Mushrooms not doing so well

[Nolimdien]

This one was fine when I bought it and then a couple months later it started to look like it was bleaching in a small area. The small area grew over a week or so and stopped and hasn't gotten any more or less color from then.

I also have another mushroom in the tank that I have had for about 8 months and it hasn't grown at all.

I haven't tested the tank in a couple weeks since every time I do test it I get the same results and when I take the water to my LFS they get the same results. Test results are always fine and I do water changes once every week to two weeks.

It's in a 9 gallon tank with a compact fluro light. I dose Iodine a few times per week and dose calcium when I need to.



Any ideas what is wrong with the mushrooms in my tank? Semi-bleaching with no sign of improvement and no growth whatsoever.
All of this while having a ricordia in the tank that had quadrupled in size in 2 months and spit out a baby ric that's growing fine.

[Nolimdien]

Bump

[ihavtats29]

need water parims....

[BadRoma1]

I know exactly what's wrong. it's your light. ricordias do just fine under them, however many mushrooms won't do good, and eventually rot away

[Jflip2002]

Originally posted by BadRoma1
I know exactly what's wrong. it's your light. ricordias do just fine under them, however many mushrooms won't do good, and eventually rot away

Without water perams you absolutely dont know exactly whats wrong. Ricordias typically need more light than the average shroom, which could explain the ric's growth. But I really dont see how CFL's would bleach out ANYTHING. I guess it is possible though. Post some exact perams, and some pros could point you towards the right direction.

[Nolimdien]

Okay just did some tests:
Ammonia - 0mg/L
Nitrate - 5mg/L
Phosphate - 0.5mg/L
Calcium - 500mg/L
PH - 8.1
Temp - 78F
Salinity - 1.023

[Vapour1ze]

params look good,,,, whens the last time uve changed ur bulbs?

[Nolimdien]

I changed it recently, I'd say 2-3 months ago.

I used to have a hammer, a frogspawn, and an elegance in it. All of those corals grew amazingly well and outgrew the tank. I had to start a new larger tank for them and left the smaller corals in this one, and these mushrooms aren't growing at all.

[maroun.c]

how high is your tank?
I had mushromms become uch whiter than this and in my case it was due to one of 2 things lighting and or very high alk and ca
as your ca is a bit on the high side check alk maybe its the same as in my tank.
One other thing is that i woulnd't does iodine a few times in such a small water volume as overdosing is very easy especially that you can't test for it. any specific reason for doing so? if not I would cut back on teh iodine dosing.

[Nolimdien]

How high is my tank or how high is the mushroom in my tank?

The mushroom is I'd say about 10" away from the light. I'm pretty sure it's 12 watts with a while and a blue in the compact fluro.

I dose the iodine because the mushrooms weren't growing to begin with. The books I have on corals as well as my LFS said that they see results from iodine dosing. I dose according to the back of the bottle. I have only recently started dosing though, about a month ago or so.

[carlisimo1969]

I wish I could give you some, I'm over-run with em!

[Nolimdien]

That'd be great, but I would still want them to grow and now just sit there unchanged for months!

[seagirl]

i'm with you Nolimdien, i can grow rics and lps do fine but i've had 3 purple shrooms and 1 red one that haven't grown in a year and a half. lighting with T5's. I've tried shaded, full lights, partial light, still nothing.

[Vapour1ze]

weird.... ive been wanting to get some shrooms for my 29, but having pcs, im unsure about it now, ive heard there easy to manage.

[Nolimdien]

I've heard and read the same from everyone I've talked to and every book I've read, which is why I come here for some answers because something's not right.

[Nolimdien]

Originally posted by seagirl
i'm with you Nolimdien, i can grow rics and lps do fine but i've had 3 purple shrooms and 1 red one that haven't grown in a year and a half. lighting with T5's. I've tried shaded, full lights, partial light, still nothing.

Yeah, man. I've done the same thing with my purple ones since I've had them. I've tried everything I can think of to get results from them...

It really makes me question my reefing ability. If I can't grow the "easiest" coral around should I even bother with the other stuff?

[blumarlin]

Ok, guys, I've got a question for ya. I have a ricordia that is attached to a chili coral base. The chili comes alive @ nite & the ricordia starts feeding late in the afternoon.
I know the the ricordia needs more light & the chili needs less light.

Why did the ricordia make his way to the chili (opposites attract?)

The question is: how can I move the ricordia from the chili w/out harming either of them? Help please

[Nolimdien]

Does anyone have ideas about what to do here?

[maroun.c]

Nolimdien
Not saying that this is the case in here however sometimes some corals just don't make it in some tanks for no apparaent reasons. Many people have multiple tanks with very successful corals wether Softies SPS and LPS and can't keep xenia or mushrooms or even GSP alive. I have been trying to get Caulerpa to grow properly for the last 5-6 yeras and I can barely keep it alive with mminimal growth...
still its very early to come to such conclusion in your tank.
One thing I would try is to eleveate the mushroom a bit higher and see how it reacts. maybe try feeding it a bit and see if it has a feeding response?
once again I would stop the iodine additions at least till you get a confirmation (maybe in the chemistry forum) to continue dosing iodine a few times a week in a 9 G tank whcih I doubt should be done.
Blumarlin the ricordia did not make it's choice on the chilli it just attaches to whatever is near it's foot and that's how they spread. you could always try using a scalpel to shave it off the rock without injuring it too much or the chilli. Worst case scenario in case you injur it is that you endup with 2 muchrooms as thats how they frag them

[Bri Guy]

Whats your alkalinity?

Id bump the salinity up to 1.025