Metallic Blue Mushroom, Actinodiscus coerulea is also known as the Blue Mushroom or Purple Mushroom. We receive these beauties from Australia since there are no more corals coming from Indonesia where they used to come from. They are very hardy and will multiply on their own, offering you many new mushrooms. True to their names, these striking beauties can be purple, blue or a combination of the two, and may have a white mouth. Like most Actinodiscus mushrooms, the Blue Mushroom or Purple Mushroom typically reaches only 2 to 3 inches. The Metallic Blue Mushroom coral is a great coral for beginners to advanced aquarists. They will be happy in low to moderate lighting, and their coloring is incredible.
Care Level
Easy
Water Flow and Lighting
They prefer a low to moderate water movement, and a lower lighting level. The Bullseye Mushroom is less tolerant of bright light compared to other Rhodactis sp., prefering reduced lighting, which normally requires that is be placed in the lower regions of the aquarium or where it is partially shaded. Lighting can be Power compacts, T5's, LED's or even Metal Halides. All lighting can grow Mushroom Corals as long as the proper level of light is provided. If a Par meter is available the appropriate lighting level is anywhere from a Par 80 all the way to a Par 150. Which is a wide range of acceptability. For lighting spectrum use between a 14-20K color spectrum for your bulbs for best coloration.
Placement
All mushrooms are semi-aggressive and require adequate space between themselves and other corals. Placement can be any where in the aquarium as long as it receives adequate water flow and lighting levels and leaves enough room around your corals that they have room for growth without infringing on another corals growing room or lighting.
Diet and Feeding
Mushroom corals receive the majority of their nutritional requirements through the process of photosynthesis, which simply means their lighting creates symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae in the body of the coral which provides its nutrition. We do recommend providing supplemental food such as micro-plankton or foods designed for filter-feeding invertebrates.
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