Got this for free, what is it ?

[underwaterdan]

I bought a fish from a frag tank at the lfs it was hard for them to catch and this came with him in the bag. It's about the size of a dime at most. What is it? Can I add it to my tank?

 

[ReefMadScientist]

Looks like a small mushroom. I would add it.

 

[underwaterdan]

Its obviously not on a plug. Anything I need to do, or just try and find a low flow spot for him or crazy glue him someplace?

 

[ReefMadScientist]

Its obviously not on a plug. Anything I need to do, or just try and find a low flow spot for him or crazy glue him someplace?

Depends on where you want it. If you have a rock you want it on, you can kill the flow for 15 minutes or so and wedge him into a nice groove. He should attach.

I am not a big fan of superglue with mushrooms. It's unnecessary.

 

[TheEngineer]

Looks like a mushroom to me too. You can use a dab of glue on the bottom and secure it to a piece of LR rubble. Careful, some mushrooms go nuts and grow like crazy.

 

[underwaterdan]

I haven't studied up much on mushrooms. High light or keep them low in the tank. How much and how fast can I expect this to grow?

 

[TheEngineer]

Most are low light low flow. Sandbed. Depends on the shroom. Some grow crazy fast, but others don't. It's a good beginner coral. They are very forgiving.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

I haven't studied up much on mushrooms. High light or keep them low in the tank. How much and how fast can I expect this to grow?

Mushrooms are very hardy and forgiving. As for the light, the reason why I refuse to supeglue mushrooms is because mine will move and find their own spot. I would place yours in low-to-mid flow and see how he acts. If it does not like it, it will move.

 

[WetWhistle]

Hard to accurately tell from the pic because it is out of water but it looks like a Actinodiscus (Discosoma) mushroom. The old common name was pinwheel or green striped. Most like moderate to low light and low to medium flow. In time some can be acclimated to higher light.

 

[underwaterdan]

Great. Thanks for everyone's help. He's been added to what I believe is an appropriate part of my tank. My first "coral" for my tank and it was a freebie. I've learned that's very rare in this overly expensive and addictive hobby!

 

[robandoban]

+1 on the green stripey. I have a few in my tank.

 

[justjes45]

Lucky you!!

 

[Purple Platapus]

Do you know the hole-y cup method? If you do, do it.

If not, here it is:
Take a reef-safe cup, plastic or otherwise, doesn't matter, and cut some slots/holes on the sides. Fill it about halfway with LR rubble, and put the little shroom in. Make sure water can flow in and through the cup but cannot lift the shroom out of it. Put it in a lower flow and lighting area. The shroom should attatch itself with a few weeks or so.

 

[underwaterdan]

Thanks. I didn't know this and used crazy glue. By morning my cleanup crew had removed it somehow! Now I can't find it. Oh well easy come easy go.

 

[DeniseAndy]

You may find it later. Superglue I never find works on any shroom or leather. They just secrete too much and it does not hold. Hope it appears again one day.

 

[underwaterdan]

Thanks!

 

[Pete polyp]

You may find it later. Superglue I never find works on any shroom or leather. They just secrete too much and it does not hold. Hope it appears again one day.

I agree with this. More than likely it found a crevasse in a rock somewhere and will turn up in the future.

 

[underwaterdan]

I hope so. I know it grows fast and I might regret this but I liked the look of it!