Flaming Sun Zoas

About this coral

Flaming Sun Zoas are colorful zoanthid/palythoa polyps that grow as a colony on the aquarium’s rockwork, making them a practical choice for reef displays and other aquascaped layouts where you want a living “carpet” effect. In tanks, their symbiotic zooxanthellae provide much of their nutrition, so they’re typically maintained as a light-driven, photosynthetic coral rather than a livestock that requires routine direct feeding.

Features:

• Belongs to the zoanthids/palys group, commonly kept for their vivid polyp appearance in reef aquariums.
• Colony growth can spread over time across available rock surfaces, creating dense coverage.
• Relies largely on symbiotic zooxanthellae for nutrition.
• Best placed where you can provide stable, moderate reef conditions and the right balance of light and flow.
• Use reef-safe handling practices: zoanthids/palys can release palytoxin when stressed, so protective handling is important.
• Good for aquarists looking for a generally manageable coral group compared with many stony corals, especially when parameters are kept stable.

Specifications:

• Care level (general zoanthid/paly group guidance): Typically considered relatively beginner-friendly when provided stable reef conditions (general guidance).
• Lighting (general guidance): Low to moderate light; adjust placement if needed for polyp expansion and color (general zoanthid guidance).
• Water flow (general guidance): Moderate, depending on placement; too much can stress polyps and too little may reduce performance (general guidance).
• Temperature: 75–78°F (general zoanthid care guidance).
• Salinity: Specific gravity 1.025–1.026 (general guidance).
• pH: About 8.1–8.4 (general guidance).
• Alkalinity (dKH): 8–9.5 dKH (general guidance).
• Calcium: 400–450 ppm (general guidance).
• Magnesium: 1,300–1,450 ppm (general guidance).
• Diet / nutrition: Primarily supported by symbiotic zooxanthellae; direct feeding is generally not the main requirement (general guidance).
• Palytoxin safety note: Zoanthids/palys are associated with palytoxin; wear eye protection and thick gloves during handling and use appropriate precautions (medical/health reference guidance).