What causes mushroom to do this?

fasteddie99

New member
I've had these 2 pieces of mushroom rock for about 2 months now and they have been doing fine up until about 2 weeks ago when they started to shrivel up. One of them so much that it just hangs on by a thread.

I checked all my params and everything was where it has always been except for the ph was 7.8...

I added ph 8.2 into the system 2 days ago and rechecked this morning and all is normal.

Sg 1.025
amm 0
kh 10
temp 78.5
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
calcium 480

I also have zoos, a favia, 2 nems, ect... and all seem to be doing well so I believe the tank is healthy. I just moved them into a shaded area this morning (which is hard to find with flourescent lighting) hoping they will flatten out a little, telling me it *may* be a lighting issue.

Here is a pic about a month ago.

7-18-09mushsooms1.jpg
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And here is a pic this morning after I moved them under an overhang. Accually, after the picture was taken, I moved them further under the ledge for even more shading.



IMG_6810.jpg
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Any help or suggestions will bee appreciated. :D

Thanks..Eddie
 
I had a mushrooms that struggled under direct light, so that is likely your problem.

What kind of flow do you have in the area they were in? They don't seem to like too much flow either, so that's another possibility.
 
Looks to me like they are about to detach. And they will float around the tank and land somewhere else. They only do this for 2 reasons IME. Either there is to many of them in 1 area, (which I don't think is your issue), or there is something that they are not happy with. Possibly lighting or flow like mentioned above. I definitely think they can recover, and will be fine if you find them a good spot.
 
Usually when they flatten out like that, they're getting more than enough light. When they start to reach, not enough light. They'll either start growing really fast, or detach and look for a new home. Either way though, nothing is wrong. They look really good.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15579557#post15579557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bill14
I had a mushrooms that struggled under direct light, so that is likely your problem.

What kind of flow do you have in the area they were in? They don't seem to like too much flow either, so that's another possibility.

I hope it is light, I can regulate that with placement.

They were/are in a low flow area, I knew they liked little flow. Its a good thing, one looks like its about to blow off.:(
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15579627#post15579627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luther1200
Looks to me like they are about to detach. And they will float around the tank and land somewhere else. They only do this for 2 reasons IME. Either there is to many of them in 1 area, (which I don't think is your issue), or there is something that they are not happy with. Possibly lighting or flow like mentioned above. I definitely think they can recover, and will be fine if you find them a good spot.

Hope so, we will see :)

Thanks for the reply
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15579727#post15579727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Asterix
Are the only ones that are shriveling up the ones touching those polyps?


The rock on the left is the only ones I am having problems with, the one on the right is a different kind of mushroom and seems to be doing fine. The zoo polyps that you see were already on the rock frag when I bought it and they were getting along just fine so I dont think they are irritating each other.

I am gonna go with the shady area for a few days and see how they react.

Thanks again
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15579764#post15579764 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cloak
Usually when they flatten out like that, they're getting more than enough light. When they start to reach, not enough light. They'll either start growing really fast, or detach and look for a new home. Either way though, nothing is wrong. They look really good.

I always understood just the opposite. When mushroom flatten out they are reaching "outwardly" for more light. When they shrink up they are getting too much.

Zoo polyps however will lengthen in hight to "reach" for mor light.

I could be completely wrong with this so someone please correct me if I am.

Thanks for the reply and the kind words.
 
Flattening out and shrinking are pretty much the same thing to me. I'm not a big fan of seeing mushrooms look like toadstools.
 
I have two large 10 + colonies of those blue striped mushrooms just like that an mine seem to do best closer to the lights, Mine are under 250 watt halides. Doing very well and all seem to be growing and multiplying much faster than under lower lighting.
 
all the mushrooms in my tank are flattened out and reaching up towards the light much like a toadstool. Again my colonies are about 10 inches away from a 250 watt 14k metal halide
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15581025#post15581025 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanSweatt2004
all the mushrooms in my tank are flattened out and reaching up towards the light much like a toadstool. Again my colonies are about 10 inches away from a 250 watt 14k metal halide

Like the picture above, or can you see the stalk? I agree they're probably jamming, but I've never seen a mushroom that sprang a bud on a trunk. Usually they flatten out on the rocks, and all of a sudden there's two, then three, then four, etc.
 
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Some opf my larger ones will "birth" sort a speak a few or many new ones then release from that spot and get moved on to somehwere else where they do this all over again. Not one has ever died from doing this. All mine are flat against their rocks in various hieghts in the tank under 175w halides. They did this also under pc's.
 
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