whats it look like when a mushroom is reproducing?

[Fishward]

hey everyone,
My mushroom just sorta popped off the stem it was attached to my rock with and moved over a few cms. is that how it reproduces? the stem turns into another polyp and the old one re-attaches somewhere? or is this a bad sign?

[bvlester]

Hi,
I am kind of new with shums, but I do know if there is even a little piece left where it was a new shrum will grow. I would think it is good sign, because you will have a new shrum. The old shrum may have moved because it wanted different water flow or less light. criters who knows why they do what they do?

Bill

[Bloodasp]

That's one way it would.

[ScubaSteve]

Yup, they can propagate from flesh left behind. I have a 3" watermelon mushroom that seems to move a little bit every other week across my rock and wherever its foot was attached a new shroom sprouts. I have probably got 3 new mushrooms this months alone because of that (to the point where I almost want to start getting rid of some).

Earlier this month, about 3 weeks ago, I cut off a mushroom that was bothering some paly's and I thought I had got all of the flesh off; today there is a new little mushroom. I swear the shrooms in my tank are like that broom in Fantasia that keeps dividing into a million copies of itself.

[Fishward]

hahah.. i know exactly the scene you're talking about.. I knew they are a risk for over-reproduction, but since this is my first tank and don't plan on having it for more than a year or two before upgrading i figured i would try to get some experience with as many species as possible.. looks like i just learned something about my mushroom...