melting mushrooms

[symbiont]

Looking for suggestions on my failing softies - over last several months I have added small pieces of LR with green stripe mushrooms, green zoas and green paly and a small ric. Recently all seem to be struggling - they are positioned low/mid tank, PH not aimed directly on. The mushrooms used to looked good, spread some initially but now a few have let go and they look floppy. The zoa/paly seem to be receeding in number/size. Parameters are good - pH 8.3 T 80, sg 1.026, neg trate/trite/NH4, use RO/DI water for changes (about 20% per month) - 9mo old 55gal reef tank w/ LR/DSB, ACR skimmer, light is 218wtt T5 fixture for 12hr/day, two Koralia 3 PHs. Other inhabitants - cleaner shrimp, cucumber, feather duster, gramma, clown and flame angel all healthy. I feed the fish every other day with frozen and pellet food - over top of the palys so they get the leftovers. I have some algae issues but not severe, no apistasia. I have an emerald crab but I've never seen him picking at anything (including bubble algae). Its been a while since I checked calcium/mag but have been fine in the past. I don't add any chemicals. Other thoughts - allelopathy (sp), needed supplements, position in tank?

 

[reefforbrains]

Shouldnt need chem supplements if you keep a solid regiment with waterchanges to replace supplements. Something is obviously lacking.
Not poking at you when you say all levels at zero but please dont say you relying on the quick dip strips. They are notoriously hit and miss.
I am curious about your Alk. You have a tesk kit to proove it has hit the fan?

 

[kssalah]

If you say you water is good, and your not relying on the quick dip strips for this info I would try changing their position a little lower in the tank. MHO, This has worked for me in the past, I've had a couple of my mushrooms look as if they were melting and moving them solved the problem. And I have had someo move on their own and looked absolutely horrible until they "found a happy place". I hope this helps.

 

[symbiont]

Thanks for the suggestions - the test kit is Seachem I think, not the dip sticks. I haven't checked Alk lately but when my pH is OK I usually don't see much change but I will check. Probably I need to do more frequent water changes.... The positioning issue has me stumped since they looked so good for a while in that same spot. Is allelopathy likely an issue with this combo?

 

[saltincalif]

Originally Posted by Symbiont
http:///forum/post/2896160
Looking for suggestions on my failing softies - over last several months I have added small pieces of LR with green stripe mushrooms, green zoas and green paly and a small ric. Recently all seem to be struggling - they are positioned low/mid tank, PH not aimed directly on. The mushrooms used to looked good, spread some initially but now a few have let go and they look floppy. The zoa/paly seem to be receeding in number/size. Parameters are good - pH 8.3 T 80, sg 1.026, neg trate/trite/NH4, use RO/DI water for changes (about 20% per month) - 9mo old 55gal reef tank w/ LR/DSB, ACR skimmer, light is 218wtt T5 fixture for 12hr/day, two Koralia 3 PHs. Other inhabitants - cleaner shrimp, cucumber, feather duster, gramma, clown and flame angel all healthy. I feed the fish every other day with frozen and pellet food - over top of the palys so they get the leftovers. I have some algae issues but not severe, no apistasia. I have an emerald crab but I've never seen him picking at anything (including bubble algae). Its been a while since I checked calcium/mag but have been fine in the past. I don't add any chemicals. Other thoughts - allelopathy (sp), needed supplements, position in tank?

check to make sure magnesium not too high.

 

[symbiont]

I haven't tested recently but Magnesium was ok in past - can it get out of wack w/o using additives? I'm thinking my skimmer may be the issue - it used to produce huge quantities of watery output (despite being on the highest setting) and now it makes very little by comparison. Generally I just clean the trap when I do tank maintenance - should I tear it down every time and try to clean the pump/boxes etc? It's an aquaC remora.