ok to add shrooms??

[dolphinsfan]

My current tank is a 26gal bow with 30lbs liverock & coralife 65w 50/50 bulb for lighting. Was thinking about possibly adding some mushrooms to give corals a try. 1) is my lighting sufficient to support mushrooms? 2) if so, what additives/ diet supplement, if any, would I have to include? Current tank inhabitants include 1 clown, 1 yellowtail damsel, 1 yellow watchman gobie and 1 six-line wrasse. Tank has been running for 7 mos w/ cpr bak pak skimmer.

 

[BDAWG]

Your lighting should be sufficient. I'd add some Iodine and Trace elements.

 

[MT79]

Shrooms should be fine w/ your lighting. You don't have to, and I wouldn't personally, add anything for them. A good partial WC schedule will take care of everything they need. Adding things you don't regularly test for will end up doing more harm than good. HTH

 

[dolphinsfan]

Thanks for the help. I've been contemplating adding shrooms for a while and the inconsistency with advice from my lfs has made me skeptical. The advice i've gotten has ranged form just acclimating and watch them go to a laundry list of chemicals and additives. I don't want to mess with harmony as it currently exists just to screw things up for the sake of trying something new.

 

[MT79]

to a laundry list of chemicals and additives

That, IMO, is a salesman at work. FWIW, using a balanced 2-part ca/alk additive like B-ionic is a good idea with high ca/alk demanding corals like sps, lps, and clams. But, having said that, keeping ca/alk balanced and near the levels of NSW is always desired. Even w/ just softies.

 

[lando]

I'd add some Iodine and Trace elements

I would NOT dose iodine. It is very easy to overdose a tank and it could spell disastor, especially in a tank of that size. In smaller tanks, the best way to replensih the depleted trace elements is through refular water changes. 10% every two weeks will keep your trace elements where they need to be. Skip the additives, add the muchsrooms, have fun...Lando

 

[BDAWG]

It's worked for me in my 29, my shrooms we're doing great until I traded them to a friend. But whatever works for you...

 

[klam]

Shrooms are very tuff and you don't need to dose anything to keep them. I kept some shrooms in a covered Home Depot bucket for at least 3 months and they survived.

 

[BDAWG]

Wow. I figured they were tough but not that tough. That's good to know for future reference. I learn something new every day I'm on this forum. 8)

 

[klam]

Yes they are tuff but they shrunk in size big time. Any longer and they would have disappeared.

 

[BDAWG]

Out of curiosity, why did you need to keep them in there for 3 months?

 

[rickmel]

How do you make them multiply?

 

[klam]

Out of curiosity, why did you need to keep them in there for 3 months?

I had an infestation of red macro turf algae(not cyano) and i pulled and pulled, i just couldnt keep up. Little pieces would float away and start infesting other parts of the tank.

I gave away some of infested rocks w/corals to other reefers and they stated that their tangs just loved to eat that red macro. Unfortunatly I only had a 10g tank and we all know tangs don't belong in such a small tank. So my options were to keep the infested rocks in the dark to starve the algae from light or maybe buy somekind of urchin.