Help My Purple Mushrooms Are Taking Over!!!!

N

nyyanks514

Guest
A while ago I put a single purple musroom in my tank. It soon split to 2, and now, 2 years later, I have more than I can count. Some are tiny, like 1/4" but others are almost 4 or 5 inches in diameter!! They are choking out my other corals and stinging my ricordia to death. They are really adherent to the rocks, so its not so easy to just pluck them and give them to a LFS. Anyone have any ideas how to control this problem???? :help:
 

chris s

Member
the only way that I could even possibly come up with is to dip the mushroom part of the live rock in freshwater. Then set up a seperate tank of salt water and put them in there where I would guess they would die. When the shroom is dead and gone put the rock back into the tank. Or you could just take sissors and cut them off at the bass. I am pretty sure the they will die this way though. Or you could try to inject a large amout of freshwater into them with a needle. Or if you wanted to sell them, get a hammer and bust the rocks apart and sell them to buy new LR. Well try whatever you want and let me know how it goes. I am kind of curious about the freshwater injection thing. Thanks, hope i helped.
 

stuckinfla

Active Member
Kalk is what will kill them, not freshwater. Cutting them at the base is a bad choice also. Any part that remains on rock will grow 1,2 or even 3 new ones. If the rocks they are on are small, trade them at the store, or if you dont mind, break up the rock like suggested. I would'nt kill them though...I try to save everything!!
 

stuckinfla

Active Member
Kalkwasser Mix. Its a calcium addative. Its in powder form. You can also get pickling lime at wal-mart for same effect. I think its pickling lime:notsure:
 
N

nyyanks514

Guest
Im definately thinking of trading what I can, but some of the other shrooms are on rocks that id rather not destroy. Anyone know if "Kalking" a mushroom would cause it to release anything bad into the tank??
 
try blowing them off with a power head
i put the rock in a tank by itself and blast away!
should take about a day
take precaution not to get shrooms stuck in power head.
send shrooms to friendly MB members.
 

bdubbya

Member
I just kalk'd my fuzzy green ones that were stinging my purple monti. So far no ill effects. I've kalk'd single shrooms before and not had a problem, but never as many as it sounds like you have. I would do it a little at a time.
Good luck.
 

nas19320

Active Member
I agree, do a few at a time. To many and not only will the dying mushrooms affect your water but so will the kalk.
 

dburr

Active Member
OHH, i feel for you. You could kalk them, prolly some won't die and split into more. You will have to paste them up REAL good.
My buddy broke down his tank because of them. He traded in all is rock for new and razored off the ones on the glass. Set up the tank as a SPS tank. Well, their must have been some mushrooms in the PVC lines because they came back. They grew everywhere again. He just traded all his rock in again. This time he cleaned every thing with vinegar.
 
N

nyyanks514

Guest
jjgl- No comment on the Umass game :mad:
dburr- So i guess im in big trouble then. I really need to take a picture so everyone can see this plague i have. Interestingly enough, i dont have a singe aptasia....go figure!
 

dburr

Active Member
They are apts in my eyes.

You are from CT, huh. Have you been to a CARS meeting yet? The next one is the 19th in Mass at a store.
 
N

nyyanks514

Guest
Dburr-
I havent been able to make it to a CARS meeting though I keep meaning to go. Dental School kind of gets in the way of things most of the time. I hear they trade frags there right?
 
Top