Green Hairy Mushroom Coral
Fuzzy neon-green discs that multiply into a glowing mushroom colony.
Green Hairy Mushroom (Rhodactis) is covered in fine, hair-like tentacles that give the whole colony a soft, fuzzy texture under reef lighting. The saturated green discs pulse gently in low flow and spread steadily over the rock, making this one of the easiest ways to fill open rockwork with living color. Extremely hardy and tolerant of a wide range of conditions — an excellent choice for newer reef-keepers. Aquacultured, tank-adapted, and pest-free.
What it needs to thrive
- Lighting
- Low to moderate — 50–120 PAR. Color deepens under blue-heavy spectrum.
- Flow
- Low to moderate. Strong flow discourages full disc expansion.
- Feeding
- Photosynthetic. Occasional broadcast feeding of fine particulate foods speeds growth and spread.
- Temperament
- Peaceful but a steady spreader — give it room to march across the rock.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ideal Tank Size
- 10 gallons and up.
- Water Parameters
- SG 1.025 · Temp 78°F · Alk 8.0–9.0 dKH · Ca 420–440 ppm · Mg 1350–1400 ppm · NO₃ 2–10 ppm · PO₄ 0.03–0.10 ppm
Lower to mid rockwork with gentle, indirect flow. Give it bare rock to spread across — mushrooms march.
Peaceful to neighbors it cannot reach, but mushrooms expand and creep. Keep a few inches of clearance from slower corals, and isolate on its own rock if you want to control the spread.
Quarantine, dip, and acclimation
Quarantine
Hold all new fish in a bare-bottom 10–20 gallon QT for a minimum of 4 weeks. Observe for flashing, clamped fins, white spots, or breathing changes. Treat preventatively with copper (1.75–2.5 ppm chelated) or tank-transfer method for ich, plus a praziquantel course for flukes. Invertebrates and corals skip QT but go through dip and observation instead.
Recommended coral dip
For every new coral: a 5–10 minute bath in your reef-safe dip of choice (Bayer Complete, CoralRx, or Reef Primer) following label dosage, followed by two clean saltwater rinses. Inspect plugs and bases for flatworms, pyramid snails, and eggs — remove or refrag onto clean plugs before placing in display.
Acclimation
Float sealed bags in your QT or display for 15 minutes to match temperature. Then drip acclimate at 2–4 drops per second for 45–60 minutes until volume has tripled. Net livestock into the tank — never pour shipping water in. Dim the lights for the first 24 hours to reduce stress.