Orange Yuma Mushroom

Mushroom Coral (Discosomatidae, Ricordea, Rhodactis & others)

Mushroom corals are the chill, bouncy, nearly-indestructible softies that look like little psychedelic pizzas stuck to your rocks. They come in every color and pattern: bright neon green, electric blue, rainbow “Jawbreaker”, spotted “Bouncing” mushrooms, ultra-rare “Ultra Rainbow Yuma” and the size of a coaster, and of course the classic green hairy Rhodactis.
If something can survive a nuclear winter in your tank, it’s a mushroom.

Why Reefers Love Mushrooms

• Grow & multiply like crazy (one mushroom can become 50 in a year)
• Tolerate terrible conditions that would kill most corals
• Bounce and pulse in the flow – super satisfying to watch
• Cheap starter shrooms cost $5–15; ultra ones can hit $500+
• Zero aggression – they never sting anything

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide in warm oceans:

• Indo-Pacific (Indonesia, Australia, Fiji)
• Caribbean & Florida (Ricordea florida & yuma)
• Even under piers and in murky lagoons
  Usually in low light, low flow, and on rubble or sand from 3–100 ft deep.

Recommended Tank Placement & Flow

• Placement: ANYWHERE – sand bed, low rocks, back glass, overflow box, even powerheads!
• Light: Very low to moderate (30–150 PAR)
  → Too much light = they shrink or bleach
  → Shaded spots = bigger, happier shrooms
• Flow: Low to moderate, indirect
  ✓ They should gently open and close or “bounce”
  ✗ Strong direct flow makes them fold up and eventually detach

Ideal Water Parameters (they barely care)

Mushrooms will live in conditions that make you cry.

Feeding

Totally optional – they eat light and dissolved nutrients, but love extras:

• Broadcast Reef-Roids or coral snow 1–2× week = faster splitting
• Large Ricordea & Yuma will grab mysis or brine shrimp with their mouth

Common Challenges & “Problems” (rare)

1. Wandering / Detaching
   They walk off rocks if unhappy (too much light/flow or irritated). Just let them re-attach somewhere else – they always do.
2. Shrinking / Staying Tiny
   Usually way too much light or flow. Move them lower/shade them.
3. Covered in Hair Algae or Bubble Algae
   Low flow + high nutrients. Increase flow or manually clean.
4. Pests
   Almost none! Mushroom anemone-eating nudibranchs exist but are extremely rare.

Final Tips for Beginners

• Buy 2–3 cheap ones first – watch them multiply into a garden
• Glue or wedge them loosely – if they don’t like the spot they’ll move anyway
• Ricordea florida & yuma like slightly brighter light than regular Discosoma/Rhodactis
• Never try to cut a Yuma – they hate it and can die. Let them split naturally
• Within 6–12 months you’ll be giving away free mushrooms to all your friends

Mushrooms are the “forgive and forget” coral. Drop one in almost any tank, ignore it for months, and come back to a rock completely covered in bouncing rainbow shrooms. Perfect first coral – and you’ll never get rid of them (in the best way)!