Best Way to rid mushrooms

montepora · #1 09/12/2004, 08:21 PM

I have a SPS dominated 120g tank that is infested with mushrooms. They are stining my sps corals and I tried many ways to rid of them but they keep coming back.

I would love to hear your suggestions. I tried to inject them with kalk solution, hot water, Joe's juice and maunal scrapping.

There must be a solution out there, please help.

Rikko · #2 09/13/2004, 04:23 AM

You may have already tried it, but what about scraping away all you can see and then kalk/juicing the heck out of the area where they were attached? Much like pulling weeds and then spraying the area.

Scuba Dog · #3 09/13/2004, 07:47 AM

I have tried injecting with kalk to no avail, these things are indestructable ....they ought to use them for inmortality reasearch lol seriously...

montepora · #4 09/13/2004, 08:01 AM

Thanks for the replies, I am thinking what would be a good natural preditator for them.. Any ideas??

Scuba Dog · #5 09/13/2004, 08:08 AM

I thought of trading in a couple pieces of my shrrom infested live rock for non infested live rock at the lfs.......might have to give them a call and see if they will swap me even....

montepora · #6 09/13/2004, 09:17 AM

Due to the locations of some of the infested rocks, this means I have to take out substantial amount of rocks....

I am thinking about copperband butterfly... any thoughts??

wstellwagen · #7 09/14/2004, 12:03 PM

A racoon will do the job. The problem may be how much other damage it does It worked
very nicely in my 400 I had far more damage from other attemps to clean an infestation
of 1500 shrooms with razor blades removing rocks and drying them out etc. I hate mushrooms. They are worse pests than aptasia.

Walt

montepora · #8 09/14/2004, 12:24 PM

Walt:

Yes, that is actually my first choice....

Did you get rid the Racoon after the job done?? What was the damage on your sps or LPS if you have any.

Please let me know. TIA.

wstellwagen · #9 09/15/2004, 10:09 AM

Contrary to expectations I did not have any damage to my lps or sps from the racoon other than a bit of nibbling on some pepermints.The recoon fortunatly died soon after cleaning things up.I probably would have been unable to remove him from the tank
without major disruption because of certain design features.

Walt

montepora · #10 09/15/2004, 12:15 PM

That is great to know, I had a semilavertus in my mixed reef before and the damage was none.

I think I will give the racoon a try.

Thanks.

wstellwagen · #11 09/16/2004, 10:21 AM

To make you feel more confortable I got the tip from Charles Delbeek back on compuserve's fishnet

Walt

montepora · #12 09/16/2004, 12:55 PM

THanks, I will go out and find my a juvy Racoon.

ozreefer1 · #13 09/17/2004, 05:18 AM

iuse a 50/50 mix of boiling water and white vinegar then use this mix to inject them gone forever never to return

graveyardworm · #14 10/02/2004, 09:51 PM

I purchased a rabbitfish (siganus puellis) in the hopes it would eat bubble algea. Turns out it had a taste for mushrooms. I dont know if this is an odd choice of food for this fish, but I had to move it to another tank cause I liked my shrooms.

graveyardworm · #15 10/02/2004, 09:53 PM

What is a racoon fish?

montepora · #16 10/02/2004, 09:57 PM

That is odd, first time I ever heard this, please don't take me wrong and I am not doubting you.

I think rabbit fish would be a better addition than the racoon butterfly fish in my reef tank. Anyone else observe this?? Please chim in.

Thank you for your reply.

graveyardworm · #17 10/02/2004, 10:03 PM

This guy was definately munching on my shrooms. After I moved him I purchased a foxface which doesnt touch my coral but loves to eat bubble algea.

Pistonkev · #18 10/02/2004, 11:30 PM

If anyone want's to git rid of mushrooms I will take em.

radiata · #19 10/03/2004, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by montepora
I think rabbit fish would be a better addition than the racoon butterfly fish in my reef tank. Anyone else observe this?? Please chim in.

montepora,

I had a Rabbit decimate my mushrooms. The first preference was for blue/purple, then green hairy, then green-striped. Took me six months to figure out why the mushrooms in one tank disappeared while those in another tank on the same sump showed no problems. When I figured it that it had to be the Rabbit I moved a small mushroom rock from one tank into the Rabbit's tank, and he went right after them!

I don't have the species handy. It was sold to me as a "Fiji Rabbit" - had a dark bar through the eyes, a striped nose, and bluish/yellowish stripes through the body.

Regards,
Bob D.

montepora · #20 10/03/2004, 10:12 PM

Bob:

When you get the chance, a pic would be really nice and helpful.

Thank you for your reply.

graveyardworm · #21 10/03/2004, 10:18 PM

I'm not too good at posting links you'll find the species I mentioned at dr foster and smith under the name siganus puellis also called decorated rabbitfish.

montepora · #22 10/04/2004, 08:04 AM

Got it, thank you for your reply.

Aquatect · #23 10/09/2004, 09:39 PM

Sledge hammer?

montepora · #24 10/10/2004, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aquatect
Sledge hammer?

Iwish I could.

I got the racoon butterfly yesterday as well as the starfish. I got the racoon residing in the refugium and started testing and see what it would eat.

First was the mushroom, it ate it right away. Then I place an orange digitata, it showed not interest what so ever. For third test I place a frag of the green slimmer into the refugium and it went after it right away, nipping it left and right so I am weary putting it into my tank.

The star fish is in the tank, I place it on top of the mushrooms but it just went other direction, I have not seen it since.

I think I have to try to find the rabbit fish and hope it would eat my shrooms......

mthedude · #25 10/12/2004, 12:31 PM

I just spent 50 bucks on a hairy mushroom rock. Anyone want to fell bad for me and send me a bag of thier shrooms?