Propagating Mushroom Corals

Introduction

With I imagine very few exceptions every reef tank in this country will have at least one species of Mushroom Coral. The Latin names for these corals are usually Actinidiscus, Discosoma, Rhodactis, Ricordia to name but a few. The common names don't really help much apart from aiding the hobbyist to know what colour or shape mushroom coral they are buying, e.g. watermelon, furry, green furry, knobbly, spotted, again the list goes on. The fact is that what ever species of Mushroom Coral you have, they are a piece of cake to propagate and, without putting too finer a point on it, it is simply a matter of cutting off the head, cutting this into four and wait for it to heal and attach before cutting it again.

General Information

Mushroom Corals grow well and reproduce naturally on their own in favourable conditions. This natural reproduction can take several forms dependant on the species and individual coral. Some species will reproduce by stretching their foot away from the coral base, anchoring the tip in place and then retracting the foot, leaving the tip in its new location. The length of stretched foot will eventually tear completely. The blob of foot budded off will very quickly transform in shape, size and colour and within three weeks will be a perfect miniature mushroom. Other species simply tear themselves in half by stretching their mouths until they divide themselves in two. Again the healing process is very quick and within a matter of weeks the two halves will be perfect mushrooms. However the method of propagation I am going to describe will turn one mushroom into five in usually no more than three weeks and will enable you to have propagated corals that are not attached to the same piece of rock, allowing you to establish new colonies in your own system, or trade your corals with other hobbyists. In this article I am taking for granted that your reefs system is running well and all water parameters and conditions are within "standard" parameters (if there is such a thing). The two points I would make is that in my experience the addition of iodine to the tank makes Mushroom Corals grow larger and quicker, stand up off the rock more (making propagation easier) and generally look healthier. Secondly, mushroom corals hate being moved, even if just from one end of the tank to the other and they may take up to a week to return to their usual size.

Tools and Equipment

• Sharp Pair of Scissors
• Small Pot of Tank Water (Jam Jar for example, in which to temporarily place the cut mushroom heads)
• Kitchen Roll
• Attachment Dish (Anything will do as long at is food quality plastic, and will fit into the space you have for it in your tank)
• Rock Chippings

The Propagation Method

Select a healthy Mushroom Coral and with the scissors cut the mushroom's head off. Take the cutting three quarters the way down the stem. Place the cutting into the container with the tank water. Continue to cut as many mushrooms as required. I usually take four or five at a time. A good tip here is to remove the mushroom rock from the tank if possible and hang this rock upside down over the container. The corals will hang down from the rock and when cut will drop straight into the container of tank water, making cutting these corals quick, easy and not too messy. If you have handled these corals you will know that they are very slimy and handling them can become tricky, so this method works very well.
The foot or base of the Mushroom Coral that you have left on the rock will over a period of a week to ten days begin to heal. It will also form the basic mushroom shape and then develop its mouth. It will take up to a further fortnight for the colour to be produced and the foot to have changed into a brand new mushroom - ready to be propagated again! Prior to taking the cuttings prepare the shallow dish. This is the container that your cuttings will spend the next month or so in, allowing them to heal and attach themselves. Cover the bottom of the container completely with the rock chippings or crushed shell. Fill the container with tank water. You are now ready to complete the propagation process.
Remove your Mushroom Coral from the holding container and place it on a sheet of kitchen roll. The kitchen roll soaks up any additional water released by the coral, as well as the mucus the coral excretes. This will make the next stage of the process a little bit easier. These few seconds drying and exposure to air do not cause any damage to the coral. Once you are ready, pick up the Mushroom Coral and with one clean cut, cut the coral in half. Repeat the procedure with the two halves. The Mushroom Coral is now in four segments, like pieces of cake. These cuttings can now be rinsed in the container of tank water and then placed into the shallow container ready to go into the tank. Once you have completed cutting and the segments of coral are in the shallow container, return the container to your tank. Place it in an area of relatively low water movement. The idea being that the container prevents the cuttings from being blown about the tank and allows them the time required to heal. It also keeps them in constant contact with the rock chippings or crushed shell allowing them to attach.
Within a week you will notice the cuttings swelling and becoming more of a complete circle again. Within a fortnight they are usually attached to the rock chippings, looking extremely healthy and are usually at least 80% healed. Within another week they will look like they have never been touched. At this stage they can be attached to a larger piece of rock. Milliput or Super Glue (Cynoacrylic) is ideal for attaching the rock or shell chippings to another larger piece of rock or coral plug.

Final Thought

The resilience, healing and growing powers of these corals never ceases to amaze me and I would have to say they are one of the easiest corals to propagate. I have never experienced any problems with the many different species I have propagated.

By Reefs UK