tom39 August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 I picked up one of the free frags at the meet and have no idea what it is. Can anyone identify it for me please and also let me know what care it requires? It appears to be doing well and looks like it is even growing. It is the spiny looking piece to the left of the green Duncan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcrazyjoker81 August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 If it is the one behind the duncan that is a toadstool leather coral. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+600+753&pcatid=753 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 Care Level: Easy Temperament: Peaceful Lighting: Moderate to High Waterflow: Medium Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025 Color Form: Green Supplements: Strontium, Iodine, Trace Elements Origin: Fiji, Indonesia, Maricultured - Bali, Maricultured - Indonesia, Maricultured - Solomon Island, Singapore Family: Alcyoniidae What do these Quick Stats mean? Click here overview 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 more plain Sarcophyton Leather Corals from Idonesia are easy to maintain in the reef aquarium and make an excellent coral for the beginning through expert reef aquarist. The colored Sarcophyton Leather Corals from Tonga are much more difficult to ship and maintain, and are only for expert aquarists. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom39 August 8, 2014 Author Share August 8, 2014 Kool, thank you both for the info. I tried to attach it to a rock but it broke free and landed where it is today. It seemed happy there and has not caused any harm to those around it so far. But just in case, I think that I will move the Duncan a bit further away. Lastly, if it is a fast grower and started to get too big for the tank. If I was wanting to scale it down, would I just cut it to a sizable piece with a knife or blade? Again, thank you for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 If it is the one behind the duncan that is a toadstool leather coral. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+600+753&pcatid=753 This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 Looks like one of the toadstools I brought to FFE. As described above, they are hardy and adaptable. Will do OK in medium light, but grow like weeds under intense light. They like a lot of water movement as well. If debris is allowed to settle on the cap and stay for any length of time, it can cause necrosis. The LiveAquaria writeup is OK, but you can ignore the parts about supplementing with iodine and strontium. Also, I know of no evidence that they eat any of the foods listed. You can basically treat them like SPS, except they don't need as much calcium. If you secure it to a rock for a few weeks (or months), it will attach itself. If you place one low in the rockwork, do not be surprised if it "crawls" up to an area of higher light. It's like an amoeba that takes months to crawl a few inches. There is a lot of discussion about toxins from octocorals like Sarcophyton and Sinularia. In my experience, my SPS have been quite happy right next to the leathers, except that the leathers can grow fast enough to overwhelm them. When they grow out of control, you can either trim parts of the cap, or do what I do and decapitate the whole colony. Assuming it's healthy, it will grow a new head. Have fun with it. One of my favorite corals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 I have taken scissors and trimmed them down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwweber August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 aMine was so big took a large kitchen knife to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom39 August 8, 2014 Author Share August 8, 2014 Not sure what you mean by decapitate it and it will grow a new head. Is what I have a head? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda August 8, 2014 Share August 8, 2014 Not sure what you mean by decapitate it and it will grow a new head. Is what I have a head? Yep. It's the "cap" of the mushroom. When the bottom attaches, it should form a sturdy stalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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