Aussie Grandis Paly Care Guide
Aussie Grandis is a large-polyped Palythoa morph from Australia with a red-pink skirt and green mouth. It contains palytoxin; protective handling is essential.
Overview
Aussie Grandis is a premium Australian colour morph of large-polyped Palythoa, showing an intense red-pink skirt and a green mouth. As a Palythoa it is a colonial zoanthid with polyps set in an encrusting tissue mat, and it is zooxanthellate, relying on photosynthesis plus active feeding.
Taxonomy
- Order: Zoantharia
- Family: Sphenopidae
- Genus: Palythoa
- Scientific name: Palythoa sp. 'Grandis Aussie' (aquarium trade morph; not a formal species)
Biology
Like other Palythoa it forms encrusting colonies, with large polyps embedded in a shared coenenchyme. The morph is collected from or cultured to represent Australian colour forms and is prized for its colour.
Reef tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Lighting: 75-200 PAR (medium)
- Flow: medium
- Recommended tank maturity: about 3 months
Care and feeding
This morph is rated intermediate and does best with stable parameters and gradual light acclimation. The large polyps benefit from spot-feeding meaty foods such as mysis, plus fine reef foods and amino acids, supplementing the energy from photosynthesis. Use medium lighting and moderate flow.
Compatibility
It is peaceful and reef-safe with fish and shrimp. Give the encrusting colony space so it does not overgrow neighbouring corals.