Mushrooms taking over my Tank!

[thomas.torode]

I having blue and purple mushrooms growing all over my rocks and I am afraid they are going to irritate my other corals. Should I kill them using Aptasia X or is there a fish that will eat them? Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[billdogg]

There's nothing that I know of that will eat them. Your best option is to trade or sell the rocks to your LFS or another reefer and replace them with new, mushroom free, rocks.

Anything that will kill an aiptasia anemone will work on a mushroom - the difference is that the mushroom actually have value. (if not to you, then someone else)

 

[ComforablyNumb]

Anything that will kill an aiptasia anemone will work on a mushroom

For Aiptasia X to work, the anemone must first ingest it. Do mushrooms eat?
A matted filefish will also work on aiptasia but will not touch mushrooms.

 

[billdogg]

I suppose I should have been more specific.

Kalk paste, superglue, epoxy over the top will kill them.

Boiling water, joe's juice, Aiptasia X, etc. injected into them will kill them.

Filefish are hit or miss on aiptasia, as are peppermint shrimp

And FWIW - ALL living things eat

 

[fishchef]

How are your nutrient levels? Mushrooms do well in high nutrient systems. Lower the availability and the mushrooms will fade.

 

[AlSimmons]

You could just cut them as close to the base as you can with some sharp scissors and then smother any remaining tissue with some epoxy. Don't expect to wipe them all out in one day though, it will take some time.

 

[fishchef]

You could just cut them as close to the base as you can with some sharp scissors and then smother any remaining tissue with some epoxy. Don't expect to wipe them all out in one day though, it will take some time.

Sounds like a lot of work. Just depends on what kind of corals you have. If you have some LPS or SPS and you have a higher than normal or suggested nutrient level, cleaning up your system may solve your concerns. Ours just disappeared over a year or so. We actually liked the various colonies in our 125.

 

[Sk8r]

Trade the undamaged rocks to your lfs as specimens. They may sell them for higher than the regular rock, so it should be a good trade all around.

 

[sdbc]

I don't recommend the cut with scissors method. As soon as they detect trying to remove them they literally spill their guts. It gets messy fast.

 

[ca1ore]

Scissor method is fine, as long as you only do a few at a time.