Shrooms ok to cut?

BigAl07 · 06-13-2007, 09:31 AM

I have been lucky enough to acquire a couple of very pretty and colorful mushrooms in my 10g tank at home. I have heard at LFS of people merely cutting a healthy one into 4 "Pie" pieces and then letting them regrow into four new whole mushrooms. I am VERY hesitant to go and start cutting these lil guys into pieces without getting some first hand experience in doing so. My problem is the tank is rather small and the rock that I have is already epoxied into place so I can't take rock out and work with it without messing up the whole tank. I would like to be able to get some LR rubble and maybe use the "wedding veil" material approach which I have read somewhere. My worries are is this safe to introduce wedding veil material into my tank? Are there not dies and chemicals that could leech out into the water?

Has anyone personally done this?

How long does it take for them to "regrow" into a whole shroom again?

Any special precautions? I would simply use an exacto knife to cut them directly through the center section right?

Allen

goldenmean · 06-13-2007, 10:08 AM

Hey Big Al
I have not done this but know it is pretty common.
I have even read a thread (on another site- I think) about putting a mushroom in a blender and putting the slurry in a frag tank and producing a large number of new shrooms. This thread had pics of multiple people using this technique with sucess.

If you are worried about the mesh netting you can always put some small rock rubble in a glass and put your newly cut shrooms in a glass (4 shot glasses) then place the glass in your tank. The sides of the glass will protect the new frags from the flow and they will eventually attach to the rubble on their own.
A whole shroom usually attaches within a week. I dont know how long it may take for a frag to attach.

Good luck.
Im sure others will soon chime in with personal experience.

corrado007 · 06-13-2007, 10:36 AM

Here's a link to a guy that works with ricordia, he just uses scissors and super glue. GARF'S RICORDIA PROPAGATION 11/30/01

Dentoid · 06-13-2007, 11:10 AM

Al here is a video on fragging mushrooms.
Click on the "fragging Mushrooms" under "Select a Video" from the menu of videos. It's a great site. Reef Videos
Enjoy!

mps9506 · 06-13-2007, 06:13 PM

The easiest way to start and get a "feel" for fragging is to get a razor blade, find the biggest mushroom in your tank, and slice it right down the middle like a pie, make sure to cut all the way through to the rock.
Don't worry when the mushroom shrivels up, contracts or comes out looking mangled. In a few weeks it will either heal up if the cut wasn't complete, or you will have two mushrooms.
As far as fraging mushrooms onto seperate rocks, I find it extrememly difficult to cut a mushroom off a rock to attach onto another rock. When I am actually succesful at cutting a mushroom off the rock, it is from a smoother rock or shell that someone propagated the mushrroms onto.
Keep in mind you can physically mangle these guys up pretty bad and they will survive.
Have fun. This wll give you the fragging bug once you realize how easy it can be to propogate corals.

vdituri · 06-13-2007, 09:45 PM

As brittle as most live rock is couldn't you cut underneath the surface of the rock to detach the mushroom with a razor blade or exacto knife?

p.s. - a blender? Holy smokes! Now that would be fragging. Anyone done that?

BigAl07 · 08-20-2007, 02:25 PM

I have a spare blender and a spare mushroom... wonder how FINE I could make it and it still work out?

Allen

Dentoid · 08-20-2007, 03:14 PM

You still haven't done this! It's been 2 months, surely you have been able to fine enough on how to do this. Just do it!

BigAl07 · 08-20-2007, 03:17 PM

afraid to say I have NOT done this yet. But I did buy a shroom saturday JUST to do this with. I also some how CAME into some LR Rubble from LFS ( he was feeling especially generous and wanted me OUT because he was 5 minutes over due to CLOSE). So I may attempt this tonight.

That video you posted was SWEET! I also went back and watched the one about "frag posting" with rigid airline. Good to know.

Allen

FunkiFysh · 08-25-2007, 01:25 PM

The last 2 times I attempted to frag some mushrooms...the frags just dissolved in my frag bowl. Quite disappointing!

This is what I did...I took my mushrooms, cut them down like pizza slices making sure I got some of the mouth on each piece. Then I put them in a bowl of sand and crushed fragging discs and put the wedding veil over the bowl and placed in tank. After a week...the frag pieces were full disolved and no longer there.

Is there another method I should try?

Frankie · 08-25-2007, 04:02 PM

I use to just take a fishing line and loop it around the shroom head, then jerk and presto! new shroom! The foot or base would just grow back into a new shroom and the head i would stuff into a hole in the rock.

forestal · 09-09-2007, 11:05 AM

i know some folks who have done the blender technique and they gota tank covered in shrooms...

another technique to attach the frags is use a safety pin to attach into live rock piece, give it a week or 2 to attach and then you can remove easily...i have done this, the bridal veil around it, stiched with needle and thread and tied to rock/plug, and put in small container filled with rubble until they attach

revhard05 · 03-10-2008, 01:06 AM

wheres the link with the blender method???

JWarren · 03-10-2008, 02:00 AM

Al,

I have done this many times with the vail. I have some pics at the house and will post them when I get back there. Working right now.

I cut the shrooms like I would cut an edible (vegetable) one. Just leave a little at the base and it will grow into another shroom. You can quarter the big ones (2+ inches diam.) but the smaller ones I like to leave whole. I dont like loosing them if they don't take.

