Emily Johnson
Saltwater mushrooms, also known as mushroom corals, are a great addition to aquariums due to their aesthetic appeal and ease of care. However, they can quickly multiply and overpopulate, requiring intervention to frag them. Fragging involves cutting the mushroom head into pie-shaped pieces, each containing a portion of the central stalk, which contains the animal's stomach. These pieces are then placed in a container with rubble or gravel, to which they will attach and regenerate into new mushrooms. While fragging is a straightforward process, it requires caution as mushroom corals can be dangerous, and it is not recommended for beginners.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy to frag |
| Coral type | Soft coral |
| Coral group | Corallimorphs, also known as mushroom corals or mushroom anemones |
| Coral species | Ricordea, Actinodiscus, Discosoma, Rhodactis |
| Common names | Bounce coral, False coral |
| Lighting | Low to moderate light intensity |
| Flow level | Low to moderate water flow |
| Fragging method | Active fragging by the tank owner |
| Fragging tools | Razor blade, sharp scissors, wire cutters, bone cutters |
| Fragging container | Yogurt cup or any plastic container |
| Fragging surface | Rubble, large pieces of gravel, or rock |
| Fragging technique | Cutting the mushroom head into pie-shaped pieces, ensuring each piece has a central stalk |
| Fragging precautions | Wear latex gloves and facial protection |
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What You'll Learn
Saltwater mushrooms are hardy and easy to frag
Saltwater mushrooms, or mushroom corals, are hardy and easy to frag. They are a great choice for novice hobbyists as they are easy to care for and come in a wonderful array of colours and textures. They are also tolerant of less-than-ideal reef tank parameters or conditions and will grow in areas of low light.
Mushroom corals are vicious and can overpopulate, leaving no space for other inhabitants in your aquarium. They can multiply quickly and overtake the whole aquarium, so it is important to know how to frag them. Fragging mushroom corals involves exploiting their natural ability to survive and prosper from physical damage. You will be taking a knife to them in a life-threatening manner, but these corals can take it.
To frag mushroom corals, you will need to set up a workstation with a container, rubble or large pieces of gravel, and a sharp cutting tool. First, cut the base of your container and fill it with rubble or gravel. These should be clean and free of any algae or other attachments. If you are using fresh gravel, be sure to rinse it off first. The mushroom pieces will attach themselves to these pieces.
Next, get several full-grown mushrooms and cut the mushroom head off the rock, leaving a piece of the stalk behind. Cut the mushroom head into pie-shaped pieces, ensuring that each piece has some of the central stalks. This stalk contains the stomach of the animal and is the part that will attach to the rubble. Place these pieces in your container and cover it with a piece of bridal veil netting or plastic mesh.
It is important to note that mushroom corals can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction involves the release of gametes into the water (eggs and sperm). The more common reproductive method in a reef tank is asexual fragmentation through budding, splitting, or active fragging. Budding is a process where the coral extends a small portion of its foot or stalk beyond the rest of the base. It then attaches to a rock further away and detaches from the original base, leaving that little piece of its foot to transform into a fully formed, genetically identical mushroom coral clone.
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They can be fragged with a knife or razor blade
Saltwater mushrooms, also known as mushroom corals or corallimorphs, are a great addition to aquariums as they boost aesthetic appeal and are easy to keep in your reef tank. However, they can overpopulate and intrude on other creatures' territory. This is why fragging is important. Fragging mushrooms is a great way to start your fragging journey as they are extremely hardy corals that will also grow and spread on their own.
To frag saltwater mushrooms, you can use a knife or a razor blade. First, set up your workstation. You will need a well-lit table or desk that you can get wet without upsetting the rest of your household. Use a small chopping board or a pot to hold the corals in a shallow bath of aquarium water. Make sure all the containers or utensils are food-safe and free of domestic chemicals. All items need to be properly cleaned before usage.
Once your workstation is set up, select the mushroom you want to frag. It is recommended to pick one of the largest polyps. You can then use a knife or razor blade to separate the mushroom from the rock it is attached to. You will need a very sharp knife; craft knives with curved blades work well for this process, but a straight-edged blade will also do the job. Simply cut the coral across the column, leaving the attachment disc behind. As you do this, you will notice a lot of mucus and the white filaments of the animal's gut; this can all be discarded to leave the quartered disc behind. It is a good idea to rinse the frags to remove the "goo" before placing them into another holding bath of aquarium water.
Alternatively, you can use a razor blade to cut the mushroom horizontally across the stalk, leaving the foot/stalk attached to the rock. If you only cut off a portion of the cap, don't worry, as any piece of the mushroom should work fine. You may see some strange, curly, white stringy stuff (which is part of its digestive tract) slip out from the cut, along with some brown liquid. The coral should recover and multiply. If you successfully decapitate the mushroom, you can then slice it into 2, 3, or 4 pieces, or more.
