I have maintained a FOWLR tank for over 5 years and in the past 10 months have started my first reef system. I have started with the easy corals (mostly leathers, zoos, and mushrooms). For some reason I cannot seem to keep my mushrooms happy. With the exception of a single specimen I bought at a frag swap, every mushroom rock that I have bought from my lfs fails to fully open. They open up to about 1/3 to 1/2 the size they were in the store. All water parameters are good, they are kept in low to moderate flow areas, and at the bottom of the tank. My question is are they sensitive to higher temperatures because I am near 80 degrees. Everything else is doing very well in the tank. Mushrooms are supposed to be easy. I must be missing something.
Mushrooms not opening
- Thread starter ikktrdr
- Start date
keckles
New member
80 degrees is fine.
What are the lighting conditions? The specimen from the frag swap is doing well, but those from the LFS are not. Perhaps the LFS has a weaker lighting system than you and the person from the frag swap. Wouldn't be uncommon, we go to great lengths to provide the best for our aquariums, but the LFS has to keep overhead in mind and may have chosen a simpler lighting system. Have you tried moving one of the rocks into a lower light/shaded area to see how it responds?
What are the lighting conditions? The specimen from the frag swap is doing well, but those from the LFS are not. Perhaps the LFS has a weaker lighting system than you and the person from the frag swap. Wouldn't be uncommon, we go to great lengths to provide the best for our aquariums, but the LFS has to keep overhead in mind and may have chosen a simpler lighting system. Have you tried moving one of the rocks into a lower light/shaded area to see how it responds?
TampaSnooker
Active member
Good point on lighting. Anyone bugging them? Emerald crabs, cleaner shrimp, peppermints, angels and tangs can all irritate the animal so it won't open. If the other residents in the tank don't recognize a new species, it is natural for them to go see if it is edible...
Flatworms can also cause irritation. Look closely for little reddish specks. They probably are just feeding on the shroom's slime but it is enough to irritate it to the point it won't open.
Flatworms can also cause irritation. Look closely for little reddish specks. They probably are just feeding on the shroom's slime but it is enough to irritate it to the point it won't open.
Thank you to all who have responded. I did relocate the mushroom rock per the suggestion of keckles to a lower light area. It appeared the next day that the mushrooms opened a little more. Unfortunately they still have not opened to the size they were in the store. They do not appear shriveled either. Since then I purchased a rock covered in rhodactis mushrooms. I placed it near my other mushroom rock. The rhodactis is doing extremely well and looks better than it did at the store. I don't know, this has me stumped.
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