Toadstool Leather Coral: Care, Placement, Lighting (Beginners Guide)

We all had one favorite coral, back then when we were starting the hobby. If the Toadstool Leather Coral is your favorite coral, you are thinking about purchasing it, and you are eager to learn more about its care, then you are going to love this guide. 

You’ve may arrive at the point where you need some information about Toadstool Leather Coral care, to bring your desire to reality. And you came across this post while searching on the internet. You are lucky!

Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about these corals, and much more. If you are ready to dive into the world of Toadstool Leather Coral, let’s start! 

Related: Acan Coral Care

Toadstool Coral Care 

The Toadstool Coral ( Sarcophyton glaucum), also known as the Toadstool Leather Coral, Mushroom Leather Coral, or Cup Leather Coral, is a type of Soft corals native to the Red Sea, Indo-Pacific, and around South Africa. It inhabits reef slopes and lagoons, where usually grow in groups with hard and soft corals. The Toadstool Leather Corals are classified in the genus Sarcophyton. 

What does the Toadstool coral look like? 

There are over 40 different types of Sarcophyton genus, however, they all have similar appearances. They have a mushroom-like appearance, a single stalk attached to a surface that grows into a cap. There are 2 types, one with short tentacles, and the other with longer tentacles. 

What do you need to know to be successful in keeping the Toadstool Leather Coral?

Keeping these types of corals is easy. It’s no surprise that more experienced hobbyists, oftentimes recommend them as great beginner corals. 

However, like any other corals, they prefer more mature and well-established aquariums. But, don’t get discouraged. You can keep them in brand new reef tanks, as long as the tank is fully cycled. 

In short, the aquarium care of Toadstool Leather Coral is quite simple. It needs regular water changes to maintain stable parameters, it’s quite adaptable to different range of lights, and it feeds through photosynthesis. 

Now, let’s dive into the details. In these sections, we’ll talk about Toadstool coral placement, lighting, and feeding. Without further ado, let’s get started. 

Toadstool Coral Placement & Lighting 

In general, the Toadstool Leather Coral is a peaceful coral. After all, they come from places where they live in groups with other soft and hard corals. While that statement is true, it may raise some concerns. These corals are known for releasing toxins in the water, which may hurt some types of small polyp stony corals such as Acropora. However, don’t let this discourage you from getting these beautiful corals for your tank. Just make sure that you have proper filtration so the toxins can be diluted properly. Take in mind that as the coral grows, you need to upgrade your filtration system. 

The Toadstool Leather Coral will thrive in a wide range of lighting, from low lights to high-intensity lights. Like any other coral, slow acclimatization is the best way to ensure your coral will stay in a healthy condition. 

The appearance of these corals makes them an easy target for accumulating debris on their caps. That’s why is so important to have moderate water flow in your aquarium.

Toadstool Coral Feeding 

What do you need to do to make sure your corals are well-fed? Well, it’s quite simple. The Toadstool Leather Coral will receive most of its nutrients through the lights in your reef tank. A marine algae, called zooxanthellae, lives within the coral tissue and provides food through photosynthesis for the Toadstool coral.

In addition, these corals will absorb dissolved organic matter from the water column. That’s one of the main reasons why is so important to have a mature and well-established reef tank. They can’t capture large parts of food, however, they will benefit from regular feedings in your tank. Not by direct feeding, but by the extra nutrients that will come from feeding other animals in your tank. Of course, you can increase the lighting intensity, for better and faster growth, as well.

How to frag Toadstool Leather Coral 

This coral will spread itself through dropping small buds of tissue of its cap on other surfaces. The buds will grow in new Toadstool corals. Of course, you can do it manually, as well. It’s quite easy. Just cut the coral cap with a razor blade and place it on a new rock. 

Conclusion 

If you are looking for a coral that can grow to an impressive size, yet it is easy to take care of and hardy, then you’ve found it. The Toadstool Leather Coral is a perfect candidate. Amazing and beautiful coral, with mushroom-like appearance. A coral that is worthy of its name. 

Now, I’d like to hear from you. What’s your experience with the Toadstool Leather Coral. 

Let’s discuss this in the comments. 

Featured Image: Eric Danley (CC BY 2.0)