Mushroom Meltdown

mkbtank · 07/05/2007, 06:03 AM

I have had a 120 for 10 years, and during that time, had a mushroom rock (Green/blue striped) that has literally become a massive colony. I'm talking on and under every rock (200+ lbs of rock). Even many with no color since they got no light(I have 2x175MH and 2 Atinics), not to mention many over 6 inches across. The tank has been very stable and the mushrooms open up beautfully. (I have pretty low flow in that tank). Below are two links that show the tank. (This was just after the lights came on so this is with the mushrooms at 1/2 their size)

I say again that this tank has been stable for 10 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_3i2ALjDo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvtAvnBbwWg

So, I went away for a week, had someone watch my tank for me (Who I trust). Fed the tank (Frozen- 1 cube mysis and 1 cube Mix A - Also, very small amy of arctic pods) 2x over the course of the week (I was feeding the day I got home). -

In the tank:

Yellow Tang
Purple Tang
Unicorn Tank
Flame Angel
Brittle Star
4 Ricordia
a million of the aforementioned muchrooms
1 yellow leather
3 frags of pumping leather
yellow polyps
red blastomusa

So, I walk in and 75% of the mushrooms are gone. That's right. Vanished. (Melted is more like).

PH was 7.89 (Low). Temp was fine. Water was a little cloudy. Fish and all other corals were fine.

I did a 35 gallon water change. Next day Shrooms were 90% gone and water was getting cloudoer.

Next day - shrooms were 100 gone, water was cloudier and all else, again, fine. I did another 35 gallon water change since I'm sure my levels must be spiking like crazy.

Today - all shrooms gone. I did a 45 gallon water change.

Nitrates are 20 Bad but not terrible. Amonia is through the roof. I took the leather (Which was finally looking stressed, as well as the ricordia and a blastomusa, and pumping leather and am putting them into my 180 (40 G sump and 75 gallon fuge) for safe keeping. I am thinking that the 120 has a serious cycle to go through for the near future.

Questions:

1)What could have happened to dissolve every single mushroom and not the other corals??? (did she pour a ton of arctic pods in ((Says she didn't))

2)Should I get all fish out (into the 180) as well and throw some damsels in there for the cycle?? (Buy some liquid quick cycle (I forget the name)

It's just amazing to me that after 10 years, they could all vanish literally overnight!

Thanks.

Hobby Experience: 10 years. 120 reef and a 280 reef

plandy · 07/05/2007, 06:19 AM

Well I can only guess on some things. Was your care taker a cigarette smoker? If not has too much carbon dioxide accumulated since your home's air must have stifled in the unventilated, warm, enclosure? Or perhaps your mushroom colony hit a critical mass then crashed. All guesses of course....

mkbtank · 07/05/2007, 07:05 AM

no. no smoke. maybe the critical mass. I have no clue.

ihopss · 07/05/2007, 07:30 AM

Heat,SG first is what i would.

frederickk · 07/06/2007, 07:06 AM

Did you notice that something as died in there?

Frick-n-Frags · 07/06/2007, 07:37 AM

sounds like the chain reaction of something dying and spiking the ammonia. this could have actually started somewhere like 2 weeks ago, so meditate on that whole time period (ie think cycling a tank and the time that takes)

also, you could have just now paid the price for lax maintenance, or definitely like you said, critical mass. tough to tell now that you are in it

you don't have to put anything in the tank as an ammonia source for any kind of cycling. you are already mega-cycling it with all the dead stuff as your more than ample ammonia source.

chaseracing · 07/06/2007, 07:54 AM

Run carbon also just in case there is comething in the water not being detected. It will also help with the smell of a cycling tank.

-=E=-

mkbtank · 07/06/2007, 01:04 PM

Agreed. I did run carbon and have used some spiro bio which was suggested by Bob Fenner.

On the two week note...... I think the cause may have been the fact that I fixed my protien skimmer about 3 weeks ago after it not running (basically) for several months.

