Ricordea eating predator

[karimwassef]

The chocolate chip starfish looks very interesting. It's slow, so highly controllable in case it goes crazy. It eats soft corals, clams, and other stars... sounds like acceptable collateral damage (I have no clams).

My urchins may be in danger though - slow motion violence...

what do you think?

don't know if I can get one of these more colorful types somewhere

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Think that second picture is of a red knobby starfish. I've seen them on live aquaria. Not sure if they are the same as a chocolate chip though.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Even with the lights off, those aren't ricordia. I'm not commenting about the color, rather the texture. Riccordia have distinct round nodules not small tentacle hairs. Riccordia are very distinct, look at a few pictures of them, you cannot mistake them for another mushroom, except maybe Yuma. And even then, you compare them side by side and they stand out.
Anyhow, knowing that they are hairy mushrooms and not riccordia, I think you may have to pull those rocks rather than try to remove them by mechanical means. Hairy mushrooms are very resilient and even the smallest piece of tissue scattered or left behind from removal will grow back. I'm honestly not sure you will be able to remove them any other way. As for using a butterfly to remove them, that might be a mistake because they won't just eat your mushrooms. Any other corals you have, even sps polyps will be fair game.

 

[karimwassef]

Ok. Naming errors aside for coral or starfish (please)... I cannot remove the rocks. They're a concrete structure.

Mechanical removal has resulted in me killing my sps since

1. They occupy most of the surface area from above
2. I am clumsy

So... in lieu of wrecking my reef...

Suggestions?

I'm pro the chocolate chip as the safest next step at this point.

 

[slgcmg]

Crazy idea, but my bubble coral kills anything next to it. Maybe put one next to a colony and see if it takes them out

 

[karimwassef]

my torch put up a good fight for months, but the mushroom multiplies faster and starts stinging from multiple angles.. too many tentacles stinging. I don't think a bubble could do better.

 

[jccaclimber]

Old thread, but since I don't think this has been resolved:
Copper free rotary or oscillating air tool modified to vent remotely and a diamond wheel.

 

[karimwassef]

Do you have one?

 

[Tripod1404]

Bubble coral might be a good idea. They have very long sweepers with a nasty sting. It can kill euphyllia corals so that shows their potency.

On one my friends used bubble coral corals to kill a colony of mushrooms. He would cut small of the mushroom and put it on the bubble, sweepers would come out in 5 mins and they were sometimes 6-8 inches long. His flow was in such a way that, sweepers were carried directly on to the mushroom colony.

 

[karimwassef]

My hammer put up an exceptional fight but the mushrooms just grew too fast

 

[jccaclimber]

Do you have one?

No, but you can get one for <$50 and mod it. Thinking about it a couple flex extensions for a dremel (followed by a good rinsing and cleaning to prevent rust) would do the trick too.

 

[jccaclimber]

^I'm not sure how much shipping is and I'd want to verify compatibility with my Dremel, but this one is all of $5. I already have little compatible diamond wheels. Would almost be worth it even if you had to throw it away after using it.

https://www.wish.com/c/5783398894bcf15256f29b2e?hide_login_modal=true&from_ad=pla4&_display_country_code=US&gclid=CPX-jsmXltMCFda3wAod3FIMRQ

 

[karimwassef]

it would have to be a wheel that won't shatter on rock impact.. since these things can be pretty tight on the rock. Also, need a vaccum sheath or aside to pull the pieces.. they're deadly to any sps they get stuck on.

I haven't been able to create a syphon into my sump with a net - seems easy but it's harder to sustain than you'd think.

 

[karimwassef]

Danny - get 2 of those flex connections, I'll take one of them and owe you $5

 

[jccaclimber]

it would have to be a wheel that won't shatter on rock impact.. since these things can be pretty tight on the rock. Also, need a vaccum sheath or aside to pull the pieces.. they're deadly to any sps they get stuck on.

I haven't been able to create a syphon into my sump with a net - seems easy but it's harder to sustain than you'd think.

1) They wheels are diamond coated steel, they aren't going to shatter.
2) I'm sure something like this with a net rather than foam would catch the mushrooms. I use this to change water in my small tanks, and to refill my 300.

Danny - get 2 of those flex connections, I'll take one of them and owe you $5

I might be up for doing that the other way around, where I owe you $5.

 

[A sea K]

I've tried suctioning out mushrooms before but they held tight. I don't know for sure but could you inject them with kalk paste as you would aiptasia?

 

[karimwassef]

the idea is to use a rotary tool like a dremmel connected to a flexible attachment to get to them and rip them apart.. then suck them out

 

[moondoggy4]

If you can get a power head and aim it at the mushroom it will annoy it enough and they will detach, if you do it to severely they will leave a foot and grow another. Good luck and PS you have a beautiful tank.

 

[karimwassef]

Thanks. They've got powerheads blasting them but they don't go.

 

[slief]

Those look like hairy mushrooms. I have a lot of them in my tank. I recently started peeling them off the rocks. I just get my nail underneath them and start working my way under them with my finger. The release pretty easily. I just recently cleared out a few rocks of a couple dozen of them. 10-15 minutes worth of time and I can remove a dozen or so. I do it while the lights are on so I can see what I'm doing.