Heater Accident - Mushrooms nearly transparent

[mc2e]

Our heater short-circuited, over heated the water and killed all but our fish and the mushrooms.
Before the accident, the mushrooms were an amazing purple with iridescent green dots. After the accident, they became nearly transparent and have been that way for about 3 months.
I removed the heater & did drastic water changes and continue frequent changes. Water is now 76-77 degrees, instead of 80 and the water quality is reef-tank perfect. Lighting is bright and there is good current, but that has never been a problem before. The mushrooms "relocated" themselves to suitable spots away from strong currents and brighter lights . . . before the heater problem. (I will not use heaters again.)
The mushrooms seem healthy, but not thriving like before. I'm wondering if they are missing some type of organism like zooxanthellae algae. If so, would introducing some new mushrooms help the older ones to regain any missing algae and to thrive like before?
Thank you,
mc^2

 

[saxman]

Sorry about your loss. Unfortunately, heaters always seem to fail in the "on" position, which is why I don't run them at all if I can help it, but if I do run them, I use them with a separate temp controller of some type.
Your shrooms likely did expell their zooxanthellae, but there's not really much you can do but hope there are enuff "locally" in your tank for them to replace them. However, you can make sure you feed them a bit more in the interim to keep them going. FWIW, I had a couple of bleached BTA's (they had been dyed yellow) that were given to me and they turned around for me and became green BTA's, so it is possible your shrooms will survive.
Good luck.