How to Care for and Requirements of St. Thomas Mushroom?

[iheartJMS]

What are the requirements that St. Thomas mushrooms prefer? Are they easy to care for? Would one be a good first coral to introduce to my tank? I plan to feed a couple times per week...As for lighting, I am running a 4 bulb HO t5 fixture for a total of 72 watts over a 20 gallon high tank.

Thanks :bigeyes:

[britestar101]

they are easy but they are also delicate, mine seem to like less flow and less light than regular mushrooms, so start them at the bottom in indirect light, a little shade, you don't need to feed them that much, i don't feed mine directly at all.

be warned, I had a cleaner shrimp kill one because it bothered it too much. it jumped off the rock to get away and committed suicide.

here's a link to some info
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/corallimorph/BubbleMushroom.php

[iheartJMS]

Thanks for the info, I'll check out that link now :)

[iheartJMS]

Anyone else? :o Would this be a good first coral to introduce...

[Rudolph]

well I am not sure about St. Thomas mushrooms since I never had one, but I have regular shrooms and ricordia and they all have seem fairly easy and come in a multitude of colors....so try a variety of colors and varieties and sit back and let them multiple....they are great corals

[jeff@zina.com]

There's nothing dramatically special about a St. Thomas compared to other mushroom corals. Start in lower light and move it to brighter if it's not doing well. I don't directly feed them, they get enough from leftover fish food. Mine do close when the peppermint shrimp runs over them, but he doesn't bother them in any way.

Jeff

[iheartJMS]

Thank you both for the helpful information :)