Actinodiscus sp. (Purple Mushrooms)

Source: liveaquaria.com

QUICK STATS

• Care Level: Easy
  
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive
  
• Lighting: Moderate
  
• Waterflow: Low to Medium
  
• Placement: All
  
• Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
  
• Color Form: Blue, Purple, Green
  
• Origin: Indonesia
  
• Family: Actinodiscidae/Discosomatidae
  
• Insert Date: 18 September 2010

The Actinodiscus Mushrooms are also referred to as Mushroom Anemones and Disc Anemones. They were previously in a genus called Discosoma. These invertebrates display a wide variety of colors, textures, and patterns. Some are solid colors, such as the blue specimen pictured above, whereas, others are striped or spotted. The taxonomy of the various species is in a state of flux, and will probably continue to change.
They are hardy and moderately easy to maintain, and under the right conditions, will multiply and spread very rapidly. In general, they need a medium light level, and should be placed lower in the tank if the light intensity is high. The Actinodiscus Mushrooms prefer a low to medium water flow within the aquarium, although different species may have different requirements. They are semi-aggressive and require adequate space between themselves and other corals and sessile invertebrates. Each ships as several individual mushrooms attached to one rock.

An Actinodiscus Mushrooom receives some of its nutritional requirements through the photosynthesis of the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae which it hosts. It also feeds on other nutrients and particulate matter and benefits from additional food in the form of micro-plankton or brine shrimp fed to each polyp of the colony.

Through a forum I found someone selling his whole aquarium. We wanted to take a look and see if he had anything that we liked. His aquarium looked really nice, it was a big tank that wasn’t very high but mainly very deep. The rocks where all low, not really build up and almost every rock was covered in Xenia.
For the moment we left with 3 rocks filled with corals, maybe we are going back to get some more (fish maybe even, he had some nice ones). The easiest choice which I liked a lot was a rock with Ricordea mushrooms. My wife still likes Xenia and since ours is not much anymore we also took a rock with Xenia and some purple mushrooms. And last we also wanted a new Cabbage leather coral, so he torn one loose with a Kenya tree also on it.

Unfortunately there where no pictures of his aquarium.

18 september we bought this rock with mushrooms and a lot of Xenia. Our goal was the Xenia, but we liked the combination with the mushrooms even though we already have many purple mushrooms in the aquarium.

I needed to clean a rock from a sea pearl that was located on it, this was the rock with mushrooms and Xenia. Since we already have many mushrooms in the RSM I decided to see if I could get one lose for the fragment tank. Using a sharp knife I tried to get the foot to let go of the rock. While doing this the Mushroom started sliming like crazy, guess it’s a way of defending itself. But in the end it seemed to have worked and I know have a purple mushroom in the fragment tank.

Still doing great, even from the spot where I cut loose a mushroom there is a new one growing. Only the Xenia seems to be losing terrain to the mushrooms.

Also tried to remove some Planaria from the mushrooms

Pulled out the rock with Xenia en purple mushrooms that was overgrowed by Star Polyps. I put a new rock there now to make sure the star polyps dont expand to much and kill the remaining Xenia on the neighbouring rock.

Sold another rock with polyps together with a Kenya Tree.