red mushrooms very dull

[reefer sadness]

My red mushrooms are turning dull with green spots. They seem to be diminishing in numbers also. The rock I bought had 9 or 10 mushrooms on it and now has 5 at the most. I have a 50 gallon tank with a 96 watt 10,000k and a 96 watt blue actinic. The mushrooms are about 12 inches below the lights. I also feed my tank DT’s Premium Ref Blend phytoplankton. One cap full 2 times a week. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[lion_crazz]

What are your water parameters?
What fish do you have in the tank?

 

[reefer sadness]

PH (8.2)
Ammonia (0.0)
Nitrite (0.0)
Nitrate (20)
Calcium (350)
Salinity 1.028
2 clowns
1 royal Gobie
2 emeral crabs
1 sally lightfoot crab
1 cleaner shrimp (1 just died )
5 hermit crabs
4 snails

 

[reefer sadness]

anyone with ideas?

 

[reefer sadness]

No mushroom experts out there?

 

[spanko]

FWIW
Salinity 1.022-1.026
Calcium 400-450
What is your alkalinity?
Waht is your phosphate?
Where in the tank are they located ie. high-medium-low?
What is your lighting?

 

[scsinet]

The parameter which concerns me the most is your SG at 1.028. That is quite high, although if you are reading it with el-cheapo-loco hydrometer that could be within it's margin of error.
I'd focus on lighting here IMO. What kind of lighting do you have and where in the tank have you positioned the mushrooms? Are they exposed to full light? In the shadows?

 

[reefer sadness]

FWIW: ?Salinity 1.022-1.026: mines a little higher at 1.028Calcium 400-450: at 350, I will buy some additive to increase it today.
What is your alkalinity? No idea. My test kit does not cover it.
Waht is your phosphate? : No idea, I will buy a test kit for this also.
Where in the tank are they located ie. high-medium-low? The mushrooms are located high, about 18 inches from the light.
What is your lighting?: 96 watt 10,000k and a 96 watt blue actinic.

 

[scsinet]

FWIW = For What It's Worth.
1.028 is too high. Work to reduce that to no more than 1.026
The calcium levels shown are low, but that should not hurt your mushrooms.
Get a test kit for alkalinity. It's an important measurement.
Ditto for phosphate
Lower the mushrooms down further. Mushrooms usually do better with somewhat lower light.
The lighting seems fine, other than how close the mushrooms are to it.

 

[reefer sadness]

Thanks. I'll do this today!

 

[spanko]

I am in total agreement with what SCSI said. Shrooms are a very hardy lot and i am sure when you do the things suggested you will be rewarded with a mushroom crop that you will be wondering how to get rid of.
LOL :hilarious

 

[gwh57]

FWIW I have a rock with several small red mushrooms on it. They have been in my tank for about 6-8 months. I have them setting on the bottom in my 55g. Over the past few weeks they didn't look as full and healthy as they once did. I just replaced my all my bulbs and they have perked up. I had 2 X 54w t5s and 2 X overdriven 40w 50/50s. My bulbs were only about 6months old but the new ones seem to be making everything look better.

 

[spanko]

That is something because I keep reading that you should replace your bulbs every six months because of deterioration in the color wavelength even though they may look as bright to you. Guess you expeience is one for the change in six months rule.