Mushroom

I'm not sure what kind of mushroom i have but i have had it for about a month and it setteled between a couple rocks and seemed happy growing it seemed right before my eyes.....now the last couple days it had detached itself from the rock and seems to be just kind of flapping around no knowing where to go...is this normal and does it mean it is unhappy with the spot it has been in it still settles down and looks real good sometimes but at others it doesn't and also i have a couple yellow tail damsels that seem to be pestering it...should i just leave it alone or try to move it to a more comfortable spot???

 

when mushroom detach themselves its because they are not happy where they are. I would try finding it a new spot with low flow and low lighting.

 

very true, too high of lighting can kill a muchroom colony.

 

I cover the bottom of my reef with various shrooms. They kinda like it where not much else does.

 

I had this happen a week and half ago with one of my rics. Before it could get destroyed I cut up a fish net, placed the ric in a low flow area, then I lightly placed the net mesh over the ric and used some rock rubble to hold it down. Once the ric attaches to my substrate I will glue the substrate to a piece of liverock. It was very easy to do.

 

you could also place a small cup (i.e. dixie cup, depending upon the size of the mushroom in question) in the bottom of your tank and place some larger peices of substrate or rubble rock in the cup. the sides of the cup will protect the mushroom from too much current until it naturally attaches to the rubble provided. then you could simply glue the rubble/rock to wherever you believe is the proper residence for the mushroom.

 

heres and idea... since you plan on messing with it, why not propagate it? its very simple to do, and could end of with several mushrooms instead of just one.

1:cut the top off (cap)
2:Slice it up like a pie, make sure each piece as part of the stalk because thats its stomach.
3lace them on a rock with some kind of netting/lace holding them down, attach the lace/netting with a rubber band.
4lace in a low light/low flow area of the tank.
5:in 2 weeks time you should have several mushrooms attached to one rock.

Oh yeah, make sure you use SHARP scissors to do this because its less stress on it.

 

I wouldn't frag with scissors as they crush rather than cut. I would use a very sharp exacto knife.

 

How long would it take the whole mushroom to attache if i hold it to a rock with a piece of netting

 

still need to leave it covered at least 2 weeks.