shroom looks bad

daisy

daisy

Member
I just bought them yesterday. At the store, they were fully extended, flat on the rock, happy. Some are like that again, but a few are looking different. One is extended, and has become tube-shaped standing up off the rock. Is he going to move?
I am more worried about the two that are looking shriveled in on themselves. How long till I need to really worry? I'm buying additives for them today. Please advise, I've never ventured into corals before. I'm nervous!
Thanks!
 
nacl-h2o

nacl-h2o

Active Member
Your mushrooms probably just need time to fully adjust to your tank, they will probabaly be fine within a couple of days. Don't panic yet, I've seen corals take over a week to adjust before and end up being fine. Besides you never know how much difference there is between the tank they were in and yours, and the more different they are the longer it will take to adjust.
 
twoods71

twoods71

Active Member
Shrooms as with any coral generally takes a few days to adjust. Give the shrooms some time and then see how they are doing.
After a few days if the shrooms look tube shaped as you mentioned one does it usually means they are reaching for the light. Shrooms that are not getting enough light generally display this type of behavior.
If the shrooms stay shriveled up for extended periods of time this usually means water conditions are not correct. Test your water conditions if you observe this and adjust as needed.
 
daisy

daisy

Member
I tested this morning. Ph 8.2, salinity 1.0235, temp about 82, NH3 nil, NO2 nil, NO3 about 30. The alkalinity in my kit has only three readings, "low", "normal," and "high." I have "high" in my tank.
My new LR is not yet in my tank -- it is cycling in the 40 gal. Smells good in there. Should I move it into my 55 to help get the NO3 down faster? I also have not yet tested the calcium -- I'm buying the test kit this afternoon, as well as a coctail of additives -- all Kent except for the vital DNA.
I have a scarlet hermit and a blue-legged hermit. I saw the red climbing around on some of the new coral. Any chance he'll hurt them? He's not huge, but he's easily twice the size of the blue. Maybe he's an inch? Do I need to move him to the 40 gal?
 
daisy

daisy

Member
excellent. Now I know what I'm doing after I put my two-year-old to bed this evening :)
I love this hobby! :cool: What would I do with my copious free time if I weren't a marine aquarist? :)
 
twoods71

twoods71

Active Member
Nitrates are not horrible at 30 but you are doing the right thing trying to bring them down. The shrooms will thank you for it.
I would go ahead and move the rock if it is fully cured. If not fully cured it could do more harm then good.
The hermits should not pose any threat to the shrooms.
 
S

starfishjackedme

Guest
I would say nitrates are too high. Anemones are sensitive to this. I would at least do a water change and get that LR in there asap. My nitrate/nitrite does not register on any test kit. This is what you want to strive for - perfect water.
 
daisy

daisy

Member
I think I'm losing one mushroom. The white one is starting to look like it's decomposing. Everything else looks like it might be okay. If it is dying, when do I know it's dead, when do I remove it, and how do I remove it, since it's attached to a rock that has other stuff on it that is doing fine.
And I'm moving the LR in there now. A water change is planned for tonight.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Mushrooms have tremendous regeneration abilities. I wouldn't remove it at all. Even if just a tiny piece is left it could come back.
If you can get ahold of a Nassarius Snail it will eat any dead flesh from the mushroom and improve its chances of survival.
 
daisy

daisy

Member
Is this snail tough to find? I'll ask my lfs guy if he can order one for me. But in the mean time, will this animal's demise destroy the water quality? (if it is actually degrading)
 
S

starfishjackedme

Guest
That's true! My shrooms went through hell after a person "took care of my tank" over Christmas and killed every damn living thing in it. The only thing that made it were the shrooms, that looked like little lumps of mushy jello. They divided and multiplied and grew back into adult anemones in just a few months. Don't take them out or give up on them. It may take awhile, but they will prob regenerate.
 
M

mr hanky

Guest
daisy if your having a problem with money burning a hole in your pocket you can send it to me i will put it to good use for you!!!!!!! lol lol real hard
 
daisy

daisy

Member
Okay. I can't post or even read the board from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. I've been dying all day long to get on! My husband is now convinced that I'm addicted. Oh well...
This morning, the white shroom that was not looking so good was gone completely. There is a huge hole in the rock right under where it had been -- is it possible that it's just hanging out there till it feels better? Is it possible at all that my sally lightfoot ate it?
The rest of them are as they were yesterday.
I tested the water in the QT to see how the LR is doing -- ammonia and nitrite were at zero and nitrate was at nearly 30, down from around 40 before I had put it in. So I added it to the 55 gal today. I had tested the 55 before I put the LR in -- ammonia at zero, nitrite at zero, nitrate at about 30, and I got a calcium test. My calcium is around 500. Is this too high? (all these measurements take into account the temp and pH) Also, what's "good" for alkalinity?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
500 is high but it won't hurt anything as long as you can keep your ALK high. To be on the safe side you should probably let it drop to about 460. For a Ca level of 460 an ALK of 3.5 is appropriate.
I don't know if your mushroom is in the hole. I strongly doubt a Sally would have eaten it.
Guy
 
daisy

daisy

Member
The shroom in question is white.
There are two strip lights, one is fluorescent, the other is actinic.
I am getting a 75-gal in mid-october. If I need to upgrade, can I get lights that will go in this hood but then will go into my 75 hood?
The tank is rect. 55 gal, so 48x12x18, I think.
They are mid-depth, but I'm going to move them higher. I moved the brown mushrooms higher this morning and they're loving me for it.
The water movement where they were was moderate. I'll try to place them in moderate movement again, since that's what they were at in the LFS.
The shroom in question, the white one, is completely gone. I have no idea where it went. My ammonia is still nil (did a test last night, over 24 hours after the shroom in question disappeared). The rock with the green shrooms is not looking as great as the rock with the brown. The shrooms are not as big as they were in the LFS, but they're not really shrivelled -- just not fully extended. The anemonies are doing great, and the feather dusters are doing fine.
Thanks for your help!
 
aileena

aileena

Member
I would move them closer to the light. are u using that green phytoplankton stuff? It may help I add it every other day about 5ml. It helps the mushrooms eat so I've been told.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top