Green toadstool: Shedding or dying?

[Thumbster]

Did a search, and for as many posts about toadstools as there are, I didn’t see any pics or descriptions matching mine.

I got this green toadstool a couple weeks ago. It was open at the time. I put it on the sandbed for a week and it didn’t open and looked like it was getting covered in diatoms. I moved it midway up the rocks to get some more light and flow and the next day noticed it looked like it was shedding. It has shed most of the brown off the top in this pic.

I’ve never had a toadstool before so I’m not sure what it’s doing. It does seem to tilt its head throughout the day. Tank has been running a couple of months.

I’m running two fluval 3.0 lights on a 40 breeder and guessing it’s getting between 50-100 par in this spot. I’ve got two Jebao SOW-8’s on opposite sides of the tank for flow along with a 220gph hob filter.

35ppt
5-10 nitrates
0-ish phosphate (closer to 0 than .25 on api)
0 ammonia
78°
360 calcium (starting to use Kalkwasser)
8 alkalinity

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

that looks like tissue is dying

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

You will need a better test kit than API for phosphate. Leathers like slightly 'dirtier' water, should not be 0 phosphate, nitrates of 5-10 is borderline low. PAR of 50 to me seems very low, mine is directly under AI16 set at 75%, and its still reaching up towards the light. They also like flow, I would consider your flow on the lower side compared to my tanks.

Yours does not look very healthy, but it can still recover at this point if you can figure out whats making it unhappy.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

blow it off with a turkey baster, it will remove the sluffing and dead tissue

 

[Matt Bravo]

I don’t think it’s shedding since normally shedding gives it a “glossy” look on top
There appears to be some dead tissue however, how much flow do you have it in?

 

[Dbichler]

Looks like it’s dying and probably from 0 phosphates I would razor blade the entire top cap off and hope it doesn’t spread underneath the cut.

 

[Thumbster]

Ok thanks. I moved it up into even higher light and flow.

The brown skin rubbed off by touching it. The toadstool top and base felt firm. Top kind of felt like a cows tongue. It didn’t smell, crumble or feel slimy.

It’s six inches directly under one of my lights now so I’ll see how it does there.

Not sure how to describe how much flow it was, and is getting now. On the sandbed the flow is probably too much for the torch that I have there and on the rock where it was, it blows my clownfish away. There’s 15x turnover rate in my tank from wave makers and the filter.

Also forgot to mention, the toadstool is about an inch tall. Probably can’t tell that from the picture.

 

[Thumbster]

I’m assuming it likes the stronger lighting and flow on the top of the rocks. I’m a little surprised because from what I’ve read it’s not that picky.
I came home this afternoon and saw this. This is the most it has extended since I got it. Hopefully it continues in this direction.

 

[Thumbster]

And a couple months later it’s looking good. I added some Noo-Psyche lights to my tank in addition to my fluvals and moved the toadstool back closer to the sandbed.

I rented a par meter and It was getting close to 300 par on the top of the rocks! I moved it back down and it’s getting 170 now. It seemed to be fine at 300 though.

 

[Matt Bravo]

So did you find out what the issue was?

 

[exnisstech]

Leathers can do some strange things sometimes.

 

[Thumbster]

So did you find out what the issue was?

Just guessing but I think the new tank made it mad but it perked right up when I moved it.
Honestly I put it in the brightest spot in my tank and directly in front of a powerhead as punishment and to my surprise, it started taking off out of spite I believe.