Mushroom Corals: The Ultimate Care Guide

When it comes to establishing a stable saltwater aquarium purchasing proper inhabitants matters a lot. In a matter of fact, it’s the most important thing you need to do after you set up the essentials. 

In this article, we’ll talk about Mushroom Corals, a great beginner coral for everyone interested to start with the reef keeping hobby. Not only these corals come in different colors and shapes, but they are also inexpensive and quite hardy as well. 

Without further ado let’s get started. 

Related: Acan Coral Care Guide

Aquarium Care

Mushroom corals commonly referred to as the Mushroom Anemones, Disk Anemones or simply Mushrooms are popular corals in the aquarium trade. They inhabit shallow, rich nutrient waters, and often referred to as the easiest corals to keep in a home aquarium. 

What makes Mushrooms great beginner corals? The answer to this question is quite simple. Their ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions makes them a great starter coral. They are forgiving corals even if you make the common mistakes newbie reefers make. And most importantly, they spread fast, which can make a beginner tank look full in no time. 

There are different varieties and colors of Mushroom corals, such as pink, blue and green.

Placement & Lighting 

There is one question you need to ask yourself before you purchase a Mushroom coral. Do you really want mushrooms in your tank?

Why is this so important? They spread really fast and if you don’t find them an appropriate place, they will populate the tank in no time. And that’s a big no-no if you want to have a mixed reef tank. How to deal with it, you may ask? 

What works with other corals, may not work with mushroom corals. Even if you place them on an isolated island, they’ll still spread without a problem. 

However, the best place for mushrooms is at the bottom of the tank. Preferably where there isn’t strong water flow, too. If you want to place them under stronger light, always acclimate them slowly first. If your corals are happy and satisfied with the position, they will fully extend their disk.

Feeding 

Mushrooms are photosynthetic corals, which means they can live without additional feeding, relying only on the lighting in your aquarium. They contain zooxanthellae, marine algae living within the coral (symbiotic relationship), providing food through photosynthesis. 

Assuming that you have a light source in your aquarium, you are set to go. 

But what if you want to see better growth, better colors and better overall health of the coral. Do you need to introduce additional feeding? Is the lighting intensity enough to keep your mushrooms happy? Questions that everyone intent to keep corals needs to ask himself, whether keeping mushrooms or any other corals. 

Almost every coral will benefit from additional feeding, however, it’s not necessary with the mushrooms. They will live and thrive without feeding, of course, if all other water parameters are on point. But, if you want to try and see what happens, feed them occasionally a brine shrimp. 

What about adding supplements in the water? 

Can additional supplements in the water column help Mushroom coral grow faster? 

Apparently, it can. I am an advocate of frequent water changes. Frequent water changes will replace all the depleted elements and are a crucial part of establishing a stable saltwater aquarium. And most importantly it’s something that will keep your mushroom corals healthy. 

However, if your corals look sick or more unusual than before, you might consider adding supplements to your reef tank. Or even if you want to see faster growth, in a matter of fact. 

Many aquarists claim that iodine supplements help them achieve better overall health and faster growth of the mushroom corals. 

Of course, adding elements to your reef tank without further investigation and checking all the water parameters is never a good idea. Put the wrong dose, and everything can go downhill. If you are a beginner hobbyist, always research the side effects before you add anything in the tank.

How Do Mushroom Corals Spread

Mushrooms spread fast. I’ve mentioned earlier in this article that you need to be careful where you place them. However, even if you are careful, they will still reproduce. A part of the coral will detach and will float until it finds a good place to attach. You can do it manually if you want it, too. Cut a part of the coral, and place it on a live rock that you think is suitable. 

A small warning, right here. Always protect yourself by wearing gloves when you cut corals. Some types, including Mushroom corals, contain toxins that might be harmful to humans.

Final Thoughts 

Mushroom corals are ideal for everyone interested in getting their feet wet on the hobby. Taking care of corals can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience. It’s important to start with beginner, hardy and inexpensive corals if you want to have success in the long run. And there isn’t a better coral to start with. 

I hope that this guide gave you some insight into Mushroom coral care. Now that you know what’s going to take, are you interested to keep these types of corals? Leave any thoughts or questions in the comments. 

Featured Image: la.kien (CC BY 2.0)