How to remove mushrooms that are impeding on other corals?

[stevie1493]

Hello all! Ever since I began my first reef tank about two years ago I've had a laissez faire attitude towards my corals. I figured I would just sit back and observe them do their natural thing. Recently however I purchased a new LED and my mushrooms LOVE it. Some have doubled in size and their growth rate has been exponential, to the point where I've determined that if I continue my laissez faire approach the mushrooms could completely overtake my parazoanthus. Some of the polyps in the colony are already retracting due to the mushroom invasion and I fear that if I don't act soon there could be some permanent damage. My question is how do I remove the mushrooms from the rock without harming either coral? Are there special tools for this? Any threads about tackling runaway mushrooms? I would like to propagate the mushrooms if possible and maybe trade them in at my LFS for some in store credit.

 

[AlSimmons]

Get yourself a siphon and have a family member or a friend hold the tube right above the mushroom without touching it. This will cause the mushroom to stretch from the rocks. While it's stretched get yourself a pair of scissors and just cut it as close to the base as you can. Smother any remaining tissue with some epoxy.
The mushrooms you cut can be placed in a small glass bowl full of rubble for frags. Just make sure the current doesn't sweep them away.

 

[stevie1493]

That sounds easy enough.. Worst case scenario is I butcher a few mushrooms with scissors which would be a bummer but I have 3 dozen+ other shrooms in the tank.. Any brand recommendations for the epoxy? I've been needing to get some anyway to end my vermetid problem

 

[AlSimmons]

Yeah, once that mushroom is being pulled away from the rock by the siphon just a quick snip to the stem should do it. As far as the epoxy goes the JB WaterWeld epoxy seems to be pretty popular. This can be found at Home Depot, Walmart etc.

 

[Zatoichi]

I have resorted to injecting them with vinegar to eradicate them in the past just like glass anemones

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[organism]

I have resorted to injecting them with vinegar to eradicate them in the past just like glass anemones

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This! I use a hypodermic to inject them with boiling vinegar and they pop right off after a bit of time or just melt completely (make sure you siphon out the melting part). Cutting them ends up with several mushrooms growing out of where there used to be 1.

 

[SantaMonica]

Could also get or borrow a Majano wand and zap them.

 

[surferarnie]

I have the same problem. I was thinking of putting the rock in a tote with a lid and starving them of light. Anyone tried somthing like this? I dont want to pull the rock and dry it.


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