Mushroom coral looks like it is ripped apart

[MikeP]

New to the whole reef world so please bear with me. 30 gallon tank 2 55watt PC lighting, protein skimmer, 16 lbs of rock. I recently (2 weeks ago) bought some mushroom coral the rock has about 7 pieces on it(they look like Hairy colored mushrooms)
1 and now a 2nd piece seems to be ripped apart and now has floated around in the tank. Is this normal for them to recolonize or is this coral meeting its maker, 2 fish in the tank (2 gobies)
thats it and they don't go near it.
Thanks for your assistance. Great discussion board you have here!!!

[Brooke]

Hi Mike-

It could be that they just became unattached in the move to your tank. If you can catch the other floating ones, put them on a rock in low current area and they should attach.

Are the mushrooms that are on the rock open or shriveled looking? Do you have them in high or low current?

Mushrooms are hardy, but they can take a few days to adjust to your tank. I'm sure they will be fine.

HTH-
Brooke

[ylmaya]

It took my mushrooms a few weeks to adjust to my tank - several did move over to other rocks. They definitely don't like current - and actually - since I added some extra light have opened much wider than before. Mushrooms are a great addition to the reef tank since they are so hardy....especially since they aren't too picky about light....Give them some time.....and try to place the "floaters" on a rock where there is LOW current. Good luck

[OodleyBoodely]

definately look those floaties over. If they are actually 'shredded' instead of whole, disk-shaped, then you may have a hitchhiker in your live rock that is munching on them. At any rate, even little pieces will regenerate into whole new 'shrooms. Just do asBrooke and ylmaya suggested or you can place the frags in a cup of sand or shell frag and place on the bottom of your tank. After a couple weeks even a small fragment will attach to the shell and start growing. If you do have a hitchhiker, crab most likely, get it out because if it will eat 'shrooms, it will eat everything else you put in there.

[Doug1]

Once shrooms settle in they can become weeds, even if you cut them off the rock they will grow back