Established Mushrooms turning white??

[colcoral]

Help. I have had these mushrooms for several years. They have been prolific. I have given bunches of them away. Now they are slowly turning white. (bleaching) I have a 72 bowfront. My parameters are all normal. I have had my current bulbs for more than a year and have ordered replacements. 250 halide and 2 55 blues. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[jupoc911]

are they covered by the other shrooms at all? mine turn white when they are out of the lights for a while. they always turn back though.

 

[colcoral]

Not really and I have about 5 clumps spread through the tank and they are all affected.

 

[jupoc911]

obviously they are bleached,and nothing more can be done now other than leaving them alone or moving them closer to your light.

 

[colcoral]

It's so weird. I would have thought my zoos would bleach first, nothig else in my tank looks funny. I should have my new bulbs by Friday. Maybe that will help. I did try keeping my halides on a little longer. Thanks for your help...

 

[jupoc911]

didnt even realize you had halides. intense lighting can also cause mushrooms to bleach because the lighting is to strong for them. did they bleach before or after you started to leave the lights on for extended periods of time?

 

[mudplayerx]

Never heard of shrooms bleaching under light that is too intense. Normally mine shrivel and become more intensely-colored when they get too high up on the rocks. Could be though.

 

[jupoc911]

any thing that can stress a coral can cause it to bleach. I would imgaine to strong of lighting along with under lighting can caus ethis.

 

[colcoral]

I have had them under those halides for almost two years with no problems. I have had them on longer but shortened my halide period almost a year ago because of a red slime a. problem. They started out at the bottom of the tank and have done so well reproduced and attached themselves all over. I put a few at the top and they grew really well and floated some babies around too. I am amazed after they have been so prolific.... I'll keep you posted if the new lights help. I was thinking maybe I waited too long to replace my bulbs.

 

[mudplayerx]

My opinion is that your PAR has dropped drastically because of the age of your metal halide bulbs, and the shrooms, being used to the higher PAR have suffered. The reason I don't think that too much light is the cause is because the symbiotic zooxanthellae alage within the tissue of the shrroms would grow more abundant, causing brighter coloring rather than bleaching. The animals shrivel under these circumstances to limit the algae's exposure to the lighting. Too much symbiotic algae in a coral can lead to oxygen poisoning.

 

[colcoral]

That's interesting. I'll keep you posted how they turn out after the new lights.