mushroom meltdown

M

mkbtank

Premium Member
I have had a 120 for 10 years, and during that time, had a mushroom rock (Green/blue striped) that has literally become a massive colony. I'm talking on and under every rock (200+ lbs of rock). Even many with no color since they got no light, not to mention many over 6 inches across. The tank has been very stable and the muchrooms open up beautfully. (I have pretty low flow in that tank). Below are two links that show the tank.

I say again that this tank has been stable for 10 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_3i2ALjDo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvtAvnBbwWg


So, I went away for a week, had someone watch my tank for me (Who I trust). Fed the tank (Frozen- 1 cube mysis and 1 cube Mix A - Also, very small amy of arctic pods) 2x over the course of the week (I was feeding the day I got home). -

In the tank:

Yellow Tang
Purple Tang
Unicorn Tank
Flame Angel
Brittle Star
4 Ricordia
a million of the aforementioned muchrooms
1 yellow leather
3 frags of pumping leather
yellow polyps
red blastomusa

So, I walk in and 75% of the muchrooms are gone. That's right. Vanished. (Melted is more like).

PH was 7.89 (Low). Temp was fine. Water was a little cloudy. Fish and all other corals were fine.

I did a 35 gallon water change the next day. Shrooms were 90% gone and water was getting cloudoer.

Next day - shrooms were 100 gone, water was cloudier and all else, again, fine. I did another 35 gallon water change since I'm sure my levels must be spiking like crazy.

Today - all shrooms gone. I did a 45 gallon water change.

Nitrates are 20 Bad but not terrible. Amonia is through the roof. I took the leather (Which was finally looking stressed, as well as the ricordia and a blastomusa, and pumping leather and am putting them into my 180 (40 G sump and 75 gallon fuge) for safe keeping. I am thinking that the 120 has a serious cycle to go through for the near future.

questions:

1)What could have happened to dissolve every single mushroom and not the other corals??? (did she pour a ton of arctic pods in ((Says she didn't))

2)Should I get all fish out (into the 180) as well and throw some damsels in there for the cycle?? (Buy some liquid quick cycle (I forget the name)

It's just amazing to me that after 10 years, they could all vanish literally overnight!

Thanks.
 
Well, I'm still a newbie... but first thing that went through my head was a disease that is a mushroom only thing... did you introduce something new?
Second thing was your rock crashed maybe... something about it absorbing and converting all the matter that it could. I read something somewhere about live rock needing to be cleaned and cooked every so often to continue to get the full nitrifying bacterial efficiency out of it. The ammonia could be from the die-off though, so who knows?
Just some possibilities, I'm just brainstorming here.
What a loss though, my heart feels for you really.
 
I know it is rare but there are some studies that show Corallimorpharia do reproduce sexually (according to J. Sprung's "The Reef Aquarium - Volume 2"). It's just a guess. I'm really sorry for your loss. Your tank looked wonderful in the videos.
 
thanks. they were shot in the morning, before the mushrooms were open. It really was amazing. :( cycle of life i guess.
 
Is it possible that your tank got real hot while you were away?

When I first started in this hobby I melted my ricordia's when my tank got to hot.
 
It must have been something to see! My only thought is that there just wasn't anymore room for them to divide so they spawned. Best of luck!
 
Reefbox: Central air was on with no power interruption. Temp was perfect when I returned and I assume throughout.

Connie: Would spawning make them vanish? If so, that must be the answer. news to me though, but really, I don't know much
 
I know you listed brittle star in your livestock list, but did you have any sea cucumber or something similar? I have seen those die and dang near tank out an entire tank.

Good luck!!
 
I'm afraid I don't really know what happens to the body in a spawning of a soft bodied animal (if in fact that is what happened). I'm guessing that it "shrivels" as they can do but maybe release of eggs, etc. caused the ammonia to spike extremely quickly and they were dissolving before you got home (what was left). Your friend may not have noticed early warnings but by the time you got home it was in a full meltdown. Was your protein skimmer overflowing? Apparently Rhodactis spawn in the wild in June-July when the light is the longest and temps the warmest. Were your lights on, possibly, longer than usual while you were away? I'm really drawing at straws here. I just feel so badly for you!
 