Varga · 03-10-2008, 02:21 AM

fast forward to minute 2

YouTube - Fun With Fragging: Mushrooms

06-13-2007, 09:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Shrooms ok to cut? I have been lucky enough to acquire a couple of very pretty and colorful mushrooms in my 10g tank at home. I have heard at LFS of people merely cutting a healthy one into 4 "Pie" pieces and then letting them regrow into four new whole mushrooms. I am VERY hesitant to go and start cutting these lil guys into pieces without getting some first hand experience in doing so. My problem is the tank is rather small and the rock that I have is already epoxied into place so I can't take rock out and work with it without messing up the whole tank. I would like to be able to get some LR rubble and maybe use the "wedding veil" material approach which I have read somewhere. My worries are is this safe to introduce wedding veil material into my tank? Are there not dies and chemicals that could leech out into the water? Has anyone personally done this? How long does it take for them to "regrow" into a whole shroom again? Any special precautions? I would simply use an exacto knife to cut them directly through the center section right? Allen __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

06-13-2007, 10:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
corrado007 Plate Coral Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sacramento, Ca. Posts: 764 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? Here's a link to a guy that works with ricordia, he just uses scissors and super glue. GARF'S RICORDIA PROPAGATION 11/30/01 __________________ Justin _________________________________ Please watch out for motorcycles (look twice, it could save a life). 90gal mixed reef w/40gal sump/fuge, ATO, Octopus NW-200 Skimmer, 2x 250W 12k Reeflux MH & 220W VHO actinics, Koralia #4 & #3, Mag 9.5 return, Aquacontroller jr., LR & LS, and community fish (Yellow Assessor, Bluespot Jawfish, paired Yellow Watchman Goby & Red Striped Pistol Shrimp, paired O Clowns, 1 Green Chromis, Yellow Clown Goby, Scooter Blenny, and a Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse). updated 7/11/09 Here's my 90gal Chronicle (Lots of pictures and DIY)

06-13-2007, 06:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
mps9506 Totally back Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 8,525 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? The easiest way to start and get a "feel" for fragging is to get a razor blade, find the biggest mushroom in your tank, and slice it right down the middle like a pie, make sure to cut all the way through to the rock. Don't worry when the mushroom shrivels up, contracts or comes out looking mangled. In a few weeks it will either heal up if the cut wasn't complete, or you will have two mushrooms. As far as fraging mushrooms onto seperate rocks, I find it extrememly difficult to cut a mushroom off a rock to attach onto another rock. When I am actually succesful at cutting a mushroom off the rock, it is from a smoother rock or shell that someone propagated the mushrroms onto. Keep in mind you can physically mangle these guys up pretty bad and they will survive. Have fun. This wll give you the fragging bug once you realize how easy it can be to propogate corals. __________________ Mike Reefkeeping Since '99 Help Build Reefpedia Premium Memberships Available! Support Reef Sanctuary Sponsors

06-13-2007, 09:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 6,244 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? As brittle as most live rock is couldn't you cut underneath the surface of the rock to detach the mushroom with a razor blade or exacto knife? p.s. - a blender? Holy smokes! Now that would be fragging. Anyone done that? __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

08-20-2007, 02:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? I have a spare blender and a spare mushroom... wonder how FINE I could make it and it still work out? Allen __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

08-20-2007, 03:17 PM	#9 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? afraid to say I have NOT done this yet. But I did buy a shroom saturday JUST to do this with. I also some how CAME into some LR Rubble from LFS ( he was feeling especially generous and wanted me OUT because he was 5 minutes over due to CLOSE). So I may attempt this tonight. That video you posted was SWEET! I also went back and watched the one about "frag posting" with rigid airline. Good to know. Allen __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

08-25-2007, 01:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
FunkiFysh Tubeworm Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: columbus, ohio Posts: 32 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? The last 2 times I attempted to frag some mushrooms...the frags just dissolved in my frag bowl. Quite disappointing! This is what I did...I took my mushrooms, cut them down like pizza slices making sure I got some of the mouth on each piece. Then I put them in a bowl of sand and crushed fragging discs and put the wedding veil over the bowl and placed in tank. After a week...the frag pieces were full disolved and no longer there. Is there another method I should try? __________________ 46 Gal Bow Tank, Bak Pak Protien Skimmer, Aqua Clear Powerhead w/filter, 150W Heater, 60lbs LR, 40 lbs LS, 1 Osellaris Clownfish, 1 Cinnanmon Clownfish, 1Blue Yellow-tail Damsel, 1 White, Black, and Yellow Damsel, 2 Fruit Loop Ricordia Mushrooms, 1 Superman Mushroom, 4 Blue/Purple Mushroom,1 Frogspawn

09-09-2007, 11:05 AM	#12 (permalink)
forestal Torch coral Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vernon, CT Posts: 582 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? i know some folks who have done the blender technique and they gota tank covered in shrooms... another technique to attach the frags is use a safety pin to attach into live rock piece, give it a week or 2 to attach and then you can remove easily...i have done this, the bridal veil around it, stiched with needle and thread and tied to rock/plug, and put in small container filled with rubble until they attach __________________ Peace, Dan

03-10-2008, 01:06 AM	#13 (permalink)
revhard05 Midas Blenny Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: chattanooga tn Posts: 118 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? wheres the link with the blender method???

03-10-2008, 02:00 AM	#14 (permalink)
JWarren Reef Lobster Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Port Saint Lucie, Florida Posts: 1,426 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? Al, I have done this many times with the vail. I have some pics at the house and will post them when I get back there. Working right now. I cut the shrooms like I would cut an edible (vegetable) one. Just leave a little at the base and it will grow into another shroom. You can quarter the big ones (2+ inches diam.) but the smaller ones I like to leave whole. I dont like loosing them if they don't take. __________________ John Typhoon RO/DI filter unit. My Saltwater web site. Help build ReefPedia!

03-10-2008, 02:21 AM	#15 (permalink)
Varga Manta Ray Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 3,355 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Shrooms ok to cut? fast forward to minute 2 YouTube - Fun With Fragging: Mushrooms

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