Trying a shroom for the first time in 20 years
 

I splurged. And of course the rascal slipped off his plug and landed upside down.

On the other hand, my memory of dealing with shrooms is that they go where they like, so I figure I just let him solve it his way. He has light, he has flow, he just is upside down under a small and reasonably light piece of rubble base.

Chances of him solving his own problem seem high. Changes of me dropping him into an irretrievable area of the rockwork seem higher. So hands off for a bit.

Two days later, the little shroom is beginning to maneuver out from under, so I have some hope he will make it. I absolutely cannot reach where he is without danger of worse.

By today it was evident by his movement (they're real slow) that he wasn't picking the best way out, or that his 'mouth', the center of the disk, was somehow not passing the obstacle of the small pebble atop him.

So I a) cut off the main pump, b) cut off the gyre pump c) got the tallest ladder that can deal with this tank, and got the kitchen tongs, a simple, hand-friendly pair without complications, and with a fairly simple business end, because that slot is narrow.

With water movement stopped, the fact my light kit lifts with the lid made less problem. A lantern set to the side gave me lumination, and with the canopy lid up, I could move the glass section and still manage it---it's a lovely tank, but is 36" deep and has a 10" lid, so reaching down in to handle a small shroom takes some doing. And kitchen tongs. Main thing in a job like that is something that won't crush or lose the object.

I managed to turn him. I THINK i've got him in a better position and right side up in the narrow crack where he's lodged, and IF he is free he can position himself where he wants to be, ie, they're phototropic (light seeking) but not when the light is too strong. We'll see whether he can do it from here. But at least he doesn't have the scale-equivalent of a boulder sitting on his back. He's a very colorful but very small fellow, and I sure hope he makes it.

Shrooms are pretty hardy. As long as it's not being blasted by current and super strong lighting, it'll be fine.

THey are. A discosoma can survive a full-blown cycle. Of course it's the really unusual ones that are unusual because they die more often... Still hoping for this guy, however.

How's the little feller doing?

Sounds like a trip ;)

Alas, he bailed and went off into the rockwork, irretreivable. Sigh.