white string like substance on ricordea mushroom

[tableforglasses]

Hey guys I have this ricordea mushroom in my tank it is huge, and has never really split into new mushrooms. It is aprox. 3-4 inches in diameter. It just started getting this white string like subtance on it, not sure what it is or if it is bad...anyone seen this before or have thoughts if it is good or bad.
thanks for the help
sean

 

[bigarn]

Interesting....I'd like to know also. Sponge maybe?

 

[tableforglasses]

it is hard to tell from the picture but it up close and personal it really looks like little tiny white pieces of string, this is a new development within the last couple days
sean

 

[bigarn]

Expelling waste?

 

[ophiura]

They could be acontial filaments (acontia)...which would kind of look like white string...but would need a closer look. These are kind of defensive structurs that are packed with stinging cells. Often, if the animal is disturbed or falls or someting, you will see these...but I think they get retracted after awhile. Really would need to see a closer look...but it is not an overgrowth by something like a sponge.

 

[minitrucke]

While on the topic of these mushrooms, I was going to move mine off the rock they cam on and I took them out of my tank and started to cut them off. Before I made a cut my nose was greeted to a VERY nasty smell and it was comming from the shrooms. Is this normal for these kind because I know that my other types of mushrooms dont smell this nasty, even after cutting.
Josh

 

[the josey wales]

i have those shrooms, they have reproduced by droping small shrooms not splitting/fraging
whenever they do the white string thing I worry because although they mostly reswallow thier "guts" sometime it is a sign of death.
when coupled with the smell you described I would guess death
he will shrink and turn white if thats the case.
good luck

 

[tableforglasses]

update
looks like whatever it is appears to be splitting the shroom, but it doesn't really look like a good thing, could it be that it is dying off? and is there anything i can do for him?
sean

 

[sweetreef]

my same shrooms do that when they are pissed off when you move them are fast water hitting them white stuff comes out of the center then after awhile they suck it back down....

 

[daveb]

Hi Ophiura,
Sorry for highjacking this thread, but I was actually looking for you... In the last few days my sandsifting star has been acting funny... climbing the glass, halfway to the top of the tank, and climbing up on the live rock... it has never done this before, and has been in my tank for 7 months...
Is this an indication of something wrong?
Thanks,
Dave

 

[sergeant]

Excuse my ignorance but Does Ricordeas really grow to be 4" in diameter?

 

[ophiura]

Originally posted by DaveB
Hi Ophiura,
Sorry for highjacking this thread, but I was actually looking for you... In the last few days my sandsifting star has been acting funny... climbing the glass, halfway to the top of the tank, and climbing up on the live rock... it has never done this before, and has been in my tank for 7 months...
Is this an indication of something wrong?
Thanks,
Dave
Possibly. Make sure all water parameters are good, especially pH and salinity. Have you had any changes in flow in the tank from moving powerheads, or any other major changes in the tank recently?
I am afraid, though, that this is a critical time period. Many show signs of starvation at this point, but slowly disintegrating. If you start to see it missing pieces of arms, this is quite bad. In the meantime, try seeing if it will take to spot feeding with something meaty like a small piece of shimp, squid or silversides.

 

[daveb]

Water parameters are perfect, I have not changed anything recently except for adding metal halide lighting a few weeks ago...the starfish looks perfectly healthy, no sign of disintegration of arms. I put a piece of shrimp down on the sand and set the starfish on it... it stayed there and appears to be eating away perfectly happy....
I will keep a close eye on it.. thanks
Dave

 

[tableforglasses]

sergeant
I have never seen ricordeas grow that big, all the ones I have had in the past have just been kind of small 1-2 inches in diameter, this one has just grown at a freak like pace, but now it seems to be shrinking down, I think it is a direct result of the white stuff.
sean