First Coral in a long time

G

Gumby

Member
After having two corals (the only two i had) die last year, I and trying this again. I bought a watermeln shroom for $5. It is real small and not attached to anything. The LFS said that they typically sell unattached shroom for $5 so I thought I would try it.

The problem is that I dont quite get how to attach it to a rock. It is currently sitting in the bag acclimating temp.

All help is greatly appreciated.

thanks,

gumby
 
wooddood

wooddood

the wood dude
get some super glue gel type and apply to the mushroom and glue it to a piece of rock rubble or a piece of live rock and you should be good to go. dry off the bottom of the mushroom and the rock before you glue it though.
 
fidojoe

fidojoe

Fish Addict
Sorry wood, but it probably is not gonna work. I've tried about a hundred times to get my shrooms of all kinds to attach like that, never has worked. The only way I have had work for me was to set it on/ around a couple of rubble peices, in a real low flow area, and let it sit undisturbed for a few days.

BTW, congrats on the new coral, glad you didn't give up!
 
Gina

Gina

Moderator
RS STAFF
We had a mushroom that was unattached from it's rock and just placed it in a secure place on a piece of rock and it eventually attached itself. We did have to place it back in place a few times as it would fall to the bed once and awhile.
 
wooddood

wooddood

the wood dude
sure it will work, just dry both the shroom and the rock and glue it down. put some in between your fingers and let it set a few minutes and see if you can pull your fingers apart lol. no dont do that lol.
 
kfra

kfra

New Member
I have to agree with fidojoe, I haven't been able to glue a shroom to a rock either by just drying them. I have always let it sit in the sand a few days until it gets attached and then glue it. If your able to do it wooddood how long do you keep it out of the tank. I have tried to keep it out as little as possible and it always seems dry. But they always seem to fall off.
 
G

Gumby

Member
Well, I glued it. and its now in the tank.

I kept my fingers with the shroom in it wet and dried the bottom as best I could. I put the glue on the rock and rolled the bottom of the shroom onto the glue spot.

Shroom out of water, less than 1 minute (at most).

As soon as the wife gets back from her weekend trip, I will get her to snap a pic (she has the camera with her) of the mini shroom.
 
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addict

addict

Well-Known Member
have you tried staples? ;) (just kidding)

Like someone else suggested, just put it in a low-flow area where it won't get blown around and it'll attach on it's own.
Mushrooms have a 'foot' kinda like an anemone, mine move all over the place.

HTH

If you don't have a 'low flow' area, you can also tie some fine-mesh netting around the rock the mushroom is sitting on and that'll help keep it in place.
 
fidojoe

fidojoe

Fish Addict
The reason it works for your fingers, and not for the shrooms is because the shrooms have a sliming capability, and can slime their foot off of a rock/glue if they want to.
 
ReefLady

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I have tried just about everything to get shrooms to attach without luck... the best bet would be letting it sit in a low-flow area until it attaches to rock or substrate. But I know that area never has existed in any of my tanks, LOL.

I have had great success with sewing corals onto rock recently... seems to be the best bet. I just puncture the coral with the smallest needle possible that has 2-lb. test fishing line through it. Then I tie the fishing line around the rock. Might be worth a shot, don't worry about the puncture wound... I've sewed much more fragile things than mushrooms (then again what isn't more fragile then a shroom, eh?)

Out of curiosity, what were your other two corals, and what happened?
 
reefrunner

reefrunner

Contributing Member
Get a tupperware container, drill some holes in the side, fill the container with rubble or crushed coral, cover that with something safe to put in your tank but mesh like. and let it sit in there for a week, it will attatch and won't get blown around. alternately, cut the top off if a 2 liter soda bottle and do the same thing, the high sides should keep it in the bottle, without having to cover it, and you won't have to explain to the wife why you drilled holes in her tupperware.
 
G

Gumby

Member
My other two corals, yellow polyps and green ricordia. At the time I was traveling like 5 to 7 days a week and my wife was trying just to keep the water level the same and I woudl do what I could when I got home, but the quality of the water got real bad.

Since then I have changed jobs and am not traveling much at all (once in the past year) and the water quality has improved, thusly I am trying again.
 
CAT

CAT

Member
I use a small disposable plastic dish (yogurt container or margarine container etc). I place the shroom on a small rock, cover the container with plastic canvas (you can get this at any craft store) with a rock on top to hold the canvas down and leave it in my fuge for a few days. No problems.

I've never been able to glue those slimy guys down either ... Last time I tried, I killed the shroom :rolleyes:
 
G

Gumby

Member
THis is going to sound funny. There are few spots in my tank where water does not flow well and I have one in the front right corner.

I placed the shroom in the corner and "blocked" it in between tow rocks. Its the best I could do.

The funny thing is that it looks like it is 1 1/2 times the size when I put it in my tank. I guess it has relaxed?
 
spsfreak

spsfreak

New Member
Gumby,
You can also try using a rubber band to keep it on the rock until it attaches. The only thing is you have to find the right size rubber band and piece of rock or rubble, because if you put the RB too tight around the shroom it will split. I have used this method and the container methid and both work well.

Matt:cool:
 
CAT

CAT

Member
Shrooms can really expand if they need more light. They'll also stay really small if they get too much flow or light. Guess you'll have to figure out which is happening ;) Could be the right size as well.
 
G

Gumby

Member
This will sound bad, but i only have (1) 110 watt PC/VHO (? - 2 rectangular bulbs) and (1) 40watt actinic (48" long bulb) on my 75g.

I can get new bulbs one at a time in the near future, but its all I can afford at the moment.

What bulbs should I have in those two lights to maximize the lighting?
 
ScottT1980

ScottT1980

Well-Known Member
Gumby, perhaps the rocks that you have used to sequester your frag are not allowing enough light to get to the shroom? Luckily, shrooms can handle very low light so you might be alright...

BTW, I have never heard of a 48" 40W bulb. Is it just a normal output flourescent? What type of ballast are you running with this?

Take er easy
Scott T.
 
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