Have I killed it? Toadstool mushroom

[Lemon Demon]

I'm new to corals and only recently bought a few for my 3 year old ten gallon tank.

I've had this toadstool for a week and it looks terrible. It has shrunk and keeps getting smaller everyday. I've read that they are temperamental and go through phases that can look like they are dying. I touched it to see if it was squishy and seems pretty firm with no bad smell at all.

But on the back there are hard black things and I have no idea what they are.

Can anyone advise me on what next steps to take?

Photos are of the back where the black stuff is and before (when I got it) and after (currently what it looks like)

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Its dying, it looks like from lack of light and lack of flow. Do you know what kind of light you have? Do you have a powerhead in the tank?

 

[Lemon Demon]

Its dying, it looks like from lack of light and lack of flow. Do you know what kind of light you have? Do you have a powerhead in the tank?

Hi, thank you for replying.

I have Nicrew 20 watt lights that are 85 PAR at 12 inches but I would estimate that the toadstool is only about 8 inches from it. I have it at 90% blue and 10% white with dawn and dusk settings.

I don't have a powerhead but I do have it sitting very near to the output of the filter which makes it sway just a tad. I do have a skimmer as well that helps create flow.

I did test the water today after doing a 4 gallon water change. Phosphate is higher than it should be I think, and the same with nitrate. This has always been a struggle to get under control with it being such a small tank.

I'm changing the media in the skimmer everyday and have Purigen Organic Filtration Resin in the filter to try to reduce nitrates.

Is there any saving it? I do know that when I got it it already had one of those small hard black places on it but there are more since I got it.

 

[Lemon Demon]

This is what it looks like today. Should I pull the plug? I just don't know what to do for it. Basting it makes it sadder and nothing comes off.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

As mentioned, it needs higher light and more flow. Flow meaning constant water movement. Move it up closer to the light, as close as possible, not on the sand

Why pull the plug and kill it? If you cannot add a powerhead and move it up at least, then give it away. Its alive and well, it just needs light and flow, no need for it to die.

 

[Uncle99]

It just looks unhappy to me.
Some Leathers can take a month to get happy, and if you touch or move it, back to unhappy for a week.

The love flow, it keeps them clean.

Give him more time. It is really hard to actually kill this coral, but, get flow running on it, random flow best.

 

[Tamberav]

Don't pull it out... it will melt when it is dead. It isn't dead, it is unhappy though.

Nitrate and PO4 are not the problem, they NEED good flow though, otherwise they can't shed properly and a filter is not going to provide enough.

Add a powerhead or two depending on tank size.

 

[stE25wy14]

i would get a powerhead

 

[exnisstech]

I say don't give up until it's mush. Also every time you touch it or move it it's like a reset and it starts pouting all over again. I almost pulled my large toadstool after it curled up for over a month during its last shed. It looked pathetic. When it came back it is bigger than ever which is probably why the shed took so long.
The little one on the bottom below is what is left of a 4" yellow that I added 3 years ago . It just did terrible no matter where I placed it. This remaining piece is maybe 1.5" but it's coming back. Of all the tanks I've had it in it prefers my acro tank. Nutrients are very low but it gets blasted with light and flow which tells me those or more important than higher nutrients. Speculation on my part of course.
The piece above it is from another one that started tearing and this piece was just hanging off so I cut it and tossed it in a tray of rubble and now it's turning into a nice little piece.