Top Shelf Aquatics’ Coral Care Series - Mushrooms

For more content: Be our friend: @topshelfaquatics Want to purchase this coral or interested in our other products? Mushroom Corals are debatably the easiest type of soft coral to keep. They are nearly indestructible in the right conditions making them a top contender for beginner reef-keepers. Mushroom corals come in a vast variety of species: Ricordea, Discosoma, and Rhodactis to name a few. These different species all exhibit diverse color variants, textures, and unique physical characteristics making them loved by the majority of reef-aquarium hobbyists. Mushrooms have the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually. With that being said, asexual reproduction is most common in the home aquarium. This is done by budding a small piece of tissue from the mushroom’s foot. Mushrooms can be found thriving in areas of low to moderate ranges but most species in the aquarium should be kept in low flow. As for lighting, most mushroom species are best kept in lower-light areas of the aquarium. Exposure to high light can bleach and damage a mushroom. A stressed Mushroom can shrink, turn pale and even detach from its base. If this were to happen, you can help the mushroom reattach. We suggest placing it in a small reef-safe cup or mushroom box with large substrate or rubble rock at the bottom. Giving the mushroom the opportunity to reattach itself. Mushrooms have the ability to adapt and endure a multitude of aquarium environments and conditions. They are notorious for thriving in high-nutrient systems. Accelerating their growth and reproduction. Mushrooms love to be fed and will happily accept most fish and coral foods. You’ll be memorized to watch a mushroom engulf its food, much like a Venus Fly Trap. At Top Shelf we use a mixture of Benepets, Fauna Marin LPS Pellets, AquaVitro Fuel, and the occasionally meaty food like Piscine Energetics Mysis or Calanus. Mushrooms have the ability to move themselves, a phenomenon commonly referred to as “walking”. Mushrooms will walk themselves to a suitable spot within your aquarium if they are placed in an undesirable location. Our goal is for them not to do this and to try and prevent this from occurring, keep in mind their desired preference in regards to lighting and flow when initially adding them into your aquarium. Although this walking process can be frustrating, be on the lookout if your Mushroom does decide to take a stroll - as they can sometimes leave babies behind as they walk! Music: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) -