Unlike other corals, the Toadstool Leather doesn't have any hard exoskeletons like large polyped and small polyped stony corals. If provided with ample amount of light, good filtration and moderate flow, the Toadstool Leather adapts well to aquarium conditions. The Toadstool Leather is also called ?octocorals? because of the presence of eight tentacles on individual polyps. The Toadstool Leather needs a brightly lit area where it can manufacture its food through photosynthesis. The zooxanthellae host Toadstool Leather and manufacture food using light energy. It also requires moderate water flow that clears the waste products away from the Toadstool Leather and delivers complementary planktonic foods that float in the water. The Toadstool Leather releases toxins into aquarium from time to time, as these toxins inhibit the growth of some delicate corals. But proper chemical filtration can lessen this effect on hard coral growth. The Toadstool Leather thrives well in a temperature range of 72-78 degree Fahrenheit, and pH of 8.1-8.4. Additional supplements of trace elements such as strontium, iodine, etc. have proved beneficial in its continued growth. The Toadstool Leather has a unique feature of self-cleaning mechanism that keeps out harmful algae from growing on its surface. This coral closes up or retracts while forming a mucus layer, which later gets shed and should be removed in order to maintain pristine water quality. It is very easy to propagate the Toadstool Leather in captivity by simply cutting its frags, which makes it a great coral for a beginner aquarist.