Mushrooms and vinegar bath.

[reefer333_]

Hello RC,

I have a rock full of blue mushrooms and afraid of them spreading to other rocks. I want to keep the rock in my aquascape, so I don't want to trade it in and replace it with a new rock. If I take out the rock and put it in vinegar bath, will it completely kill all mushrooms? If so, how long should the vinegar bath be to be safe to completely get rid of mushrooms? I don't want to use bleach for fear of traces of bleach getting into my display. I like to use vinegar since I used to dose vinegar to my tank before. Thanks for your help.

 

[Oldreeferman]

I have blue mushrooms in my softy tank i hear ya they multiply like crazy.
If i was you id probably just start with room temp RO water for a day or two that will kill the mushrooms and anything else inhabiting the rock like snails, worms, etc... Following with a room temp scrub & rinse again with RO, long as you are certain of no Zoas or palys with the shrooms.
Could use vinegar sure but if the rock is covered in coralline it will be dissolved away. By using RO the rock will remain a nice color while new corraline re-grows over it again. Ive done this myself saving rock pcs. & had no issues afterwards. Just want to shake & rinse well in a bucket due to bristle worms & other things that get lodged in the rock & die if its a large pc.
Id use vinegar if i was trying to remove a nasty vermetid snail growth from my rock that was encrusting it badly tho or a similar calcium growth issue.

 

[reefer333_]

Thanks, [MENTION=377805]Oldreeferman[/MENTION]. In your experience, does soaking in RO for a day or two actually kill those mushrooms? I feel like they are very hardy and I read even injecting with vinegar doesn't kill them, so just want to check whether you have done that with mushrooms or only other types of corals? One more question: you asked about the zoas and palys. Is that due to the toxin they released when they died? I do have 3-4 polyps of zoas on the rock that I don't need to save, just checking why you mentioned zoas/palys. Thanks again for your input.

 

[Oldreeferman]

Thanks, [MENTION=377805]Oldreeferman[/MENTION]. In your experience, does soaking in RO for a day or two actually kill those mushrooms? I feel like they are very hardy and I read even injecting with vinegar doesn't kill them, so just want to check whether you have done that with mushrooms or only other types of corals? One more question: you asked about the zoas and palys. Is that due to the toxin they released when they died? I do have 3-4 polyps of zoas on the rock that I don't need to save, just checking why you mentioned zoas/palys. Thanks again for your input.

Hi,
Yes the soaking works, it makes them very easy to remove. Does it kill them probably, however i don't try to put them back in saltwater to test that.

Remove the offending rock & cover it with room temp RO water & let it sit at least 12hrs. By then you can now easily just gently push them off with anything, i use a bamboo skewer works great.

After you have them off just gently scrub the rock with a soft bristle brush & rinse again to remove any slime etc then just put the rock back in the tank.
The coralline will still look about the same.

Ive done this a few times its the only easy way to remove them without actually having to cut or force which usually leaves a bit that always returns.

I have a very healthy fear of any Zoas & especially Palys and i have none of them in either tanks or ever will because messing or removing them can possibly be very toxic. This simple act of just RO will make them slime big time if you have them, so if you have this issue then you have a prob beyond the mushrooms and i can't tell you what to do with that issue safely since i simply do not know other then simply tossing the rocks away.

I will say that i have read several articles that did state using a strong diluted bleach soak overnite will neutralize the toxins & kill all Palys & Zoas & then use a hi power cool water rinse from a outside spigot hose to throughly wash away any slime & then let the rocks completly dry out. Then they can be safely re-used. This will basickly turn them back into clean dead rock & if i was going to re-use rocks with these creatures again its the only way id even consider doing it.