davinaster Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 Or both? This shroom (it's an incredible electric green that I just couldn't capture) has been in my tank for about 2 weeks. It's never seemed very comfortable - always shifting, contracting and so forth. Sometimes it looks like it melted. But until a few days ago, it was expanding and laying flat some of the time. Last night I noticed it looked pinched in the middle and it occured to me that it might be splitting, but I expected it to form a new mouth first. It is in a high flow area, but doesn't seem to be moving with the current too much, so I'm not sure that's the problem. Besides, it's on a very large rock, so moving it would be difficult. Also, I had two different 'shrooms there earlier that seemed itchy, so I moved them, and they were even worse (they're better now - I think I just needed to leave them alone?) Anyhow, I'm new to this, and I'm after two things: 1) Information; I just like to know what's going on because it's facsinating! 2) Warnings; if there's a problem that needs to be fixed, I need to know what it is. Thanks! Specs: 5.5g AGA 24w 10K/24w actinic 0 ammonia 0 nitrite < 5 nitrate 7.8 pH 9 *KH 500 calcium 0.06 iodine 0 (or whatever is lowest) phosphates 1.024 SG 76.4-77.8 *F 2x weekly water changes with Oceanic salt Link to comment
davinaster Posted January 30, 2005 Author Share Posted January 30, 2005 No responses? That's OK. I reaquascaped the whole tank so that I could move that rock to a lower flow area. This guy immediately calmed down and expanded. He's much happier now Link to comment
cornstar Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Mushrooms dont like high flow at all, i had to find a good spot before they where happy. I dont think mushrooms split. Link to comment
DIYDude Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Depending on the species they will either extend out and move while leaving behind a small portion of itself which will develop into a mushroom. So species like ricordia will actually make another mouth and thats the sign that it is splitting. You will also notice the ends of the tentacles starting to branch. Link to comment
davinaster Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 Originally posted by DIYDude You will also notice the ends of the tentacles starting to branch. Really? The ric I just bought has branching tentacles, and I was wondering what it meant! Very cool! Link to comment
jenniebutterfly Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 i have a red shroom that is splitting, so yes shrooms do split. mine has one stalk with two separate heads each having it's own mouth. i think yours may have just been trying to get comfy jen Link to comment
davinaster Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 My was definitely just trying to find a comfortable position. I had no idea it was so big until today, when it finally expanded to its full diameter! It's a gorgeous neon green, too! Link to comment
Newby-Reefer Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Ive seen fuzzy's split and do the hole new head thing. Link to comment
davinaster Posted February 12, 2005 Author Share Posted February 12, 2005 I hadn't been specifically feeding my corals, assuming that they were getting enough from light and fish leftovers. Then I read an article by Eric Borneman where he says that most corals are starving. Then I saw a post here (I think by BKtomodachi) about how big rics open their mouths. So I began spot feeding my shrooms. I had no idea that they folded up like that! Seriously one of the coolest things I've ever seen! I can't believe how fascinating this hobby is. Anyhow, today this electric green rhodactis (?) grabbed up a mysis and I swear its mouth opened to 1/4" wide. Should I be feeding it bigger pieces of food? Link to comment
jenniebutterfly Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 i feed mine mysis, brine, and cyclopeeze mixed together, they fold up, and one of mine gets about the size of a baseball when folded, it is really cool to watch them. i would stick with the mysis though, that is the perfect size for them. Link to comment
davinaster Posted February 12, 2005 Author Share Posted February 12, 2005 The size of a baseball?! Are you serious? Link to comment
jenniebutterfly Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 yes lol, it was funny, shocked the heck out of me at first. here is an old pic of them, they are my hairy shrooms, they are the ones that get huge, btw they open to about 5-6 inches across sometimes Link to comment
renichms Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 That pic looks EXACTLY like mine. A shrimp pellet fell on it and then it closed around it and MAN, the mouth can get huge. RN EDIT: Mine is part way through splitting right now! I can see the second mouth and when it closed up around something that fell on it, it looks like two mostly finished bulbs meeting at a center point. Awesome! Link to comment
davinaster Posted February 13, 2005 Author Share Posted February 13, 2005 God, I love this hobby! Link to comment
Orange Crush Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 i FREAKED OUT the first time i fed my shrooms. I didn't feed them directly, just fed the tank a liquid additive. I thought I killed them. Link to comment
davinaster Posted February 13, 2005 Author Share Posted February 13, 2005 The weirdest thing is when I feed them Formula 1. I'm still experimenting with piece sizes, and my green striped shrooms will fold up to move pieces to their mouths and then just sit their holding them for hours. Eventually they spit them out. Since their mouths are basically just openings to their stomachs, I assume they just digest what they want... Freaky little animals And yesterday I saw a brittle star arm snake out of a hole in the rock and grab and entire mysis shrimp... I'm afraid to step away from the tank in case I miss something... I need Nano TiVo! Link to comment
DIYDude Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Im surprised no one has asked about this: "7.8 pH 9 *KH 500 calcium" Link to comment
renichms Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Originally posted by davinaster The weirdest thing is when I feed them Formula 1. I'm still experimenting with piece sizes, and my green striped shrooms will fold up to move pieces to their mouths and then just sit their holding them for hours. Eventually they spit them out. Since their mouths are basically just openings to their stomachs, I assume they just digest what they want... Freaky little animals And yesterday I saw a brittle star arm snake out of a hole in the rock and grab and entire mysis shrimp... I'm afraid to step away from the tank in case I miss something... I need Nano TiVo! Unless it's a really small shroom, try placing it in the center and they should eat the whole thing. My mushroom is not very good at getting food if it has to try and bring it to its mouth but it'll swallow huge items if put on the middle of it. RN Link to comment
davinaster Posted February 18, 2005 Author Share Posted February 18, 2005 Originally posted by DIYDude Im surprised no one has asked about this: "7.8 pH 9 *KH 500 calcium" Are you referring to the fact that I can't get my pH above 7.8? Because I'd really love any suggestions. I bought Calxmax, and because my calcium was so high (it's actually above 500), I tried dosing with just the alk part for a couple of days, but the pH actually dropped (what the??), so I cut that out. Most of the advice was "regular water changes will keep your pH OK" - not too helpful, since I do regular water changes. In spite of my regular shouts of "the sky is falling!" everything seems to be OK, so I gave up trying to figure it out for a while. But I'm all ears... Link to comment
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