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Use a container to catch cut pieces
Saltwater mushrooms, or mushroom corals, are a great addition to aquariums as they boost aesthetic appeal and are easy to keep in your reef tank. However, they can multiply quickly and overpopulate, so you may need to frag them. Fragging mushroom corals involves exploiting their natural ability to survive and prosper from physical damage. You will need to use a knife or razor blade to cut them in a life-threatening manner, but these hardy corals can take it.
To frag saltwater mushrooms, you will need to use a container to catch the cut pieces. First, cut the base off a yogurt cup or any plastic container. Fill the container with rubble or large pieces of gravel. Make sure the gravel is clean and free of any algae or other debris. Rinse the gravel first if necessary. The mushroom pieces will attach themselves to these pieces of rubble or gravel.
Next, get several full-grown mushrooms. Cut the mushroom head off the rock, leaving a piece of the stalk behind. This stalk will regenerate and grow a new mushroom. Cut the mushroom head into pie-shaped pieces, making sure each piece has some of the central stalks. The stalk contains the stomach of the animal and is the part that will attach to the rubble or gravel. Place these pieces in your container.
Finally, put a piece of bridal veil netting over the entire container. This will help contain the cut pieces and prevent them from floating away or getting destroyed by the pumps. Using a container to catch the cut pieces is an important step in successfully fragging saltwater mushrooms. It ensures that the pieces do not float into the pumps and get destroyed or disappear under rocks.
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Mushrooms can reproduce on their own
Mushrooms, belonging to the kingdom Fungi, are capable of reproducing asexually and sexually.
Asexual Reproduction
Mushrooms can reproduce asexually through budding, where a small fragment of the parent fungus grows into a new individual. This is also known as fragmentation, where the mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus, breaks into fragments, and each fragment grows into a new individual.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction in mushrooms involves the formation of "seeds", known as spores, which are microscopic cells released into the environment. These spores are produced in structures called fruiting bodies. For a mushroom to grow, two compatible spores must meet, germinate, and form primary mycelia. These then fuse to create a secondary mycelium capable of producing a mushroom. This process is complex, and the resulting mycelium must survive dangers such as insects, bacteria, and other fungi.
Fragging Saltwater Mushrooms
Saltwater mushrooms, or mushroom corals, can also reproduce asexually through fragmentation. In nature, they extend a part of their base and pinch it off, allowing the small fragment to grow into a full-sized mushroom. This process can be replicated by aquarists through fragging, where a knife or razor blade is used to cut the mushroom into pieces. These fragments can then be placed in a container with rubble or gravel, to which they will attach themselves and grow into new mushrooms.
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They can be kept with other saltwater fish
Saltwater mushrooms, or mushroom corals, are a great addition to aquariums as they boost aesthetic appeal and are easy to keep in your reef tank. They are hardy, tolerant of less-than-ideal reef tank parameters or conditions, will grow in areas of lower light, and can be easily fragged or will reproduce on their own. They are ideal for novice hobbyists and can be found in a wonderful array of colours and textures.
Mushroom corals are able to reproduce sexually and asexually. The more common reproductive method in the reef tank is asexual fragmentation through either budding, splitting, or active fragging by the tank owner. Budding is a process where the coral extends a small portion of its foot or stalk beyond where the rest of the base is located. It then attaches to a rock further away from the base and then detaches from the original base, leaving that little piece of its foot out in front. That tiny piece of the foot then starts to transform into a fully formed, genetically identical mushroom coral clone.
If you plan to keep these corals with smaller saltwater fish, avoid large mushroom species like the 'Elephant Ear' or 'Giant Cup Mushroom', which will snack on unsuspecting smaller fish that get too close. Mushroom corals can be difficult to propagate compared to other types of corals like leather and SPS. They take a long time to reproduce simply by fission, dividing in two, and cutting individual mushrooms into pieces and putting them into a tank to attach is usually a wasted effort. To prevent this, you can put the mushrooms in the bottom of a yogurt container. The mushroom pieces will attach themselves to the pieces of rubble or gravel at the bottom of the container.
Mushrooms are extremely hardy corals that will also grow and spread on their own. They extend part of their base and pinch it off—that small part of the base then grows into a full-sized mushroom. If you want to speed things along, you can frag mushrooms by cutting them with a razor blade. You can slice it in half or into as many pieces as you want.
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Frequently asked questions
Saltwater mushrooms, also known as mushroom corals or corallimorphs, are a type of coral commonly found in Pacific waters. They are popular among aquarists due to their aesthetic appeal and ease of care.
Saltwater mushrooms have a tendency to overpopulate and dominate the aquarium, leaving little space for other inhabitants. Fragging helps to control their population and maintain the balance of the aquatic ecosystem.
Fragging saltwater mushrooms involves cutting the mushroom head into pie-shaped pieces, ensuring that each piece contains a portion of the central stalk. These stalks contain the animal's stomach and facilitate attachment. Place the pieces in a container with rubble or gravel, which the mushroom pieces will attach to. Cover the container with a bridal veil or plastic mesh.
