Mushroom lighting?

[novice]

Since I'm new to the hobby, I was wondering if I really need a metal halide for my tank. Let me explain, I have a 125gal reef tank and it has a lot of different kinds of mushrooms. Some of which are umbrella and the regular and was wondering if a metal halide is required? I do have 2-actinic VHO 6' long and definitely think it's enough. I also have a Iwasaki 65K metal halide but I don't think anything in the tank requires it. I also think that it's a contributing factor for hair algae propegation. What's your take?

 

[reefcrazy]

well mushrooms don't do well on metal halides i know this from experience they tend to shink and then come off the rock even if you shade them. i had to get a ten gallon going to keep all my low light loving animals in there. you are doing ok with those vho if you plan to keem mushrooms and some softies.

 

[keitho]

i totally disagree with the previous post. i have three colonies (for a total of 20 mushrooms) of blue-striped mushrooms (from an original colony of five)and one colony of green striped mushrooms (eight mushrooms from a colony of five) under metal halide lighting and they look far better than they ever did under LFS lighting. not only that, but the mushrooms arch up towards the MHs to maximize the light intake and expand to two times the size they were in the LFS tanks. IMO, with proper tank conditions, mushrooms thrive under halide lighting.

 

[deuce_bigalo]

Agree with keitho. Mine do great!!

 

[ironreef]

I hate mushrooms they grow like crazy under 610" from my halides. I need to cut them from my sps. When they are acclimated to the lighting they thrive. Even when the acclimating in an accident. The halides may make your hair alga grow faster but high nutrient cause hair to grow no so much the lighting.If you only have shroom you don't need halides they will adapt to the vho. Or you can just run your halies 2-3 hrs