My Mushrooms Are Dividing!

[seaweed]

Hello Everyone,
This weekend I noticed that my mushroom corals are duplicating. I went away for the weekend and when I came home yesterday I found one of the mushrooms on a live rock below the rest of mushroom corals. Upon closer examination I noticed one of them looked that it was growing two heads. I took this picture for everyone to see:
http://members.aol.com/alphaomicron/...ngmushroom.jpg
It seems like they are reproducing by dividing. Does anyone know if this is the normal way for them spread? Is this an indication that conditions are good in my tank? Does anyone know if I should do anything special when they divide? For example, if one falls on the sand, should I put it on a rock?
Thanks!

 

[jacksonpt]

I don't have any shrooms of my own (not yet anyways... but by the end of the week!!!). But I have done a lot of reading to get myself prepared. From what I have read, this is pretty normal... it's how mushrooms spread/reproduce. Since your shrooms are spreading, it is a good indication of water quality, but on the other hand, since mushrooms are so hardy, it only tells you that your water is good... can't really assume it's great. If they are dividing on their own, I wouldn't do anything diffent to try to encourage more of it. Just keep things as they are.
Congrats, and good luck!

 

[twoods71]

Mushrooms multiply by division or budding. Mine are budding and havent seen any divide like yours are doing.
Good luck!!!

 

[seaweed]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to try and keep things as are. The inhabitants of the tank seem pretty happy and stable.

 

[nm reef]

Several of my mushrooms divided this way.....I've basically let them be.........where I once had 2 good size green striped 'shrooms there are now 8.......green furry ones are numerous..........one of my large red 'shrooms must be budding 'cause recently I found a very small red 'shroom on the ls all by itself...........I just let them multiply and do there thing......but it is kewl to have them growing and doing well huh....congradulations!!!

 

[seaweed]

I found a little one this morning that had budded off. Pretty wild. I have them reproducing in two different ways.
Thanks!

 

[concon]

Mushroom diving is a good sign of good work. Hey! you should be proud of yourself. Do you know these mushroom can be moved to a different rock? I cut one of my mushroom away from the original rock, leave it in a breeder trap with a piece of new rock. The cut away mushroom will bind itself to the rock later on. You have to have patience too. Right now, I have four branches of mushroom in my tank.

 

[seaweed]

That's interesting, you actually cut it off with a knife?
One of the new buds had trouble staying put because it was so lite. The current would make it float away. I moved it to a new spot where it seems to have stayed put overnight. Thanks!

 

[big dave]

Good job! Budding and splitting shrooms are the signs of a tank thats doin well!!! JUst make sure the budding ones dont get blown around the tank as I have seen many times. Just put them in and area of low current and they should attach quickly.

 

[concon]

Yeah, Seaweed.
I use sharp razor blade to cut the mushroom. It won't hurt them at all. I heard other people use crazy glue to glue the mushroom on the rock too. I have not try it yet.