You are very nice. Thanks. and yes! My skimmer was absolutely overflowing some. That sounds possible. I posted this question on wwm so I wonder if they will weigh in.....
 
ouch i think id cry. if i was in your place i would be so mad at your friend even if its not his/her fault at all. look at the bright side, you have plenty of room to get new corals now
 
I posted this on WWM and Bob Fenner replied. He also said that fixing my skimmer a few weks ago could have been a factor... see below:

I have had a 120 for 10 years, and during that time, had a mushroom rock(Green/blue striped) that has literally become a massive colony. I'm talkingon and under every rock (200+ lbs of rock). Even many with no color sincethey got no light (very cool), not to mention many over 6 inches across. Thetank has been very stable and the mushrooms open up beautifully. (I havepretty low flow in that tank). Below are two links that show the tank. (theydon't do the mushrooms justice as they were taken just after the lights cameon before the mushrooms were open, but you get the point)I say again that this tank has been stable for 10 years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_3i2ALjDohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvtAvnBbwWgSo, I went away for a week, had someone watch my tank for me (Who I trust).Fed the tank (Frozen- 1 cube mysis and 1 cube Mix A - Also, very small amtof arctic pods) 2x over the course of the week (I was feeding the day I gothome). - In the tank: Yellow Tang Purple Tang Unicorn Tank Flame Angel Brittle Star 4 Ricordia a million of the aforementioned mushrooms 1 yellow leather 3 frags of pumping leather yellow polyps red blastomusa So, I walk in and 75% of the mushrooms are gone. That's right. Vanished.(Melted is more like). PH was 7.89 (Low). Temp was fine. Water was a little cloudy. Fish and allother corals were fine. Temp was fine (77 as always) I did a 35 gallon water change the next day. The Mushrooms were 90% gone andwater was getting cloudier. Next day - shrooms were 100% gone, water was cloudier and all else, again,fine. Skimmer going crazy of course. I did another 35 gallon water changesince I'm sure my levels must be spiking like crazy. Today - all shrooms gone. I did a 45 gallon water change. Nitrates are 20 Bad but not terrible. Ammonia is through the roof. I tookthe leather (Which was finally looking stressed, as well as the ricordia anda blastomusa, and pumping leather and am putting them into my 180 (40 G sumpand 75 gallon fuge) for safe keeping.<Good> I am thinking that the 120 has aserious cycle to go through for the near future. <Perhaps...>Questions: 1)What could have happened to dissolve every single mushroom and not theother corals??? (Did she pour a ton of arctic pods in ((Says she didn't)) <Mmm, some sort of "cascade event"... One thing leading quickly and deadly to another... Some sort of pathogen perhaps... or other trigger causing one Corallimorph to poison the system for its genetic likes>2)Should I get all fish out (into the 180) as well and throw some damsels inthere for the cycle?? (Buy some liquid quick cycle (I forget the name) <Mmmm, perhaps... if they appear stressed... too much... And BioSpira is likely the product you refer to and want to use>It's just amazing to me that after 10 years, they could all vanish literallyovernight! Could this have been a spawning event of some kind? <Mmmm, not likely, no... This same sort of triggered response can come from "something" lacking in the environment, allelopathy with other Cnidarians... the Clavulariid, or Sarcophyton most likely from what you list...>Thank you very much! Mitch <These "things" do happen... even in well-kept, long-term-stable settings... Periodically upsetting the homeostasis (dynamic equilibrium... jumbo shrimp? Military intelligence?) is suggested... Bob Fenner>
 
Funny. His replies do not show up when cut and pasted. It is on WWM if anyone cares. He called it a "Cascade event"
 
I'm curious to hear what he had to say but couldn't find where on the site was your original question and his replies. Could you just point me to where it might be? Thanks.
 
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