07/05/2007, 06:03 AM	#1
mkbtank Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Philadelphia Posts: 1,164	Mushroom Meltdown I have had a 120 for 10 years, and during that time, had a mushroom rock (Green/blue striped) that has literally become a massive colony. I'm talking on and under every rock (200+ lbs of rock). Even many with no color since they got no light(I have 2x175MH and 2 Atinics), not to mention many over 6 inches across. The tank has been very stable and the mushrooms open up beautfully. (I have pretty low flow in that tank). Below are two links that show the tank. (This was just after the lights came on so this is with the mushrooms at 1/2 their size) I say again that this tank has been stable for 10 years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_3i2ALjDo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvtAvnBbwWg So, I went away for a week, had someone watch my tank for me (Who I trust). Fed the tank (Frozen- 1 cube mysis and 1 cube Mix A - Also, very small amy of arctic pods) 2x over the course of the week (I was feeding the day I got home). - In the tank: Yellow Tang Purple Tang Unicorn Tank Flame Angel Brittle Star 4 Ricordia a million of the aforementioned muchrooms 1 yellow leather 3 frags of pumping leather yellow polyps red blastomusa So, I walk in and 75% of the mushrooms are gone. That's right. Vanished. (Melted is more like). PH was 7.89 (Low). Temp was fine. Water was a little cloudy. Fish and all other corals were fine. I did a 35 gallon water change. Next day Shrooms were 90% gone and water was getting cloudoer. Next day - shrooms were 100 gone, water was cloudier and all else, again, fine. I did another 35 gallon water change since I'm sure my levels must be spiking like crazy. Today - all shrooms gone. I did a 45 gallon water change. Nitrates are 20 Bad but not terrible. Amonia is through the roof. I took the leather (Which was finally looking stressed, as well as the ricordia and a blastomusa, and pumping leather and am putting them into my 180 (40 G sump and 75 gallon fuge) for safe keeping. I am thinking that the 120 has a serious cycle to go through for the near future. Questions: 1)What could have happened to dissolve every single mushroom and not the other corals??? (did she pour a ton of arctic pods in ((Says she didn't)) 2)Should I get all fish out (into the 180) as well and throw some damsels in there for the cycle?? (Buy some liquid quick cycle (I forget the name) It's just amazing to me that after 10 years, they could all vanish literally overnight! Thanks. Hobby Experience: 10 years. 120 reef and a 280 reef

07/05/2007, 06:19 AM	#2
plandy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Schenectady, NY Posts: 411	Well I can only guess on some things. Was your care taker a cigarette smoker? If not has too much carbon dioxide accumulated since your home's air must have stifled in the unventilated, warm, enclosure? Or perhaps your mushroom colony hit a critical mass then crashed. All guesses of course.... __________________ Peter Landy Schenectady, NY Recent Returnee to the Marines! 12gl Aquapod New "custom euro" 90 gallon under construction!

07/06/2007, 07:37 AM	#6
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	sounds like the chain reaction of something dying and spiking the ammonia. this could have actually started somewhere like 2 weeks ago, so meditate on that whole time period (ie think cycling a tank and the time that takes) also, you could have just now paid the price for lax maintenance, or definitely like you said, critical mass. tough to tell now that you are in it you don't have to put anything in the tank as an ammonia source for any kind of cycling. you are already mega-cycling it with all the dead stuff as your more than ample ammonia source. __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

07/06/2007, 07:54 AM	#7
chaseracing Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 1,208	Run carbon also just in case there is comething in the water not being detected. It will also help with the smell of a cycling tank. -=E=- __________________ I want my dog's life. Current Tank Info: 150gal RR Oceanic - (3) 250w. ReefLux 12K, (2) 96w PC 50/50, (3) Tunze 6025 modded, (3) Tunze 6045's, ASM G3, MRC-1, Melev F sump/fuge, all run off of an Aquacontroller Jr. Mixed Reef w/ lots of Fish and not enough rock.

07/05/2007, 07:05 AM	#3
mkbtank Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Philadelphia Posts: 1,164	no. no smoke. maybe the critical mass. I have no clue.

07/05/2007, 07:30 AM	#4
ihopss Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Gilmer,tx Posts: 751	Heat,SG first is what i would.

07/06/2007, 07:06 AM	#5
frederickk Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2,712	Did you notice that something as died in there?

07/06/2007, 01:04 PM	#8
mkbtank Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Philadelphia Posts: 1,164	Agreed. I did run carbon and have used some spiro bio which was suggested by Bob Fenner. On the two week note...... I think the cause may have been the fact that I fixed my protien skimmer about 3 weeks ago after it not running (basically) for several months.