I need some help.

[flower]

I am at this moment removing all the live rock from the 56g so I can clear it of bristle worms. My Kuda seahorse, pipefish and shrimp are making their new home in the 30g for now.... Here is my problem, How do I safely remove mushroom coral from live rock? I can't keep the rock, it has bristle worms, but the mushrooms are beautiful, and I would like to keep them. I know how to get a free floating mushroom to attach to new rock... but how do I get it off the rock in the first place to rehome it?

 

[trigger40]

maybe you could saw the part of rock off that the coral is attached to. just an idea.

 

[flower]

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate the help.

LOL...No, I can't saw anything...not even a chunk of wood. There has to be a way to get it to release. or ... maybe if I can cut the stump/stem and have it be okay... folks cut on coral all the time?????

 

[trigger40]

there is a post asking the same question in the fragging forum. this is a replie the person got.

I use little sharp scissors. I lift the rock to the light so I can see, then cut the head off the stalk. The stalk will eventually grow a new head, so don't worry. With the head, I put it in a plastic container full of crushed coral so it would attach. After I put it in the container, I add a nylon net (Like the one that comes with oranges) over the container with a rubber band. Just leave it there for a couple of days, then when it attaches you can move it where ever you want.

i dont know if this will help but its all i can do...

 

[mauler]

Your pretty much gonna have to frag the whole thing.

 

[flower]

I have to dry out the rock to kill off all the bristle worms. The mushroom corals on the rock are over 3 years old, I don't mind losing the stalk...can I cut off the cap portion and salvage that, will that re-attach to rubble?

 

[kopczynski]

With time the mushrooms will re attach and you can basically cut them like you would if fragging them.

 

[flower]

Great, I have to try and save them...

New question: Any ideas on how to salvage amphipods, but not get any bristle worm eggs? My seahorses really love them. When I removed the rock, I set it on a plastic table to dry out, then went to put it into a big tub...little amphipods were jumping all over, I grabbed up what I could and dumped them into the 30g with the horses, but this morning when I looked at the rockless 56g tank, there are amphipods exposed everywhere, and hanging out at the edges of the tank on the sand. The snails should be easy, although tedious, to pick out to transfer.

 

[siptang]

Take them out in a big cooler of sort then blow strong powerhead/wavemaker on them. They will detach eventually.

 

[bang guy]

I used to move mushrooms using a hammer & chisel to chip off the rock under the mushroom. This provides a small piece of rock to use when gluing the mushroom to a new rock.

 

[flower]

LOL... I wish I were a man some days. I can't use a chisel and hammer. I managed to use a drill once on PVC pipe....I was so proud of my silly self., but using one hand to hold a chisel and the other to hit it...no. I make a prehole by digging into the wall to hold a nail so I can hang a picture. I have one mushroom I noticed hanging on the back glass, I can use a razor blade to scrape that little guy off.

I have a plastic container with holes, it used to have tomatoes in it. I saved it just to help with mushroom coral to keep it in a certain place until it can attach to rock rubble. That's what I had read once to try and do... will it hurt the other mushrooms to cut them off the rock?

 

[flower]

Take them out in a big cooler of sort then blow strong powerhead/wavemaker on them. They will detach eventually.

I just saw your post... I know that works on anemones... I do have a power head. I will give it a try, any idea how long such a process might take?

 

[siptang]

No sorry, it varies per coral... it's tidious job but that's what the whole salers are doing to remove unwanted shrooms on expensive corals.

 

[flower]

Well, I got out the trusty razor blade and cut the shrooms from the rock, leaving as much of the base as I possibly could. I have never fragged a coral or done anything besides keep them happy... This was hard to do, I don't care how much folks say they can't "feel" it, they certainly look like they are in pain, all shriveled up and emitting slim like crazy. On one rock I found about 6 babies that were growing.

I put them into my little plastic container with the holes and some rubble (about 10 empty snail shells from the bottom of the tank) that I soaked in fresh RO water... I counted 14 bristle worms that died in the freshwater cup. Those shells looked 100% empty, but I decided to soak them just to be sure no eggs remained... I was shocked to see so many actual bristle worms that were hidden in them. I'm sooo glad I soaked them before putting them into the new tank with the seahorse, it would have been all for nothing.

 

[mauler]

I'm just curious why don't you want bristle worms I thought they were good

 

[flower]

I'm just curious why don't you want bristle worms I thought they were good

They are good guys as a rule... HOWEVER, I keep seahorses, and they are super messy wasteful eaters, as a result, the bristle worm population has exploded to plague proportions. They have stung and killed, 3 kuda seahorses over the last year. The horses get a sting that looks like a burn, it gets infected, and I haven't been able to save any of them with medication.

The bristle worms were so bad that the horses had no place to hitch to without being in danger during feeding time. These are big healthy well fed bristle worms besides the tiny new babies that are everywhere.

 

[mauler]

Wow that sounds awful I wouldn't want them in my tank either.

 

[RobP]

That sounds terrible. I'm sorry to hear that. Did you try a bristleworm trap or something like that? I know they exist but don't know if they work.

 

[bang guy]

Some seafood wrapped in pantyhose works well as a trap.

In most tanks the type of Bristleworm Flower has is extremely beneficial. Unfortunately they are no Seahorse safe as she has said.

Flower, besides Nassarius, do you have other cleaners to take care of uneaten food?

 

[bang guy]

Another thought...

Make saltwater using carbonated water (club soda). Dip the rocks in it and most of the animals occupying the rock should abandon it. Don't do it with anything delicate because the PH is really low but it shouldn't harm mushrooms or other hardy corals.