What happened to my mushroom

[marco333]

yesterday when the lights went out, my mushroom was big and healthy looking. Today all thats left of it is a small stump with little strings of flesh comming out if it. I doubt it died that quickly. could somthing in my tank have eaten it? Look at my signature to see what i have. Could it have been a hitchhicker? I havent bought live rock in the past 3 months so wouldnt i have notice the hitchhiker by now?
Thanx

 

[leigh]

1) how close is it to your anemone?
2) are you positive your peppermint shrimp are peppermint shrimp and not camelback shrimp?
3) how are your water params?

 

[marco333]

1) it is fairly close to my anmeone but not close enough for them to even come within an inch of touching.
2) Yes its deffeintly a pepermint shrimp
3) I havnt tested my parameters in a while, but every thing else in my tank is doing great and i just did a 10 percent waterchange on monday.
also, the past week i have notice the surface of the water has a color tint like you can see a rainbow or somting in it. like somone poured soap on it. But im the only one that touches my tank, and i havnt put any new chemicals into it.

 

[leigh]

an inch isn't much if an anemone feels like a walk...but you know your setup better than i for sure so i'll take your word for it.
could soap have possibly gotten in the tank off your hands? ie do you rinse your hands in just water before putting them in the tank? how trusty is your water source that you got that water from for your latest change?
-leigh

 

[marco333]

I use distilled water when diong a water change so i hope that had nothing in it.
as for soap on my hands, their is a slight chance that this could of happened, but i try to wash my hands without soap before i put them in the tank.
If it is soap is thier anything that will help get rid of it besides waterchanges?
Such as running more carbon?

 

[leigh]

it can't hurt to run carbon for a little bit...you might also try 'skimming' off any soaplike residue by hand or with a turkey baster or something...i find it hard to believe a little soap could destroy a mushroom like that overnight though...my guess is there's still something different to be found. sorry i'm not more help, perhaps someone with more experience will pipe in?!

 

[full of questions]

Do you have a protien skimmer?

 

[marco333]

No i dont have a protein skimmer
cause its only a 10 gallen tank and i cant find one small enough
BAD News Today, the first mushroom is totally gone, and now a second one, the same type is half eaten. This one is very far from the anemone so it cant be that. I have narrowed it down.
1) the pepermint shrimp i got when i first set up the tank that is no huge and is always starving to eat anything i give it.
2) the holloween hermit crab who the past week seemed to stay mysterously close to the mushrooms.
3) an unknown hitchhiker that is non reef safe.
Any replys will he appreacieated
thanx