Lighting
30-120 PAR is a low-to-moderate starting range; shrinking, bleaching, or detaching often means light or flow should be reduced.
MushroomBeginnerCare score 2/10
Mushroom Coral
Discosoma spp. / Rhodactis spp.
Mushroom Coral care and ID profile for single fleshy disc, central mouth, disc shrinking or detaching, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Compare single fleshy disc, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Care score
- 2/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 30-120 PAR
- Flow
- Low
- Aggression
- Low
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Minimum tank age
- 1 months
- Minimum tank size
- 5 gallons
Care note
This entry has low confidence or is marked for expert review. Treat the ranges as conservative starting points and compare them with your own system.
- Verify taxonomy before species-level SEO or care claims.
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Kevmin
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Emőke Dénes
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Josuevg
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.023-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 7.5-10 dKH
- Calcium
- 380-450 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 2-25 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.2 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
low flow should be gentle enough that the disc stays attached and inflated.
Stability
For Mushroom Coral, avoid frequent moves and check light, flow, and salinity first when discs shrink, stretch, or detach.
Variability
Mushroom Coral requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- fine meaty foods, powdered coral food
- Frequency
- optional every 1-2 weeks
ID
Identification
Key features
- single fleshy disc
- central mouth
- smooth or bumpy surface
Common colors
- Red
- Blue
- Green
- Purple
- Orange
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Common mushrooms usually have a simpler disc than Ricordea, which has bead-like vesicles over the surface. Separate Mushroom Coral from Ricordea Mushroom and Zoanthids by checking single fleshy disc, central mouth, and smooth or bumpy surface in normal white light. Then confirm disc texture, vesicles, mouth position, attachment behavior, and response to new light; avoid using a trade name as the only ID evidence. Lighting can change mushroom color and vesicle size; disc texture, mouth structure, and attachment behavior are better ID anchors.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 2 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Mushroom Coral disc shrinking or detachingOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- the disc curls, shrinks, or releases from the rock
- Mushroom Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- light increase, strong flow, rough handling, or recent shipping stress
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Mushroom Coral
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- move Mushroom Coral to gentler light or indirect flow if the disc stays curled
- let detached tissue settle on rubble in a low-flow container
- avoid repeated handling while the mouth and foot look intact
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- start Mushroom corals in lower light and let them attach before moving them
- placing Mushroom Coral before confirming single fleshy disc and its spacing needs
- using Mushroom Coral color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Ricordea Mushroom
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Mushroom Coral looks irritated
- ignoring low-light acclimation when keeping Mushroom Coral
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Zoanthids
Zoanthus spp.
- Category
- Zoanthid
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Green Star Polyps
Pachyclavularia violacea / Briareum violaceum
- Category
- Soft Coral
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Leather Coral
Sarcophyton spp. / Sinularia spp. / Lobophytum spp.
- Category
- Soft Coral
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Moderate
FAQs
FAQs
Is Mushroom Coral beginner friendly?
Mushroom Coral can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still needs acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Mushroom Coral be placed?
Start Mushroom Coral low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 30-120 PAR and low flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Mushroom Coral?
Mushroom Coral may take fine meaty foods and powdered coral food, with this database frequency: optional every 1-2 weeks. Keep feedings small and occasional; shrinking, detaching, or stretching is more often a light, flow, or stability check than a feeding-only issue.
How much room should Mushroom Coral have if it expands or moves?
Give Mushroom Coral about 2 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Low. Use caution near Ricordea Mushroom and Chalice Coral. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Mushroom Coral looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Mushroom Coral, the disc curls, shrinks, or releases from the rock and Mushroom Coral shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Mushroom Coral disc shrinking or detaching. Likely causes to check include light increase, strong flow, rough handling, or recent shipping stress and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Mushroom Coral. Start with these database checks: move Mushroom Coral to gentler light or indirect flow if the disc stays curled and let detached tissue settle on rubble in a low-flow container.
What should I check if Mushroom Coral shrinks or detaches?
For Mushroom Coral, avoid frequent moves and check light, flow, and salinity first when discs shrink, stretch, or detach. The database lists 1 month as the minimum tank age and 5 gallons as the minimum tank size. For mushroom-style corals, light and flow are often the first checks before assuming feeding is the issue.
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