Hairy mushrooms

[maro1]

How aggressive are hairy mushrooms?
do they need to be controlled and kept away from other corals and anemones?

Mar

 

[kiknchikn]

I believe if they get to close to other corals they will attack and try to digest them with their mesenterial filaments, but I'm not positive as I've never let mine get close to any other coral.

 

[maro1]

Whats the best way to thin them out?

Mar

 

[kiknchikn]

I'd cut them off at the base and then take them to a LFS for store credit or sell them online. If you can, break off the rock underneath it instead of cutting the mushroom at it's foot because if you leave any foot behind it may grow into a new one, plus you'll need to get it to attach to a new rock if you plan to sell/trade it.

 

[DrBCool]

hey kiknchikn I clicked on your little red house ...
Just curious what the critter is on the front page ?
I have seen a couple of these , both similar but differant in colors and size ... I didn't put them in the tank so I have no clue if they are good critters or bad ones in the tank ...

ok after further examining your critters section I found this guy never mind and thanks for the info

 

[kiknchikn]

Hey, no problem The Stomatella varias are some of my favorite critters in the tank.

 

[DrBCool]

I now have 3 of them little critters ,.., I just found a really cool guy in my tank ... found a feather starfish ... Don't know where he came from , but hope he can find whatever he needs to live After reading my little invert book it says don't add these guys cause no one knows what they eat .... Glad I didn't add him ..lol

 

[kiknchikn]

Yeah they're hard to keep alive apparently. People buy them and they usually die. Hopefully yours will fare better.

I lost my last stomatella yesterday. Unfortunately my emerald crab found him to be a tasty snack (he ate the other one I had a few days ago), which makes me kind of sad because they were the two of the first creatures I found in my live rock.