Have a question about hairy mushrooms

[ms71171]

Has anyone else had trouble keeping these or is it my current ignorance of Nanos?

 

My tank has been running for about 3 weeks and I figured it would be about time to add some softies. I went and bought a nice rock covered with hairy shrooms from my LFS. Nice piece, the problem is that after about a week of thriving they all of a sudden started falling off the rock in strings and disolved where they landed.

 

From reading my searches this sometimes happens when they are multiplying themselves by fission but not in my case, they simply turn to goo.

 

The only thing I can think is that I had a PH spike after dripping in Kalkwasser the weekend before this started. I dripped it in over 2 days so I didnt think that would hurt but who knows.

 

I had my water tested at the LFS last week and everything looked like I was coming out of the first cycle. I have ordered a SeaChem Marine test kit online and still waiting for its arrival. This is probaly due to nitrates. I suppose will find out once I get my test kit.

[anthony812]

Its another Newbie mistake, just remember, don't RUSH into it! take it slow, make sure all your water parameter are set and ~stable (no tank will ever be stable") before you attempt on any corals. 3 Week??? that is a short time, your tank is most likly not complete its cycle yet. Dripping Kalk? why? you have a new tank, all the elements are still in your water and not consumed by any livestocks, why are you dripping kalk? no wonder you have a PH spike. the shrroms you got died basically cuz the water parameter is so bad, they TRIED to jump ship to find a more suitable area and unfortunately they couldn't. I feel sad for them, as Green Frilly Shrooms are one of my favorate and they get HUGE!

[jdiver]

I've had varying experiences with hairy mushrooms. I have one green hairy mushroom rock that I got with 4 mushrooms on it that has done great, no problems, and I have fragged it a couple of times. A friend of mine and my dad each had a hairy mushroom rock in their respective tanks, and within two weeks the mushrooms dissolved in much the same way you described. I suspected that since both rocks were from the same story and presumably the same supplier, that they were infected with something before purchasing and that was the reason for them dissolving (all water params in both tanks were fine). It sounds like water params may have been an issue with your mushroom mishap though. When you say you were "coming out of the first cycle," what does that mean? Were your levels still not stable and zeroed out for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates? How high was your pH spike and was it back down to normal limits and stable when you added the mushroom rock?

[ms71171]

Obivously I need to get some more tests to be more specific with my questions.

 

Sorry for the generalizations.

 

I have ordered a Seachem Marine Basic kit so hope to have some firm figures soon to see whats going on.

[printerdown01]

Without using test kits, you should wait 6-8 weeks before you should add anything. After this period your tank is considered "safe." It could be stable after 2 weeks, but without kits you won't really know. I don't use tests, and I simply waited 6 weeks before I added anything. Also I wouldn't drip kalk unless I had a calcium and alk kit!! This stuff can be a problem in a small system!! I honestly wouldn't recommend any additives to a newbie... once you get a feel for the tank, then start adding stuff. In the mean time do 10% weekly or bi-weekly water changes (this will replentish your trace elements).

[ms71171]

I had been using B-Ionic since the second week so that I could get the coralline growing good. I also have been doing weekly 20% water changes with salted RO water from my LFS.

 

In reaction to my shrooms dying I've laid off of all additives as of last week and am waiting for my test kit to see whats goin on.

 

Whats funny is that its soooo hard to be patient with these things. Everything is a gradual process. Even when I think I'm being patient I end up going too fast.