Diminishing mushrooms

hanselldog · 06/25/2006, 11:28 AM

I bought 5 small mushrooms that were attached to a small rock probably 3 months ago. I don't know anything about them. I don't know what type they are. They are not growing and actually seem to be diminishing. I think there are only 3 now - on the small rock. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what they like - lighting, food, etc. I want them to grow - but so far - they have done nothing.

jerehmy · 06/25/2006, 11:53 AM

To Reef Central
as for the "diminishing" your mushrooms may be moving, some mushrooms split some detach from the stem and attach elsewhere. When my green mushrooms detach they sometimes need help to get the attached

Look around your tank for the other 2 and you just might find them

Good Luck

aquawolf · 06/25/2006, 12:46 PM

What kind of lighting are you using for your tank? A lot of times the mushrooms will move from areas of high light to areas of lower light. When they do this you may not realize it until they grow large enough to appear in the cracks between your live rock and such.

I have also heard that they sometimes like water conditions that are "dirtier" than most corals like, but am not sure about that myself.

Keep looking and you may find them in a totally new location after they grow some.

HTH

bertoni · 06/25/2006, 04:32 PM

They do seem to like less intense lighting, IMO. What do you have for lighting in that tank? Also, what about the water parameters?

hanselldog · 06/25/2006, 05:01 PM

Thanks for the replies. My tank is a 150 with 400w halides. I had the rock that the mushrooms were attached to - under a "cliff". I was afraid that the lights were too much. I had to rearrange some rocks in the tank and now I can't find all of the mushrooms. Maybe they will show up sometime in the future. I hope!

dendro982 · 06/26/2006, 07:21 AM

Mine prefer low flow and keeping alkalinity within recommended limits, low light situation.

hanselldog · 06/26/2006, 07:35 AM

The water conditions are perfect - including the alkalinity. The lighting may be the only thing going on with the mushrooms. I wil move them to a shadier area. But one more question - are mushrooms slow growers? Everything else in my tank is very happy (and beautiful).

Thanks.

MarkD40 · 06/26/2006, 08:35 AM

I recently switched from PC to MH. I have many mushrooms and the ones that are most exposed to direct light are not happy. Even the ones in relatively shaded areas are not expanding as much as they used to. Mushrooms like lower light levels. They expand to gather as much light as possible in low light. In bright light they don't need to expand as much to get the light they need so they will stay small and flat against the rockwork. My light loving corals love the increased intensity so it is a trade off.

06/25/2006, 11:28 AM	#1
hanselldog Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 28	Diminishing mushrooms I bought 5 small mushrooms that were attached to a small rock probably 3 months ago. I don't know anything about them. I don't know what type they are. They are not growing and actually seem to be diminishing. I think there are only 3 now - on the small rock. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what they like - lighting, food, etc. I want them to grow - but so far - they have done nothing.

06/25/2006, 11:53 AM	#2
jerehmy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: san diego Posts: 511	*To Reef Central* as for the "diminishing" your mushrooms may be moving, some mushrooms split some detach from the stem and attach elsewhere. When my green mushrooms detach they sometimes need help to get the attached Look around your tank for the other 2 and you just might find them Good Luck __________________ Fish are the best medecine for body and mind Current Tank Info: 55g, 40g, 29gx2, 60g, 10g African Cichlids (Breeders) 40g SW Reef with a 20g sump/refugium 75lbs prime LR Mag 9.5 SCWD and Remora skimmer, 2x96w PC's

06/25/2006, 12:46 PM	#3
aquawolf Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Martin, South Carolina Posts: 343	What kind of lighting are you using for your tank? A lot of times the mushrooms will move from areas of high light to areas of lower light. When they do this you may not realize it until they grow large enough to appear in the cracks between your live rock and such. I have also heard that they sometimes like water conditions that are "dirtier" than most corals like, but am not sure about that myself. Keep looking and you may find them in a totally new location after they grow some. HTH __________________ Most good judgment comes from experience. Most experience comes from bad judgment. Current Tank Info: 75 Reef, CPR CY294, Home Made Refugium, Coralife Aqualight Pro 48" Dual 150 MH / 30 Gallon Sea Horse Tank / 40 Gallon FOWLR

06/25/2006, 04:32 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	They do seem to like less intense lighting, IMO. What do you have for lighting in that tank? Also, what about the water parameters? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/25/2006, 05:01 PM	#5
hanselldog Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 28	diminishing mushrooms Thanks for the replies. My tank is a 150 with 400w halides. I had the rock that the mushrooms were attached to - under a "cliff". I was afraid that the lights were too much. I had to rearrange some rocks in the tank and now I can't find all of the mushrooms. Maybe they will show up sometime in the future. I hope!

06/26/2006, 07:21 AM	#6
dendro982 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 2,963	Mine prefer low flow and keeping alkalinity within recommended limits, low light situation. __________________ Multiple Tank Syndrome: 15g shallow hi light - Xmas tree rocks, nps, sps, clams 6g shallow dark - sun corals collection 5g - sea apples NC12 - tube anemone 20g L - frogfish 125g - filefishes and lion Current Tank Info: 6 BB tanks: NPS, filter feeders and odd fish. LPS, sps and clams too

06/26/2006, 07:35 AM	#7
hanselldog Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 28	diminishing mushrooms The water conditions are perfect - including the alkalinity. The lighting may be the only thing going on with the mushrooms. I wil move them to a shadier area. But one more question - are mushrooms slow growers? Everything else in my tank is very happy (and beautiful). Thanks.

06/26/2006, 08:35 AM	#8
MarkD40 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 647	I recently switched from PC to MH. I have many mushrooms and the ones that are most exposed to direct light are not happy. Even the ones in relatively shaded areas are not expanding as much as they used to. Mushrooms like lower light levels. They expand to gather as much light as possible in low light. In bright light they don't need to expand as much to get the light they need so they will stay small and flat against the rockwork. My light loving corals love the increased intensity so it is a trade off. __________________ My ship came in. Unfortunately it hit a reef. Current Tank Info: 110 gallon reef display tank, fish, LPS, SPS and mushrooms. A 75 gallon sump in basement with protein skimmer, 40watt UV sterilizer, RO/DI, refugium with chaeto, phosban reactor. 40 gallon frag tank.