Mushrooms not opening

Evenfall · 01/05/2008, 01:59 PM

I have had flatworms in my main tank for several months but they were not harming anything so I did not actively try and eliminate them until recently.

The display tank is 90g with a 20g sump and 10g refugium.

Three weeks ago I added flatwork exit to the tank to get rid of the flatworms. This worked! I ran 10lbs of activaed carbon via a canister filter (not normally on the tank) and performed two partial water changers after the treatment. The first about two hours after and the second the next day. Both times replacing 40g of water.

Within two or three days all was back to normal with the exception of a rock of mushroom coral. After two weeks none of the mushrooms has opened so I moved the rock to a 70g tank I use for isolation. It has now been about 10 days since moving to this tank and they still have not opened. I do not know what is wrong which is why I am posting here.

Below are the water parameters in the isolation tank:

Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
PH - 8.27 (meter reading and chemical tests)
Calcium - 400
Alkalinity - 8 - 9
Magnesium - 1200
Salinity - 1.025

The placement while in the display aquarium has been the same place for almost a year. (near bottom with 2 - 250watt MH & 4 - 54watt HO)

While in the isolation tank I have tried bottom and middle middile placement. This tank uses 4 - 54 watt HO bulbs)

Prior to the flatworm exit this is what the mushrooms looked like when open.

Now three+ weeks after flatworm exit treatment they look like this still.

Does anyone have any ideas what could be happening? Are they toast?

Rustylugnuts · 01/05/2008, 02:09 PM

They're not happy for sure but I've seen worse perk right up.

zotzer · 01/05/2008, 02:56 PM

Did you move where they reside in the tank? Could they be in a higher flow area? This would make them unhappy.

They still look alive though. Very resilient creatures, they are!

Tracy

Evenfall · 01/05/2008, 03:05 PM

They are in a low flow area of the tank.

rmw4547 · 01/05/2008, 03:15 PM

check your PO4.

Evenfall · 01/05/2008, 04:04 PM

I forgot that one. I performed a phosphate test last night of both aquariums and they are both at 0.0.

cabenin · 01/05/2008, 04:26 PM

Is the water much clearer after running that amount of carbon. Perhaps they do not like the increased light- just a thought

James983 · 01/05/2008, 04:38 PM

I think cabenin is on track. I did something very similar in the past and stressed out many of my corals. The instructions on the carbon may warn of of just that also. I read mine afterwards. Duh! Your shrooms don't look that bad though, give them some time.

Evenfall · 01/05/2008, 04:56 PM

I have to disagree with the extra light theory. Even if that was the case initially they have been moved to an aquarium with a third of the light they originally had and no carbon is in use on this tank.

coralreefer2110 · 01/05/2008, 05:11 PM

Not that I am proud to admit this, but several of my mushrooms have been through quite a bit. They do come back but it does take time. If your parameters are good, give it time and the lesson I learned is to avoid messing with them if possible. Good luck.

01/05/2008, 01:59 PM	#1
Evenfall Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: El Paso Posts: 16	Mushrooms not opening I have had flatworms in my main tank for several months but they were not harming anything so I did not actively try and eliminate them until recently. The display tank is 90g with a 20g sump and 10g refugium. Three weeks ago I added flatwork exit to the tank to get rid of the flatworms. This worked! I ran 10lbs of activaed carbon via a canister filter (not normally on the tank) and performed two partial water changers after the treatment. The first about two hours after and the second the next day. Both times replacing 40g of water. Within two or three days all was back to normal with the exception of a rock of mushroom coral. After two weeks none of the mushrooms has opened so I moved the rock to a 70g tank I use for isolation. It has now been about 10 days since moving to this tank and they still have not opened. I do not know what is wrong which is why I am posting here. Below are the water parameters in the isolation tank: Nitrate - 0 Nitrite - 0 Ammonia - 0 PH - 8.27 (meter reading and chemical tests) Calcium - 400 Alkalinity - 8 - 9 Magnesium - 1200 Salinity - 1.025 The placement while in the display aquarium has been the same place for almost a year. (near bottom with 2 - 250watt MH & 4 - 54watt HO) While in the isolation tank I have tried bottom and middle middile placement. This tank uses 4 - 54 watt HO bulbs) Prior to the flatworm exit this is what the mushrooms looked like when open. Now three+ weeks after flatworm exit treatment they look like this still. Does anyone have any ideas what could be happening? Are they toast?

01/05/2008, 02:09 PM	#2
Rustylugnuts Powdered Toast Man Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 813	They're not happy for sure but I've seen worse perk right up. __________________ And now back to my regularly scheduled lurking. Drill It! Current Tank Info: Buncha parts and tanks of various size. Nothing currently running :(

01/05/2008, 04:56 PM	#9
Evenfall Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: El Paso Posts: 16	I have to disagree with the extra light theory. Even if that was the case initially they have been moved to an aquarium with a third of the light they originally had and no carbon is in use on this tank. Last edited by Evenfall; 01/05/2008 at 05:03 PM.

01/05/2008, 05:11 PM	#10
coralreefer2110 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 597	Not that I am proud to admit this, but several of my mushrooms have been through quite a bit. They do come back but it does take time. If your parameters are good, give it time and the lesson I learned is to avoid messing with them if possible. Good luck. __________________ That coral? No honey, I haven't bought anything new, that has been there for a long time....

01/05/2008, 02:56 PM	#3
zotzer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 346	Did you move where they reside in the tank? Could they be in a higher flow area? This would make them unhappy. They still look alive though. Very resilient creatures, they are! Tracy

01/05/2008, 03:05 PM	#4
Evenfall Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: El Paso Posts: 16	They are in a low flow area of the tank.

01/05/2008, 03:15 PM	#5
rmw4547 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: ny Posts: 119	check your PO4.

01/05/2008, 04:04 PM	#6
Evenfall Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: El Paso Posts: 16	I forgot that one. I performed a phosphate test last night of both aquariums and they are both at 0.0.

01/05/2008, 04:26 PM	#7
cabenin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: ct Posts: 420	Is the water much clearer after running that amount of carbon. Perhaps they do not like the increased light- just a thought

01/05/2008, 04:38 PM	#8
James983 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,223	I think cabenin is on track. I did something very similar in the past and stressed out many of my corals. The instructions on the carbon may warn of of just that also. I read mine afterwards. Duh! Your shrooms don't look that bad though, give them some time.