Rhodactis taking over, advice?

[Whiterabbitrage]

Bought an orange Rhodactis shroom some months ago. It has quadrupled in size, which is great, but it is also reproducing. They are taking over one side of the tank and smothering out the Sunset Monti. Would it be possible to move some? I don't want to injury them but maybe is there a way to get them to move on their own? I've tried to move what's left of the Monti but he's too thin skinned to frag. What would you do?

 

[greenskull]

You can take a utility razor blade and carefully shave them off the rock (try not to tear 'em or leave remnants) or chisel off chunks of the rock they are on. I let mine grow on a side of my tank on the glass..... easy to razor off and frag out.

 

[bobo33]

Frag them and trade them for other corals. Or take the rock they are on to your local lfs as a trade in on clean rock.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

The rocks are glued together. And I tried to shave them off but no doing. They are really wedged into the crannies. So put a rock near the Monti, hope he will grow onto it so then he'll be fragged and saved. Also redirected the outflow to blow onto the Rhodactus that is smothering the Monti. Let's hope it takes the hint and backs off.

 

[snorvich]

You realize, of course, that they can take fish?

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

No! No I did not know that.
Wait, are you teasing me Steve? Rhodactis can't sting and move very slowly when they fold up. How would they catch a fish?

 

[snorvich]

No! No I did not know that.
Wait, are you teasing me Steve? Rhodactis can't sting and move very slowly when they fold up. How would they catch a fish?

I am not teasing on this. Clownfish, as an example, are highly susceptible. Just be aware.

 

[aromano]

elephant ear mushrooms yes, but a normal rhodactis? sounds a bit far fetched

 

[snorvich]

elephant ear mushrooms yes, but a normal rhodactis? sounds a bit far fetched

You mean Rhodactis mussoides, elephant ear mushrooms?
Do a google search and you may find it is not clear that there is no risk with these guys.

 

[philosophile]

Elephant ear rhodactis are really huge, so I believe they could take out fish, but I've never heard of other rhodactis taking out fish. Most other rhodactis never get big enough to consume fish even of nano size.

 

[snorvich]

Perhaps. Check google and see how you feel about the issue.

 

[accordsirh22]

i had rhodactis sting an octospawn head to death, along with some frogspawn heads. these guys can and do pack a sting

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Hoo boy.... Thank you for the heads up, Steve, and for your input everyone. :sad2:
I had elephant ears on the Do Not Buy list. I had a preconceived notion of how Rhodactis mussoides look; brown or green and huge. I assumed the small colorful ones I was buying were more related to R inchoata. I thought you were crazy, Steve, that a shroom could eat a fish. So I tested it, by giving a silverside to a couple of them. Those shrooms couldn't wait to wrap around and start eating. They obviously like big chunks of food. Thank you for the heads up.

 

[Mynx]

....After seeing this, I'm debating if my giant green mushrooms are this or not... O.O They're between 4-5 inches across... I have baby fish with them! EEEK!

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

What are you going to do Mynx? Maybe yours are the safe kind. The orange ones I have are each over 8" and there's a green one with neon yellow warts that's even bigger. Steve is probably right about these being elephants ears. Who knew they came in gorgeous colors?

 

[Mynx]

...Probably frag them... lol I'll just take them out, cut them in 1/4s and stick them to a smaller rock. I like them, they glow in moonlight amazingly.