mushrooms

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f-dean

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
68
Location
stigler,ok
I just added a rock from my lfs with 5 mushrooms on it. will they spread to other rocks, Should I add anything special for them I use agua milk.
I have a emrald in the tank will he bother them.
 
f-dean said:
I just added a rock from my lfs with 5 mushrooms on it. will they spread to other rocks
They will eventually spread to whatever they can touch given the right conditions (moderate light/low flow) you can also >>propagate<< you own.

Should I add anything special for them I use agua milk.
I have a emrald in the tank will he bother them.
Argamilk and the like are additives for alk/Ca and are not used by soft corals. Unless you have scleractinians (hard corals) I would stick with regular water changes. If you ever do end up with scleractinians, I would not opt for the Argamilk either. Quite messy and not very effective. A two part balanced additive or kalkwasser would be much better for a demand that water changes could not keep up with.

As with any crab, they are oportunists. Although touted as reef safe, mithrax can be a concern so keep an eye on it.

Cheers
Steve
 
So if your keeping soft corals only theres no need to dose? Assuming you do weekly water changes?
 
No matter what you are keeping, there is only a need to dose anything if your tests indicate it is lacking from your tank. In some tanks coralline growth alone can remove a lot of Ca and carbonate from your water. If your tests indicate that the Ca and ALK levels are below NSW levels then look into 2 part additives or kalk dosing, but with a low load of calcifying inverts and weekly water changes you should be okay.
 
we have a 25 gal mushroom and leather tank that has a few frags of LPS that we are trying to grow out, but we have never needed to dose any ca or alk because nothing in there really uses them. everythime we test the results are exactly the same. Just thought id comment
 
What if your salt is low on calcium to begin with? Isn't IO low on calcium out of the bucket? This might be a reason to dose.

I don't do anything yet other than bi-weekly changes.
 
IO is running about 380 Ca. A half teaspoon Turbo calcium to 5 gallons of water takes it to about 420. That's what I do for water change water, and the calcium stays at 400 or so in the system. But I did a lot of testing before coming to that conclusion.
 
Six-Line said:
So if your keeping soft corals only theres no need to dose? Assuming you do weekly water changes?
As Jack indicated, let your tests be your guide. In most cases though without animals that have a heavy CaCO3 demand, water changes will most likely keep up with the alk/Ca. Same goes for the minor trace elements.

Cheers
Steve
 
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