Palythoa trouble

[mark.nicodemus59]

I know the first thought is palytoxin, but not this time. I'm having trouble getting my recently acquired Palythoa grandis to attach to the rock.

My LFS assistant pulled these from the aquascape of one of the DTs near the front of the store at my request for a few polyps. That was 08/02/2026. The mat seems (to me) to be uninjured.

Following the instructions she gave me for getting these to reattach, I used a rubber band to hold the mats to the rock base. At first, trying to be careful, I set the tension very light and more wedged the mat under it than stretch over it. Twice, it came loose and drifted into one of my goby hideouts. On the third day, I reset the rubber band and tucked smaller polyps under it to keep it from drifting.

However, the mat seems to be curling away from the rock, not flattening against it.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[mark.nicodemus59]

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank parameters?

#reefsquad

 

[mark.nicodemus59]

Tank parameters?

#reefsquad

Phosphate is at 1.7, nitrates at 31. I was told softies love it.

 

[Rocks reef]

You are doing nothing wrong. It’s normal from the stress of being removed from its previous location.
Give it time to attach, it may take a week, it may take two. You can also add a tiny dab of superglue to help secure it until it attaches itself. However, from the pic, you are doing it right and it’ll take time to attach.

 

[mark.nicodemus59]

You are doing nothing wrong. It’s normal from the stress of being removed from its previous location.
Give it time to attach, it may take a week, it may take two. You can also add a tiny dab of superglue to help secure it until it attaches itself. However, from the pic, you are doing it right and it’ll take time to attach.

Thank you! I thought I was strangling the poor thing!

 

[Red_Beard]

I would second the dab of superglue. It definitely takes a few weeks for them to heal up and start growing again. The superglue will keep them secure in the mean time.

 

[DiegoReefs]

Ah man, rubber bands are super frustrating with Grandis palys! That kind is way softer and chunkier than regular palys, so the rubber band pinches them and makes the mat curl up to protect itself.

Here's what worked for me when rubber bands kept popping off:

Grab a small plastic container (like a Tupperware with a few holes punched in it), put a layer of small rock rubble on the bottom, and drop the loose Paly in there. Place the container in a low-flow spot in your tank.

In about a week or two, it will naturally stick its foot onto a piece of rock rubble on its own without any stress or pinching. Then you just take that piece of rubble and place it wherever you want on your main aquascape!

Much easier on the coral and way less headache for you!

 

[Rocks reef]

Phosphate is at 1.7, nitrates at 31. I was told softies love it.

You could bring those down with harming the softies in your tank. While it is true that softies love "dirtier" water, you don't need to run them that high. My tank for example has quite a few softies in it and my NO3 runs 10-15 with PO4 running 0.06 - 0.1. I do have to dose NO3/PO4 to keep those numbers up since my corals consume quite a bit.

 

[mfinn]

Palythoa Grandis are pretty slimy. Forget the super glue.
So I would create a small pile of small pieces of rock with a slight hole in the middle. Set the frag in the depression/hole in the pile of rock and then wedge a small rock on each side of the frag and do this in a low flow area. As long as they don't move in the current, they should attach in a week or two. Don't hurry it.
They don't need a whole bunch of light, so up against your rock structure is good. Mine grow under a overhang.

 

[exnisstech]

Ah man, rubber bands are super frustrating with Grandis palys! That kind is way softer and chunkier than regular palys, so the rubber band pinches them and makes the mat curl up to protect itself.

Here's what worked for me when rubber bands kept popping off:

Grab a small plastic container (like a Tupperware with a few holes punched in it), put a layer of small rock rubble on the bottom, and drop the loose Paly in there. Place the container in a low-flow spot in your tank.

In about a week or two, it will naturally stick its foot onto a piece of rock rubble on its own without any stress or pinching. Then you just take that piece of rubble and place it wherever you want on your main aquascape!

Much easier on the coral and way less headache for you!