How big?

[gareth.hubbarde]

Thought I would ask, how big can this coral get, it's a leather something or other. It seems pretty healthy, it even survived being in the tank during cycling. Am just wondering about size, and what to do if it gets too big.

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[Ron Reefman]

It looks like a leather coral, probably a toadstool leather.

They can get very big. I had one that was 14" tall and 8" in diameter at the top.

When it gets bigger than you want, you frag it. They are super easy to cut with any sharp blade or even good scissors. When cut they will slim like crazy so have a container of extra saltwater to put it in for awhile after you cut it. The cuts are slow to heal and leathers are very slow to attach to frag plugs or rock. Many people use a variety of methods for holding them in place while they attach. I use a big sewing needle and sailcloth tread and put 1 or 3 loops through the coral and around the rock or frag plug.

You could try trimming a piece off it now while it's still small. The mother colony could stay in the tank and heal there. It only takes a week or two to heal over, after a couple of months you'll be lucky if you can see where it was cut.

Have fun.

 

[ckw_1980]

They get huge. Just had to take mine back to the shop because it was shading a huge part of the tank. Not pretty enough for that much tank coverage in my opinion

 

[cincyjim]

I have a Toadstool Mushroom very similar to that. It is one of my favorite corals. Mine is about 5 years old and is about 6" inches in diameter. I figure it is about half way to full growth. They are fun to watch as they sway back and forth in the current. Mine just dropped a baby about the size of pea which is now attached to the same rock as it. So far it is doing well and we'll see how that goes.

 

[fishchef]

Really big. One of the first corals I ever bought, back in 2000 something. Got out of the Hobby last year. The 2 Toadstools were 12 inches across, looked cool, but did cause problems with shading in our 125.

 

[IdahoCindy]

Looks like a devil's hand or similar leather. They get huge but don't leave the rock so if it gets too big for your liking you can take the entire rock out. It will drop pieces that will attach elsewhere if you let them but they are easy to retrieve before they do that. I take mine to the LFS for $5 each credit. It won't do much shading if you keep it at the bottom of the tank. They do like lots of flow.

 

[scooter31707]

Yes, they do get big. I use mines as an umbrella for the corals that need low to shaded light like some of my chalices and favias.