Discosoma mushrooms are flat, disc-shaped polyps on a short stalk, usually 2–8 cm across. They come in green, blue, red, purple and striped or spotted forms, and many named colour forms are traded. Placement: bottom to middle rockwork. Place them lower in the tank under strong lighting. Light and flow: moderate or lower light and low to medium flow. Too much light or flow makes them shrink. Water and supplements: iodine, strontium and trace elements. They are hardy and tolerate less-than-perfect water. Naming: LiveAquaria sells them as Actinodiscus; most authorities now treat Actinodiscus as a synonym of Discosoma. Growth: under the right conditions they multiply and spread quickly. Aquacultured pieces are available. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/assorted-colored-mushroom-coral). Checked October 2026.
Diet
Partly photosynthetic. They also take up dissolved nutrients and fine particulate food; occasional micro-plankton or brine shrimp fed to each mushroom helps.
Breeding
Easy: mushrooms split by themselves. To propagate, cut a mushroom into halves or quarters through the mouth with a scalpel and leave the pieces in a container with rubble in low flow until they attach.
Compatibility and tank mates
Semi-aggressive: they can crowd and sting nearby corals and sessile invertebrates, so leave space.
Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.
About Aquatic-Auctions
Aquatic-Auctions (aquatic-auctions.com) is a UK online marketplace for aquarium and pond livestock and equipment: tropical and marine fish, corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates, aquatic plants, tanks, filtration, lighting and food.
Items are sold by auction, buy it now or classified advert, by hobbyist and business sellers in the UK.
Buyers pay sellers directly; Aquatic-Auctions does not hold the money. Hobbyist sellers must offer PayPal and may also take cash on collection. Business sellers take PayPal (required) or cash on collection, and bank transfer only once they have a seller rating of 50 out of 100, a company and pet-selling licence checked by Aquatic-Auctions, a bank account in the company's name, and bank details approved by Aquatic-Auctions.
Buyers are told to pay by PayPal Goods & Services, never PayPal Friends and Family, gift cards or crypto.
Live fish and other vertebrates must be sent by specialist live-animal couriers (for example APC Overnight or DX Express), never by Royal Mail. Some invertebrates and plants may go by Royal Mail Special Delivery or 1st Class within its rules.
Banned and invasive species (for example those on the GB invasive species lists) cannot be listed, and sellers must meet the site’s animal welfare standards.
Members must be 16 or over to buy (16 and 17-year-olds with a parent or guardian’s agreement); sellers must be 18 or over.
Business sellers show their address, company details and pet-selling licence to buyers. Seller ratings run from 0 to 100: +1 for each positive feedback, −1 for each negative.
The site includes a free community species wiki with care guides (water parameters, tank size, diet, temperament, breeding).
Aquatic-Auctions is run by Etavonni Tech Limited trading as Aquatic-Auctions (company number 10204188), Aldershot, Hampshire, UK. Contact: info@aquatic-auctions.com.