First coral. Hurray! Wait is it dying?

[catalystNfacade]

Do you think the lavender mushroom above is dying or splitting into two? I swear it's growing a second butthole but it's my first coral and I really don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not doing so well, story below. On the other hand, to my completely untrained eye, it also looks like it's splitting in to two mushrooms.

So long story short...my distiller broke a week ago, I unknowingly had a nitrate breakout, and went through surgery and was stuck in bed for the last week because the pain was too great to move. I think there was a third or fourth problem but I don't remember now. I'll update if I recall. UPDATE: my Hanna calcium checker reads 200 no matter what. I was dosing more with each test to get ready for the mushroom. Got annoyed and added a lot of calcium supplement. It still read 200 and I freaked out and did a 30% water change the night before the mushroom arrived. To test my theory I'm going to test the supplement I use straight in the kit.

The nitrates are now under control. It was caused by the after math of a macro algae experiment done in my DIY all in one sump for my 16 gallon tank.

 

[EW_Fish]

Can you take a water sample to a lfs and have the test the cal? I wouldnt worry about dosing it right now with mushrooms just do your water changes.

 

[KrisReef]

IF it splits in two you will have two mushrooms with one mouth each. It doesn't look like it is splitting to me in the picture. I'm not sure what is up with it?

Probably shouldn't put anything else living into the tank until you figure out what is up with your calcium tester. The mushroom should be fine without supplements and only water changes. They don't use calcium like stony corals (making skeleton).

I hope you are feeling better soon. Pain is a challenge. Get some Kratom if you want a natural solution for that issue. I'm not a doctor but I am in pain a lot.

Also, You are fairly new here. Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[HB AL]

Mushrooms are one of the most hardiest corals, unless the tank water's chemistry is horrible i would not worry about the shroom. It looks like it is splitting from what I can tell from a picture.

 

[catalystNfacade]

Can you take a water sample to a lfs and have the test the cal? I wouldnt worry about dosing it right now with mushrooms just do your water changes.

I do need to do a lfs test at some point.

 

[catalystNfacade]

Mushrooms are one of the most hardiest corals, unless the tank water's chemistry is horrible i would not worry about the shroom. It looks like it is splitting from what I can tell from a picture.

I don't think it was splitting (which I was hoping for) or dying. The piece of rock it's attached to has a very thin and sharp top. Since the Fedex guy delivered the box, which clearly had arrows pointing to the top which was on the side, I'm guessing every time it got throw around and the frag landed upside down it cut or bruised the underside of the mushroom a bit. A little annoyed it was shipped like that. Curious if it will heal or that's just how it looks now.