Hydnophora Rigida
Hydnophora Rigida coral, also known as Horn Coral, originates in the Indo-Pacific ocean, Figi, Tonga, Solomon Islands, the Great Barrier Reef and Eastern Africa. It is considered a Small Polyp Stony coral (SPS) and is considered relatively aggressive towards other marine aquarium invertebrates. Hydnophora Rigida is not readily available and never found in abundance.
Hydnophora Rigida Morphology
Hydnophora Rigida coral is moderately hardy. The skeleton of this species is branched, flat and irregular in structure, and are generally green, brown or yellow (when it doesn't get enough lighting). The Hydnophora Rigida species is generally characterized by mound shaped structures called hydnophores from which the polyps emerge. This type of coral has sweeper tentacles for feeding purposes.
Habits And Habitat Of Hydnophora Rigida
Hydnophora Rigida should be placed anywhere between the middle and higher level in your stony coral dominated aquarium. Hydnophora must have plenty of room, at least five inches all around the coral, so that it can spread without any obstruction. Keep all other marine invertebrates away from the Hydnophora Rigida species in your marine aquarium. Hydnophora coral grows quite rapidly under favorable marine environments.
Hydnophora Rigida Illumination And Water Flow
The Hydnophora Rigida species requires high lighting in the marine environment it inhabits. Water flow to the Hydnophora coral needs to be high and intermittent water current. Metal halide lighting or actinic lighting in blue shade are recommended. Fluorescent lighting and power compacts are also fine as long as they are high output. The coloration, growth and survival of Hydnophora coral may vary depending on the intensity of the light it is exposed to.
Feeding Hydnophora Rigida Coral
The Hydnophora Rigida species derives its nutrition mainly through photosynthesis, which is performed by zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic algae living symbiotically within the coral. It can also be carnivorous in feeding habit and filter feeds a few times a week, when open. It is important to keep the calcium, strontium, and iodine levels up in the aquarium, and the phosphate and nitrate levels as low as possible for best Hydnophora health. It eats acellular marine invertebrates, meaty bits in the form of paste, phytoplankton and zooplankton.
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