how to get my mushroom to spread?

Discussion in 'Soft Corals' started by leighton1245, Apr 3, 2011.

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  1. leighton1245

    leighton1245 Horrid Stonefish

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    how to get my mushroom to spread or will it spread on its own?

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. shecter

    shecter Fire Shrimp

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    it will spread on its own. you can cut them i believe but mine pops babies out one a month so id rather not hurt it.
     
  4. leighton1245

    leighton1245 Horrid Stonefish

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    mine has been there for about 4-5 months and no babies yet lol
     
  5. gt40425hp

    gt40425hp Feather Duster

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    it will on its own at least mine have i started with 1 large cap and now has grown 5 more caps and the original has move 2 inches or so away from the others and it apeares to be growing 2 more

    if i can find my camera i would show you lol
     
  6. tattooedsoul87

    tattooedsoul87 Coral Banded Shrimp

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    mine wasnt spreading for the first 5 months i had it with my 2 T5s, it was just getting bigger, it got up to about 6 inches across but no babies. Then after I added another 2 bulb fixture its been leaving a trail of babies non stop. I have about 7 new ones growing now under the original one. I asked a guy at the fish store I go to about it and he said with lower light they will just get bigger and with more light they will spread more.
     
  7. Va Reef

    Va Reef Giant Squid

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    just curios does this apply for most other corals?
     
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  9. gabbagabbawill

    gabbagabbawill Pajama Cardinal

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    good question, but saying "most other corals" includes a whole lot of different types (LPS, SPS, soft, etc).

    Corals adjust the amount of zooxanthellae in their tissue to optimum rates most of the time.

    Without getting too specific, I'll attempt to generally describe how/why corals do this...

    First, consider why they might get "bigger" under low light... in lower light, the mushroom will expand it's tissue more to include more zooxanthellae and have more surface area to "catch" light and will likely conserve energy and reproduce less.

    When given higher amounts of light, the mushroom will contract its tissue to include less zooxanthellae. It can also reproduce faster because it has more stored energy.

    In my experience, LPS corals work similarly in that they can expand their polyps more in less light to have greater surface area for their symbiotic algae. However, this is not necessarily good for them. LPS produce "skeletal" material, and it seems that the process for them to grow requires more energy than soft corals like mushrooms...

    Because tissue to skeletal mass for SPS is an even lower ratio, they have the hardest time adjusting to low light conditions, and will likely not grow at all or die. SPS also have a different mechanism for high light situations in that they will produce a pigment that they can adjust to reflect or block light (think sunscreen) to allow more or less light in. In high light, these corals will produce the most pigment and "color up" producing beautiful colors.
     
  10. leighton1245

    leighton1245 Horrid Stonefish

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    I have plenty of light i have a aquatic life 4 bulb T5HO light with all ati bulbs maybe that isnt enough in a 48x18x21? I could try to uncover him I have it shaded though
     
  11. gabbagabbawill

    gabbagabbawill Pajama Cardinal

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    I would just give it some time... the mushroom and hammer coral looks very healthy in the picture... I have tons of light too, and it took my mushroom several months to spread, after ~5 months, it's now 4 separate polyps.

    What is the white thing in the bottom left of the pic you posted?
     
  12. leighton1245

    leighton1245 Horrid Stonefish

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    That is my condy nem that in battling with to get it back from bleaching i was gone away on training for the military and it bleached while i was gone now i just hope i can save him had him for almost a year.