Mushrooms Elongating their stalks

[lbaldrey]

Why are my mushrooms extending their stalks out of the rocks instead of just layin on the rocks like they used to ?

Theyre all extended and look like Trumpets....my nitrates are at 20ppm...Salinity was a bit high @ 1.029 so im lowering it slowly....

Any ideas ?


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[Steven Pro]

How big is the tank, what kind fo lighting do you use, and how old are the bulbs?

[sparkey65]

mine seem to do that to when they want to feed or are feeding when you notice them doing that try directly feeding them with cyclops

[mjkn2]

Mine used to do that continually. I bought new lighting (stronger) and they are now staying down flush with the rock.

[Dz99ls]

yes does sound like a lighting issue to me

[sparkey65]

did not think mushrooms needed intence light i have medal halides and they do that like i said they do it when iam feeding

[lbaldrey]

I would imagine it to be a lighting (or feeding) issue as well...just checking with you'll...
I only have 60W of 50/50 lights on my 55G...
Im bringing on the halide in a week or two...

[Steven Pro]

Originally posted by lbaldrey
I only have 60W of 50/50 lights on my 55G...
Im bringing on the halide in a week or two...

It does indeed sound like they are panning/stretching to recieve the available light. I would go slow when you add those MH's for fear of shocking your current stock. Only use the MH's for 1 hour per day for the first week. You can then increase 1 hour every week until you finally get to your desired photoperiod.

[lbaldrey]

I have bought a separate timer with that in mind Steven...Thank you very much....

[EricHugo]

Steven:

Mushrooms don't "reach for the light" - the trumpeting response is likely to be related to water flow and the shape most likely to encourage the ciliary transport of particulate food sources. These are typically low light polyps, and although stronger light may cause polyp withdrawal )including flattening), I'm not sure that that is necessarily a better state for them. The nitrogen, salinity, and general tank params may also be playing a role...and so might light, for that matter.

[sparkey65]

mushrooms do not need intence lighting they are streching to feed mine do it all the time if you have alot of light you may want to put the mushrooms down near the bottom

[sparkey65]

oh they grow very well under overhangs and in shaded areas with god water flow

[Icedawg4563]

yeah i had one group in almost complete shade and they did fine

[mickey57]

I just puchased a red mushroom polyop last week from the lfs.They had a rock with about 10 on it that had been sitting under their 250MH for 35 bucks,they were trumpeting.I really wasn't intrested but I always have to leave with something.I saw where one polyop had attached itself to a 3lb live rock so I went to dealing for the rock.Got the rock for $4 a pound with the polyop.I bought it home,put it under 440 vho and it is staying shriveled up.I thought it would trumpet like it was doing in the stores tank, but more,for the light.Obviously it is not the light,which Eric pointed out.So I am going to move it to another tank (192 PC) and see what happens there:confused:
....Mickey

[rpisces]

If there is no light, the mushroom would turns white!

Surely, the mushroom needs light. The amount of light required would depends on the species and colours. If you are shifting the mushroom from one tank to another then it has to be acclimatised. We simply cannot put one from dim to bright light and expects them to open up or have shorter stalk immediately.

In my experience, they would grow taller in dimmer light and ofcourse with minimal current. Too much current would blow the mushroom of its attachment.

There is also no reason for them to stretch to feed unless they have fallen into a crevice and have to extend out or the place is not in the main stream of the current.