Sarcophyton sp (Toadstool Mushroom Leather Coral)

Source: liveaquaria.com

QUICK STATS

• Care Level: Easy
  
• Temperament: Peaceful
  
• Lighting: Moderate to High
  
• Waterflow: Medium
  
• Placement: All
  
• Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
  
• Color Form: Tan
  
• Origin: Fiji, Indo-Pacific, Maldives
  
• Family: Alcyoniidae
  
• Insert Date: 26 May 2010

The Toadstool Mushroom Leather Coral is referred to as Sarcophyton Coral, Mushroom, Leather, or Trough Corals. They are found in various shades of brown, tan or green, with white or gold polyps. It is difficult to identify many species because they all have the similar appearance of a mushroom or toadstool, each with a distinct stalk and capitulum (cap). As they grow older, they develop a folded appearance.
The Toadstool Mushroom Leather Corals are relatively peaceful, but adequate space should be provided between them and other corals in the reef aquarium. Some can produce toxins which are harmful to other reef inhabitants. The brown Sarcophyton Leather Corals from Idonesia and Tonga are easy to maintain in the reef aquarium and make an excellent coral for the beginning through expert reef aquarist. Toadstool Mushroom Leather Corals require medium to high lighting combined with medium to strong water movement. For continued good health, they will also require the addition of iodine, strontium, and other trace elements to the water.

Culturing by the experienced hobbyist is often accomplished by cutting off a portion of the Coral's crown and attaching that piece to live rock or placing it in the sandy bottom of the reef aquarium.

The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae hosted within its body provides the majority of its nutritional needs from the light driven process of photosynthesis. It will also benefit from additional food such as micro-plankton, baby brine shrimp, or foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates.

Found an advert on www.zeewaterforum.info from chriszuid in which he was selling couple of corals. Among them was a rock with two Toadstool Mushrooms, a small one and a medium one. Asked him for pictures and prices.

Here is a picture I found of his aquarium with the Toadstool

Even though it didn't look like what he said at all, we bought the piece. It was a very small mushroom, but it only cost 5 euro, and small mushrooms will be big one day
He already had his little adventure, we first put him next to the starpolyps, but someone disagreed and threw him over the cliff. Now he is stuck between two rocks above the new anemone. Pictures will come soon!

Here is a picture of our new Toadstool we bought Wednesday.

The new toadstool is slowly growing a bit

The new toadstool is still fine.

The toadstool has been closed a lot lately, probably shedding. After rebuilding it was also closed but now it looks better. It moved a little.

Our latest toadstool mushroom, have it here for 4 months now and not much changed in that time. We hope that he will become as big as his predecessor, which we unfortunately lost after the first Bacterial outbreak.

The toadstool is still growing, but has some problems with the Anemone next to it. From time to time it seems to sting the Toadstool.

The toadstool has a lot of problems with the ever growing Anemone next to him. Hopefully we are going to sell the anemone this week.

Yesterday I have sold some fragments again. A member from the Zeewater Forum voor Nederland en België, called Bikerdick, wanted to buy the last Red Mushroom fragment and some Kenya Tree fragments.
When he saw the aquarium he also showed interest in other things, like the Bulb Anemone. I offered him a price and he would consult with his son. So hopefully the Toadstool is saved soon.

I also removed a rock which was next to the Toadstool and moved the Toadstool a bit away from the Anemone, this was it should have more room before getting bothered again by the anemone.