Sunburst Paly Care Guide
Sunburst Paly is a bright yellow-orange Palythoa zoanthid with a green ring; a hardy photosynthetic coral that requires palytoxin handling precautions.
Overview
Sunburst Paly is an aquarium trade name for a Palythoa zoanthid (Palythoa sp. 'Sunburst') with bright yellow-orange polyps and a green ring. Palythoa are colonial anthozoans whose polyps are partially embedded in an encrusting tissue mat (coenenchyme) over the substrate. It is zooxanthellate, deriving much of its energy from photosynthetic symbionts.
Taxonomy
- Family: Sphenopidae
- Genus: Palythoa (Lamouroux, 1816)
- Scientific name (trade form): Palythoa sp. 'Sunburst'
- Order: Zoantharia; Class: Hexacorallia (phylum Cnidaria)
- WoRMS genus AphiaID: 205785 (accepted)
Aquarium care
This is a beginner-friendly, passive coral that is reef-, shrimp- and fish-safe in the aquarium. It feeds photosynthetically and can be supplemented with amino acids and fine reef foods. It is best added to an established tank of at least about three months.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 SG
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm; Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Nitrate: ≤15 ppm; Phosphate: ≤0.1 ppm
- Lighting: 75-175 PAR (medium); Flow: low
- Growth rate: 0.5-1 cm per month (encrusting)
Placement and flow
Sunburst Paly does well under medium light and low flow, on rockwork where it can spread its encrusting mat. Stable salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium support steady growth and colour.