go blue. The green base glows, the pink detailing floats over it, and the larger paly polyps give the pattern room to breathe. It is a tier 2 strain, a long-running favourite among paly collectors who want green in the collection with more character than a solid green polyp offers.

Care

Place Space Monster in the bottom to middle of the tank under medium light and medium flow through the mat. It is easy to keep with measurable nutrients available, since zoanthids sulk in ultra-clean water and palys deflate when underfed. Keep alkalinity stable and let the colony settle into its spot. Growth is moderate for a paly, building a solid mat over time. Handle with gloves and eye protection when fragging (palytoxin caution).

Keeping and spread

This strain spreads by mat growth at a moderate pace, adding fleshy polyps around the colony margin. Leave about 2 in of space around it so the mat can develop without immediately contacting slower neighbours, which it can smother as it overgrows them; its aggression is moderate. Frag by cutting the mat between polyps and mounting the section firmly on a plug or rubble, then allow it to heal in stable conditions.