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
Palythoa
Palythoa spp.
Palythoa care and ID profile for larger button polyps, often embedded in mat with sand grains, closed polyps or irritated mat, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Compare larger 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: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Brian Gratwicke
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
Photo: Chaloklum Diving
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
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 Palythoa, check pests, film, salinity, and recent light changes before treating a closed colony as a diagnosis.
Variability
Palythoa 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
- larger button polyps
- often embedded in mat with sand grains
- thick oral discs
Common colors
- Green
- Brown
- Orange
- Purple
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Generally larger and thicker than many Zoanthus polyps; handle all palys and zoas cautiously. For Palythoa, start with larger button polyps, often embedded in mat with sand grains, and thick oral discs before checking color. Compare it with Zoanthids and Button Polyps by looking at polyp size, skirt shape, mat or stolon structure, and pest-related closure patterns, especially after polyps or tissue are fully extended. 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.
Palythoa 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
- Palythoa 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 Palythoa
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- inspect Palythoa 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 Palythoa before confirming larger button polyps and its spacing needs
- using Palythoa color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Zoanthids
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Palythoa looks irritated
- ignoring mat pest checks when keeping Palythoa
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
Is Palythoa beginner friendly?
Palythoa can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still needs acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Palythoa be placed?
Start Palythoa 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.
Does Palythoa need feeding to open?
Palythoa 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 Palythoa spread onto nearby rock?
Give Palythoa 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 Palythoa looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Palythoa, polyps remain shut, skirts stay tight, or the mat collects film and Palythoa shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Palythoa 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 Palythoa. Start with these database checks: inspect Palythoa for nudibranchs, spiders, film, or detritus and increase gentle cross-flow without blasting closed polyps.
What should I check before treating closed Palythoa?
For Palythoa, 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.
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