moving red mushrooms

[mwrmma]

i was just wondering if i should move some of these red mushrooms with blue/green spots on them. there are about 15 on one rock, and while the lights are off, no problem, but once the MH's come on, they all open up and seem crowded. is this a problem, and should i move a few? i tried grabbing one last night, but it was so slimy i couldnt really pull it off. what is the best way to transplant these? thanks.

 

[austinsdad]

I belive you're gonna have to remove the rock if possible and scrape'm off from the bottom where they're attached. I never did it, but it's described as though it's a razor blade job. Re-attaching them can go one of two ways. I've put'm in a breeder tank on a bunch or rock rubble. They'll attach themselves in a few days. Or, I read/heard that you can use bridal veil type material and tie'm down to a larger rock (if desired) so they get the light and flow and attach on the rock you want'm to.

Does the current situation look that bad? Mushrooms bunch up anyway.

 

[loyalrogue]

When mushrooms get overcrowded they will normally migrate on their own.
I had one small, flat chip of rock about 2"x3" that I bought with about 7 small mushrooms on it.
I placed it on top of a large piece of LR and about a month later I went back to move the chip, and only 3 shrooms were still attached to it.
All the others had moved just off the edge and attached to the LR instead.

That's one of the great things about them that makes mushroom colonies easy to frag.
I just surround my large colony with rubble, and place one or two pieces of rubble in the middle of, or on top of the colony.
Within a few weeks at least one or two shrooms have moved onto the rubble, and I'll remove those pieces and have a nice frag to trade or sell.

Sometimes you'll even see a mushroom that's detached and floating free in your tank who's "left home" to make a fresh start.
Don't be surprised if someday you move your rocks and find a hidden colony or two.

 

[melosu58]

Yes as LR said they will fall off by them selves when they get crowded. I have them all over the tank falling from this rock. Is this crowded enough for you?

 

[phishead]

I have similar mushrooms that came on a rock. It started with five. I sold it back to the store this fall, with another rock that each had 20. My tank still has 70 or 80 red mushrooms in it and I just started two new rocks yesterday to sell back. I probably have a floater a week and they relocate on their own. Put the piece you have where you want mushrooms to be, then in a week or two they will walk off the rock and then you just move the rock to a different place.

 

[melosu58]

I agree about selling them I have sold some of mine to the LFS and recieved over 300 dollars of store credit. It looks like you`ll be able to do the same thing Mw

 

[mwrmma]

what do the LFS's usually give you for a piece of rubble with a couple of medium sized shrooms?

 

[melosu58]

Mine will give me about 50.00 for a piece with about 10-15 mushrooms on them. People buy them up like there is no tomorrow here in Rich Va. The red ones like you have and the blue ones like I have sell very good here. Nice and bright.

 

[phishead]

$50 a piece? I should ship them to you. I paid $25 for a piece with 5 shrooms and they offered me $15 a piece with 20 shrooms on them. I traded for a candy cane with 12 heads that they were selling for $35. Seemed like a fair deal to me.

 

[flanque]

I have a set of fluffies and the smaller ones underneath have become transparent. I saw another one which moved on its own and was half transparent, but over a few weeks has slowly gotten all its colour back.. I assume this means the light level is sufficient for them.

I have some which are almost the size of a saucer and so I'd like to move them so as the ones below can get the light too.

Is there a safe way to do this? I don't want to risk injuring and killing any.

 

[melosu58]

I just never move mine no matter what. They are low light corals so they will be ok. I have heard of people taking a credit card and scraping on the rock slowly till the mushroom comes loose. I have some huge ones also. The transparent ones are new ones or at least that is what they are in my tank. And to phishead it`s a wonderful thing to get free corals from good things in your tank isn`t it. I have several corals from trading in my mushrooms including that purple brain in my avatar.

 

[flanque]

Yeah one of these transparent ones just appeared at the bottom of my tank overnight... but it just seems as though there used to be more underneath these large ones.. perhaps if I moved rock around I might find some new colonies hidden away somewhere...

I'd love to have them reproduce quicker, but at a total of 60w of light that's unlikely.. unless yo have some tips?

 

[melosu58]

Here were my mushrooms when I started. And this is what they are now minus the several hundred I sold back to the LFS. Whether it is the weekly PWC`s or Phytoplankton or low excessive nutrients I dont know. I only add one supplement and that`s Kent`s Coral vite. And I always under use it. Look at my two post is the Saltwater photo area Before and after 1 and 2 to see the growth of my corals.

 

[flanque]

Yeah mine certainly don't reproduce like that. Not even close!

 

[phishead]

I'd love to have them reproduce quicker, but at a total of 60w of light that's unlikely.. unless yo have some tips?[/quote]

YEah, that's the ticket. Mine didn't really reproduce till I got a larger light. They will move to satisfy there own light needs.

If you did want to move the larger ones, then just cut them with a razer blade or sharp scissors about 2mm from the base. Wrap the top in mesh and an elastic band to another piece of rock and they will reattach in a week or so. You will also get a new mushroom from the base that you cut off.

IMO they thrive based on light. I don't think that any supplements help them, but they are very sturdy corals. I had so many that when I changed tanks I left a handful just sitting in the old tank with no light or heat. To my surprise they were still alive weeks later.

 

[melosu58]

I dont believe it is no large amount of light. I only have 3 WPG.

 

[phishead]

I dont believe it is no large amount of light. I only have 3 WPG.

right, sorry I should have explained that I bought these guys when I had 1 NO strip light running a 75 gal tank. When i bought the 4 X 65 watt light they took off. I have less than 3 watts/gal.

AND YES!!! I love making something of value in my tank and trading it in. That's why I just started another two rocks.

 

[melosu58]

AND YES!!! I love making something of value in my tank and trading it in. That's why I just started another two rocks.

That`s great news