Quick question

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

Have some mushrooms that had their feet secured only to sand. I'm wondering if I can apply corafix directly to their feet in order to secure them to a rock. If I don't secure them they just get knocked/blown off and drift around the tank.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Gluing down mushrooms is not easy. I have heard of people using a shot glass to hold the mushroom in place until it attaches itself.

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

Problem is, I have 4 tiny ones and 1 medium sized on one small rock. A shot glass wouldn't work.... I have them positioned where I want them and have the rock in a small container of water under a light. How long till they attach?

 

[Gregcoyote]

No guarantee they will, they can be pretty fickle.
You might try some netting to keep them in place,

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

Yea that's what I'll do. Just out of curiosity though, can you put the coraffix(glue) on their feet? One guy at LFS recommended not doing it but again he never tried.. Just wondering if that would be a possibility or if it would definitely hurt them.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I have used gelled super glue available at the hardware store with okay results. It is safe to use as that is what is in the more expensive aquarium trade glues. I have used it for years. I dry the rock as best as possible, make a small button of super glue on the rock and a smaller one on the back center of the mushroom. It has to be the gelled variety of super glue or this wont work. Let set a few seconds then, underwater place the two beads together and gently squash. If you don't move anything for a few minutes, you will probably get a bond. You have to be really gentle, but piercing the mushroom doesn't work. Best way is to confine the mushroom and the rock in a place where the process might happen naturally.

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

Great, that's what I have(the gel) specifically designed for corals and it's saltwater activated. 2 small mushrooms I placed securely in small holes in the rock and they fit perfectly and are out of the current. They should secure themselves naturally. 1 tiny shroom was attached to a tiny rock which I was able to glue in place. I have 2 medium sized left and I glued them to the rock applying the glue gel directly to the feet and placed them on the rock. I know you can use superglue to apply to cuts and gashes acting like stitches so I figured it couldn't hurt applying it to a coral... Well see.. If nothing else its an experiment! Got these 5 various colors of mushrooms at LFS today for $15. I get the ones that have been laying in the sand in the tank for large coral frags/rocks. Just random pieces that fall to the bottom and grow. If you can do this you could cover a large rock for under $40. Depending on LFS. Sometimes they can be tight wads!

 

[Gregcoyote]

Like you said, they put humans back together with the stuff, how bad can it be?

 

[Bige]

My problem with glueing them down, is they take a long time to open big like they were before. But it works. If you can glue just the sand then it will be fine. Also, you can put the shrooms in a low flow spot that they dont blow around. Still no guarantee.

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

My problem with glueing them down, is they take a long time to open big like they were before. But it works. If you can glue just the sand then it will be fine. Also, you can put the shrooms in a low flow spot that they dont blow around. Still no guarantee.

Yea o noticed they didn't open back up where as the ones I didn't glue opened up right away... I placed them in the lowest flow area I could that was exposed to the light.... I don't have much to work with with a 29 gal. Tank. I try to keep good flow to all areas so algae doesn't take hold on the sand. It's give and take with everything! It's like I know where to put them where the algae grows most often lol!

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

Dont wanna get off topic but I've been battling green algae since day one. I've been through everything to control it and finally I cut my lights back from 10 hrs to 8 and it completely disappeared over night! I'm stoked! Just a little FYI for everyone.. Most said 10 hrs was good but LFS said to try 8 and it worked for my tank(29 biocube original hood and lights).