Saltwater Mushrooms

This is by far the easiest to keep and care for and the most long lived of any of the beginner corals. They come in a wide variety of colors and will thrive in lower light conditions so a large expensive lighting system is not needed. They will often grow very fast and can cover a patch of your tank quickly.

Mushroom corals are often sold in small fragments because they grow so quickly. These corals are found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. When visiting your local fish store, it is normal to find bright reds, blues, purples, and greens of these type of corals. A rule of thumb that I always go by when choosing coral for my aquarium is quality over quantity, especially for a fast growing coral such as this one.

Mushroom corals, like most types of polyp corals, host symbiotic zooxanthellae algae which it uses to produce food through photosynthesis, but these corals also feed on plankton or brine shrimp for nutrition. Supplemental feedings are not required, but it is important to remember that some of the long tentacle mushrooms may catch and eat small invertebrates, and may even damage other corals if placed too closely.

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