When it comes to the low maintenance and budget-friendly decoration of your tank, then Mushroom corals are the way to go!

Mushroom corals are often ignored in saltwater aquariums. However, these exceptionally tough and flexible corals may become the centerpiece of your tank and serve to balance the reef ecosystem. Mushroom corals feature a cylinder flap around the entrance and a center concave mouth.

This provides them their distinctive umbrella form, which mimics a common land mushroom, giving rise to the coral’s name. These discs have vividly colored or patterned patches, short tentacles, or rough textured dorsal spines. The majority of Mushroom corals seen in saltwater aquarium systems are soft corals. Their patterns and coloring are all complex, making it harder for beginners to take care of them.

Mushroom Coral Requirement Guide

Let’s look at some of the care requirements of mushroom coral that must be fulfilled to ensure a healthy aquarium environment.

Placement

Don’t be anxious about deciding where to position your mushroom coral. They are flexible. They like to perch on living rocks to attach themselves to anything, and they can gently relocate if they don’t like where they are or if better circumstances are close.

The bottom to the center of the tank is usually the best place for corals. Mushroom corals may also separate from the live stone they are attached to and float about your aquarium until they find a suitable location. Allow the mushroom coral a few days to adjust to your tank or setting, but mushrooms will show whether they are pleased by expanding and making their disk bigger.

Lighting

Lighting is extremely important in mushroom corals; some mushroom corals like dim indirect light, while others in shallow waters prefer bright direct light. If you have any doubts, put them in an area with low ambient lighting and see how they react after a few hours or a week has passed.

When there is insufficient light, the disk-like shape of your mushroom will transform into a funnel-like one to extend its reach toward the light source. After a certain amount of time, they may even begin to lose their pigment. If the mushroom receives the appropriate quantity of light, it will lie down and try to extend its disk as much as possible. This is an indication of a mushroom coral that is in good health.

If your mushrooms are exposed to an excessive amount of light, this may cause them to clash, and the edges may begin to fade and lose their color.

Water Flow

In seas, waves both remove silt from the reef and bring in bits of food. Thus they serve a dual purpose. In addition to this, it is essential to prevent dirt and debris from accumulating on the occupants of the reef in the aquarium. The movement of water in your tank should be arranged to give the impression of waves. If there is enough water movement, debris on or around your mushroom corals should not accumulate.

Your fish will love swimming through the water flow, which will provide them with exercise and help them stay healthy. Your mushroom corals will remain active and healthy due to the water flow since the food will be distributed around the aquarium, where these mushroom corals can catch it.

Feed

Mushroom coral feeding is a bit complicated, although if the requirements are met, then you don’t have to worry about their feed for a long time.

The photosynthesis carried out by the symbiosis algae zooxanthellae that the Mushroom Coral hosts supply the Mushroom Coral with the majority of the nutrients it needs to survive. However, it also consumes the many other nutrients and particulate matter that may be found in marine aquariums that are well established.

Additional feedings, whether in the form of microplankton or any other diet specifically formulated for invertebrates that filter feed, will also be beneficial to the Mushroom Coral. Because each mushroom larva in the colony is its own unique personality, supplementary meals should be sprinkled over the whole colony in a gentle manner so that each polyp has the chance to consume them. This will ensure that the colony remains healthy.

Water Condition

The circumstances in a reef tank should be as accurate a representation as possible of the environment in the ocean. The mushroom corals’ biomass is constructed from several components obtained from the surrounding water. Mushroom Corals get the calcium, magnesium, and carbonate they need for their metabolism to continue to grow and thrive, as well as to preserve their brilliant colors while they do so.

You should test the parameters regularly to ensure that the appropriate levels are being maintained, and depending on the results of those tests, you should put back any minerals below the levels that you want them to be at. It is strongly recommended to do partial water changes of 20 to 25 percent at least once per month in order to assist in maintaining the chemical balance of your saltwater aquarium.

Interaction with other Water Creature

Mushrooms can coexist peacefully with a wide variety of fish and invertebrate species in an aquarium. There is evidence that bigger mushroom species, such as those belonging to the genera Rhodactis and Amplexidiscus, are capable of capturing and consuming fish. In general, mushroom corals will accept other members of their own species, although certain species are more hostile than others and may sting other mushrooms. Mushrooms growing in a colony have a tendency to compete with one another for the light source.

Conclusion

Mushroom corals are perfect for anybody just starting a hobby and wanting to get into it gradually. Caring for corals may be a rewarding and enjoyable experience if done correctly. If you want to be successful in the long term, getting started with corals that are easy to care for, durable, and economical is essential. In short, there is no better coral, to begin with than mushroom coral.