• Name:

    Black Heart Favia

    (View AKA's)
  • Family: Faviidae
  • Species: Favia
  • Scientific Name: Favia sp
More Details

Also Know As:

| Moon Coral

General info about Black Heart Favia

In general, the genus Favia have large coral colonies that are circular in shape and comes in the form of massive, submassive and encrusting type. At a first glance, you can mistakenly identify Favia with Favites. However, with a closer look, Favia and Favites can easily be differentiated. Favites have corallite walls that are fused while Favia species are not where each corallite has its own wall. You can clearly see this difference when the polyps are retracted.

For the Black Heart Favia, they are predominatly colored red with yellow mouth. This are the water parameters for cultivating Black Heart Favia:

  • Calcium: 400 - 450 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 2.86 - 3.93 MEQ/L (8 - 11 dKH)
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1200 - 1350
  • Strontium: 8 -10
  • Temperature: 74° - 83° F (23° - 28° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025

Black Heart Favia Diet & Nutrition

Black Heart Favia can survive without feeding courtesy from the nourishment it recieves from the symbiotic zooxanthellae that is living within them. However, they will not grow in to a bigger colony. With this and for faster growth, you need to feed them with supplemental foods like krill, mysis or brine shrimp. The addition of dissolved organics is also recommended.

Fragging / Propagating Black Heart Favia

A mature tank is highly recommended in propagating Black Heart Favia. They need to be set at the bottom portion of the tank where lighting and flow rate are in moderation.

Flow / Lighting Requirements for Black Heart Favia

Black Heart Favia requires moderate lighting and moderate water flow. Too much water flow causes the polyps to be retracted and feeding cannot take place.

Parasites & Diseases that Affect Black Heart Favia

Black Heart Favia is susceptible to hair algae. This ussually occurs if the water flow is too low or not sufficient.

Black Heart Favia Origin

Black Heart Favia can be found in the Indo-west Pacific Ocean. However, their global population is considered vulnerable due to increasing seawater temperature and other factors associated with climate change. They are now listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which means that their global trading is now monitored.

Caution Should be Taken with Black Heart Favia

Black Heart Favia must be set in the tank with enough spacing in relation to other coral species.

How to Acclimate Black Heart Favia

Since the Black Heart Favia are a marine species, salinity must be entirely maintained at 1.023 to 1.025 specific gravity. They should be immediately set to its receiving substrate like rocks and be permanently positioned using gel glue so that the colonization process can commence.

Stinging Tentacles on Black Heart Favia

Black Heart Favia have long sweeper tentacles. If they are set near to another coral, they will extend out their tentacles and invade other polyps which has been proven to cause mortality.

Relevent Articles

Original Detail

Name Species Family Scientific Name More Detail Added by
Black Heart Favia Favia Faviidae Favia sp

In general, the genus Favia have large coral colonies that are circular in shape and comes in the form of massive, submassive and encrusting type. At a first glance, you can mistakenly identify Favia with Favites. However, with a closer look, Favia and Favites can easily be differentiated. Favites have corallite walls that are fused while Favia species are not where each corallite has its own wall. You can clearly see this difference when the polyps are retracted.

For the Black Heart Favia, they are predominatly colored red with yellow mouth. This are the water parameters for cultivating Black Heart Favia:

  • Calcium: 400 - 450 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 2.86 - 3.93 MEQ/L (8 - 11 dKH)
  • Phosphates: 0
  • Magnesium: 1200 - 1350
  • Strontium: 8 -10
  • Temperature: 74° - 83° F (23° - 28° C)
  • Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025
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