hcrk
06/10/2004, 01:00 PM
...
I recently noticed that an area within a large patch of mushrooms had perished suddenly and was in the process of "dissolving"...ie. the tissue was streaming off in strands.
I syphoned the area. However, this process repeated itself the next day.
ALthough I could see an number of reddish flatworms among the mushrooms, I initially assuned that thay were likely opportunistic feeders dinig on the dead tissue.
I checked the mushroom colony last evening and have now come to the conclusion that the flatworms are responsible and that they are parasitic.
My conclusion is based on the following considerations:
- on close inspection you could see a bubble forming in the center of each flatworm (between the flatworm and the tissue of the mushroom). (It certainly looked to me that something was digesting that area on the mushroom and that the bubble was the release of gas generated in the processs of penetration and feeding); and,
- I took the rock out of the tank and rinsed it numerous times getting rid of most of the faltworms and checked the affected colony this AM and there seemed to me no additional deaths (this AM at least).
Questions:
- when flatworms are parasitic - do they usually feed on one specific host organism or will thay often attack a range of hosts.
(note - the flatworms are the same color as the specific mushrooms that they are feeding on and, so far, other types of mushrooms do not appear to be affected).
I have also considered "flatworm exit" and was wondering if others have had experience with parasitic flatworms and used this product.
Thanks, in advance.
.........
I recently noticed that an area within a large patch of mushrooms had perished suddenly and was in the process of "dissolving"...ie. the tissue was streaming off in strands.
I syphoned the area. However, this process repeated itself the next day.
ALthough I could see an number of reddish flatworms among the mushrooms, I initially assuned that thay were likely opportunistic feeders dinig on the dead tissue.
I checked the mushroom colony last evening and have now come to the conclusion that the flatworms are responsible and that they are parasitic.
My conclusion is based on the following considerations:
- on close inspection you could see a bubble forming in the center of each flatworm (between the flatworm and the tissue of the mushroom). (It certainly looked to me that something was digesting that area on the mushroom and that the bubble was the release of gas generated in the processs of penetration and feeding); and,
- I took the rock out of the tank and rinsed it numerous times getting rid of most of the faltworms and checked the affected colony this AM and there seemed to me no additional deaths (this AM at least).
Questions:
- when flatworms are parasitic - do they usually feed on one specific host organism or will thay often attack a range of hosts.
(note - the flatworms are the same color as the specific mushrooms that they are feeding on and, so far, other types of mushrooms do not appear to be affected).
I have also considered "flatworm exit" and was wondering if others have had experience with parasitic flatworms and used this product.
Thanks, in advance.
.........