Lighting
50-180 PAR is a broad starting range; color morphs vary, so acclimate by colony response rather than trade-name expectations.
ZoanthidBeginnerCare score 3/10
Button Polyps
Protopalythoa spp. / Palythoa spp.
Identify Button Polyps by large plain button polyps and thick stalks; then set variable placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Palythoa and Zoanthids.
Compare large plain button polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Care score
- 3/10
- Placement
- Variable
- PAR range
- 50-180 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Low
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Minimum tank age
- 2 months
- Minimum tank size
- 10 gallons
Care note
This entry has low confidence or is marked for expert review. Treat the ranges as conservative starting points and compare them with your own system.
- Verify taxonomy before species-level SEO or care claims.
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Nat Tarbox
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
Photo: Y. Irei, T. Fujii
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 4.0
Photo: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 8-9.5 dKH
- Calcium
- 400-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 2-25 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.15 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate flow should clear film and detritus from the mat without forcing polyps closed.
Stability
For Button Polyps, check pests, film, salinity, and recent light changes before treating a closed colony as a diagnosis.
Variability
Button Polyps requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- fine coral foods, amino acids, small suspended foods
- Frequency
- optional weekly broadcast feeding
ID
Identification
Key features
- large plain button polyps
- thick stalks
- mat-connected colony
Common colors
- Brown
- Green
- Tan
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
When Button Polyps is confused with Palythoa and Zoanthids, the useful clues are large plain button polyps, thick stalks, and mat-connected colony. Color is secondary; structure, expansion pattern, and the first place tissue irritation appears are more reliable. Seller morph names vary, so confirm polyp size, skirt shape, mat structure, and handle colonies with basic safety precautions.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 2 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Button Polyps closed polyps or irritated matOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- polyps remain shut, skirts stay tight, or the mat collects film
- Button Polyps shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- pests, detritus, salinity swings, or too much light after transfer
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Button Polyps
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- inspect Button Polyps for nudibranchs, spiders, film, or detritus
- increase gentle cross-flow without blasting closed polyps
- check salinity, alkalinity, and recent light changes before moving the colony
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- inspect Zoanthid mats for pests before assuming parameter problems
- placing Button Polyps before confirming large plain button polyps and its spacing needs
- using Button Polyps color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Palythoa
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Button Polyps looks irritated
- ignoring mat pest checks when keeping Button Polyps
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Mushroom Coral
Discosoma spp. / Rhodactis spp.
- Category
- Mushroom
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Green Star Polyps
Pachyclavularia violacea / Briareum violaceum
- Category
- Soft Coral
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Clove Polyps
Clavularia spp.
- Category
- Soft Coral
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Are Button Polyps beginner friendly?
Button Polyps can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still need acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Button Polyps be placed?
Start Button Polyps on a movable frag plug or isolated rock so it can be adjusted without disturbing the main aquascape. Use 50-180 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Do Button Polyps need feeding to open?
Button Polyps may take fine coral foods, amino acids, and small suspended foods, but feeding is not the only reason polyps open or close. Use the database frequency as a starting point: optional weekly broadcast feeding. Also check film, pests, salinity, and recent light changes.
Can Button Polyps spread onto nearby rock?
Give Button Polyps about 2 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Low. Use caution near Chalice Coral, Favia, and Favites. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand. For spreading or mat-forming corals, also watch the edge of the colony so it does not grow into neighbors unnoticed.
What should I check if Button Polyps look stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Button Polyps, polyps remain shut, skirts stay tight, or the mat collects film and Button Polyps shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Button Polyps closed polyps or irritated mat. Likely causes to check include pests, detritus, salinity swings, or too much light after transfer and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Button Polyps. Start with these database checks: inspect Button Polyps for nudibranchs, spiders, film, or detritus and increase gentle cross-flow without blasting closed polyps.
What should I check before treating closed Button Polyps?
For Button Polyps, check pests, film, salinity, and recent light changes before treating a closed colony as a diagnosis. The database lists 2 months as the minimum tank age and 10 gallons as the minimum tank size. For zoanthid-style colonies, inspect for film, pests, salinity shifts, and recent light changes before assuming one cause.
Coral Identifier
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Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare large plain button polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
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