Best Lighting For Mushrooms?

[55semireef]

What is the best lighting for mushrooms? Like what causes them to grow the fastest, color up the best and split the most?

VHO
T5
MH
PC
NO

If you submit your opinion in the poll, don't be afraid and explain why in the thread.

 

[Cornelius240]

I voted for MH for the following reason: I have a 30 gallon, mostly mushrooms, with 4x55w PCs (2x10k, 2xActinic 03). I just started using a MH pendant (CoralVue 20k) over a 10 gallon, and decided to put some of my mushrooms in to see how they would react. Everything I have put in so far has either had their colors increased in brightness, or has started to produce colors that were not there under the PCs. MH for the win.

 

[55semireef]

Thanks Cornelius for sharing your experience. Wish more people would step up to the plate.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I think it depends on the amount of bulbs in the case of fluorescent bulbs, the wattage in case of incandescent, and if the mushrooms are acclimated to the light already.

 

[55semireef]

I wish the people with T5s would actually explain why they voted for that option. My shrooms always did bad under T5s except for a few.

 

[Snailpowered]

I have a few mushrooms in my 65 with t-5 4 bulb single reflector and they are doing great! I have had the tank up for about a moths and my greens have doubled in size and number in that short amount of time and they are always fully opened. I have them at the botom of my tank in a modorate flow situation. I am new to the hobby so i would not give a very good op[intion over other lighting situations. btw my red muchrooms are about 25% larger under my t-5s then under the MH at the LFS and show alot more color also.

 

[55semireef]

Thanks snailpowered!

 

[audiowerks]

I say Mh..... I had several colonies, surviving but not growing under dual 96 watt pc, when I upgraded to dual 150 mh over tank, mushrooms took off, Even had a couple of bleached shrooms that regained color after lighting change.

 

[customanimalart]

I have t-5's and my mushrooms are opening and splitting like crazy. Works for me. I havethe Nova Extreme t-5 light fixture on my 55g.

 

[55semireef]

I have always seen lots of growth with mushrooms under MH.

 

[bobt2]

they are a low light type of coral. i have 260 watts of pc on a 55 and all different types of shrooms. they all spread to the point of too many.

 

[55semireef]

I say MH and T5s can work but if you overwhelm them with that lighting they will shrivel, bleach and not split. You really have to give them a certain amount of lighting for them to do well.

 

[BristlewormKing]

Hmmm.....maybe we should clarify exactly what it meant by mushrooms....actinodiscus, ricordea pacific, ricordea florida, rhodactis indosiensis, rhodactis sanctithomae, rhodactis inchoata, etc., because they have different lighting needs.

 

[55semireef]

I was talking about mushrooms in general but you're right, I should have been more specific. I am talking about your lower to mid lighting level mushrooms. Are there even mushrooms that require intense lighting like sps?

 

[BristlewormKing]

I cannot think of any that require intense lighting. But there is a big difference in the range lighting that could be used for a yuma versus a rhodactis, etc., if the proper shading is provided.

 

[55semireef]

Yes that's what I thought.