mushrooms

stuccodude · #1 03/27/2007, 12:05 PM

there slowly dying, my tank is 5 months old ,150 pds of lr the usaul 3 different tangs a couple clowns 1 damsell 1 flame angel 2 firefish 3 cleaning shrimp 1 sand sifting star and 1 other star 8 small hermit crabs 10 snails its 130 gallon with 65 watt compacts on 8 hrs a day im running a sump w/bio balls(soon to be refugium) skimmer-uv- phos reactor. i added 4 small rocks covered in mushrooms and a one by one there turning into a clear slime and 1 scallop died too and my star fish dont look as good as he used to. i do monthly water changes 25-40% of water purchesed at the local fish store, i have been using tap water for evaporation cause i didnt know so that has stopped. here are my numbers the tank was bought used and housed a shark, my copper tester shows a slight trace but the tester is the little packets and a color chip so im not sure how accurate it is, im taking some water later to the fish store.
PH 8.3
NITRATE .05
ALKALINITY 4
CALCIUM 450
AMMONIA 0
TEMP 78-80
SALINITY 1.023

THANKS

papagimp · #2 03/27/2007, 12:37 PM

Alk is a low. Is that 0.05 nitrats or nitrites? If it's the latter, that could be your problem. Also, mushrooms are kinda bullet proof so if you'rs are all dying, I would suspect a large problem at hands here. Also, monthly water changes? May wanna try weekly instead. You didn't list Phosphate levels, do you test for that? I recommend it. Sand sifting star isn't going to look good regarless, that tank, as big as it is, is not enough to house a sandsifting star fish. It'll eventually eat all the micro fauna from teh sandbed, leaving it baron and pointless.

If you have any copper at all showing up, I would go get a better test kit and retest. If you have copper in that tank, it'll ruin the live rock and sand. That and help kill off your livestock.

What kind of lighting do you have. How many 65 watt PC bulbs? Also, you realize that anything in the lower half of that tank is getting minimal lighting, regarldess of how many PC's you use. the light emitted from them just doesn't penetrate deeply into water.

How did you acclimate your new mushrooms and the scallop? Improper acclimation could lead to stress and eventaully the death of your coral.

WaterKeeper · #3 03/27/2007, 12:51 PM

Copper could be the case but it will effect other things in the tank. If it is only the Corallimorphs that are dying it could be two other things-

They are temperate water Corallimorphs and temperature is too high for them.
There is a flatworm infestation and they are killing them

There is not to much one can do about the first problem in a tropical reef tank as other critters suffer if you lower the temperature too much.

If you see flatworms around the mushrooms then a product like Flatworm Exit may help eradicate them.

stuccodude · #4 03/27/2007, 01:09 PM

its nitrates(thats what the test calls it) and im not testing for phosephates and i have 4 bulbs in all and have the mushrooms on top of the live rock about 8 inches from the top and i acclimated them just like fish 20 minutes and dont mix the water, i just learned about adding my water too over a period of time and i just did a water change sunday and im pulling the star fish out as soon as i see him, i been reading about him today and i learned he should not be in my tank and i too heard mushrooms were bulletproof, thats why i got them being a new guy and all, i appreciate your input papagimp

stuccodude · #5 03/27/2007, 01:19 PM

and waterkeeper, thanx, my temp has got up to 81 before and im using a digital thermastat so i believe its accurate

Lion_Babe · #6 03/27/2007, 01:23 PM

A scallop? They need muck and don't do well in normal tanks. I suggest reading up on them especially since you haven't been doing this long. I second the comment on the sand sifting star.
'Srooms don't need bright light. It sounds like something is wrong with your water or you have a toxin problem.
Good luck.

WaterKeeper · #7 03/27/2007, 01:24 PM

Some mushrooms come from cool water environments. Typical temps for them are 65-72°F. Those are not suited to a reef tank but may be imported as hitch hikers on the LR itself. They decline, then perish in our tanks but there is not much you can do about it.

dippin61 · #8 03/28/2007, 01:21 AM

As for the SS star, he is starving and dying.

Frick-n-Frags · #9 03/28/2007, 06:35 AM

I would check for external poisoning and or metal in the tank water

I would check for stray electricity

I would be doing waterchanges like there's no tomorrow

low alk can kill softies no problem, but 4 still shouldn't make them melt (it sure can't help, like a secondary stressor) STILL, you need to maintain alk at or above 8. this is the most important water parameter for keeping this stuff happy.

even unhappy shrooms just don't waste away like that and all of them doing it means thare is something globally physically wrong in your system. best of luck with the hunt.

stuccodude · #10 03/28/2007, 11:26 AM

thanks

donald altman · #11 03/29/2007, 07:16 AM

what should you do if you find stray electricity in the tank?
I found a slight tingle the other day as I put my hand in the tank and have been noticing the mushrooms in my tank tolook worse and worse.
I think it is my closed loop pump that is plugged into a power strip and it is plugged into the grounded wall socket... I don't get the tingle when the pump is unplugged from the tank.

Any ideas?