Thursday, July 30, 2009

How do I get my mushrooms and polyps to colonize my other rocks in my tank?

I was told they would spread and grown onto my other rocks but in 4 months they are still on the original rocks they came on they are placed next to my other rocks, but nothing yet, they get trace elements iodine, strontium, calcium, and all the other trace elements they require. Any advise?
Answers:
Do you have adequate lighting to keep these? It sounds like what you're keeping are photosynthetic. You don't mention tank size, but compact fluorescent lighting or metal halides (or a combo hood) may be necessary for them to do well.

Also, you don't mention water parameters. For reef organisms, you should have a temperature 76-80oF, pH 8.2-8.4, salinity 1.024-1.026, ammonia and nitrite = 0, nitrates as low as possible. Are you doing regular (weekly) water changes? If so, you shouldn't have to add a lot of additives to your tank. You'll replenish these elements when you do water changes. It's also possible that you're adding too much of these since you have a new tank - there may not be that many soft corals to require the additives and they're building up and creating an imbalance in your tank.

In four months you may not see a lot of growth, but it sounds like you're chosen species that would do well in a "beginner" tank.
Ya, advice is spelled with a 'c', not an 's'. That's ad.vize'.
Your are supposed to be able to slice mushrooms in half and super glue them to other rocks. Try this link for more information.

http://www.athiel.com/lib11/reefaq.htm...
Could be the water temp and salt content.
Move the rocks so the Animals are actually tuching another rock.
BE PATIENT
Some mushrooms and polyps will take a LONG time before they reproduce enough to start moving to other rocks.

OR buy a pulsing Xenia and it will take over your tank in about 2 months. LOL

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