Red Mushroom Coral

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Semi-aggressive   • Waterflow: Low to Moderate
• Placement: Bottom to Middle   • Lighting: Medium   • Color Form: Red, Pink, Maroon
 • Supplements: Calcium, Iodine, Strontium, Trace elements   • Water Conditions: 72-80° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
• Origin: Indo-Pacific, South Pacific    • Family: Actinodiscidae   • Species: Mushroom Corals

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The Red Mushroom Coral (Actinodiscus sp.) is a hardy and easy to maintain species, which is also very colorful and enjoyable to keep. Red Mushroom Corals are also referred to as Mushroom Anemones, Actinodiscus Mushroom and Disc Anemones. This variety of mushroom coral varies in color from a light pink to a dark maroon depending on lighting and aquarium conditions.

They will also fluoresce when kept under actinic lighting. Red Mushroom Corals are a wonderful invertebrate for bottom placement in a reef aquarium, which over time will reproduce forming a carpet covering the rock work and nearby sand in a brilliant fluorescent red.

In general, Red Mushroom Corals will prosper with only a medium light intensity, and should be placed in the lower areas of an aquarium if kept under high intensity reef lighting. Red Mushroom Corals require a low to moderate indirect water flow in which to provide supplementary food sources such as photo-plankton and carry away waste products created by the coral.

Too direct or too intense a water flow will inhibit the Red Mushroom Coral from fully expanding and will overtime lead to poor health. Optimum placement for this species is on the bottom of the aquarium in a spot with indirect water flow.

Bottom placement will also keep the Red Mushroom Coral from receiving too intense lighting; as well as, allow it to grow outward. When placing the Red Mushroom Coral also keep in mind that it is a semi-aggressive species that will require adequate space between itself and other corals or sessile invertebrates (also note that this species will grow out horizontally over time).

The Red Mushroom Coral receives most of its nutritional requirements through the photosynthesis of the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae, which it hosts. However, it also feeds on other nutrients and particle matter present in established marine aquariums.

The Red Mushroom Coral will also benefit from additional feedings in the form of micro-plankton or other foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates. Each mushroom polyp in the colony is a distinct individual, thus supplemental foods should be gently sprayed over the entire colony to make sure that each polyp has an opportunity to feed.