Help! Mushroom plague

[Peter Houde]

Mea culpa for not researching it sufficiently before introducing these to my DT, but no one warned me that mushrooms ("TSA Leprechaun" = Discosoma?) are aggressive to SPS. Worse still, they reproduce like roaches, detach and spread all over over the entire DT like a locust plague.

What can I do to keep them under control?
1) I presume they'll grow back if I cut them off the rock, but is there any harm in doing that? It would make them smaller at least temporarily, right?
2) Can I inject them with something to kill them, like AptasiaX, peroxide, or lemon juice?
3) Is there any hope for scraping them off the rock without making lots more of them in the process?
4) Can placing stinging LPS like Euphyllia, Galaxea, Duncan, Acan or Favia near them keep them at bay? (Unfortunately, that wouldn't do anything for my SPS since I can't put LPS near them either.) Who is likely to be victorious in a face off - mushroom or LPS? Or would they both suffer?

Last, are these also toxic to gorgonians and clams?

I appreciate the advice!!!

 

[Subsea]

Please take a picture of your plague. FTS with white light. I will buy all you can ship. I have room for them.

chemical warfare from softies is well documeted. Mixing softies, lps & SPS is not a happy tank.

HOWEVER, they are not TOXIC

 

[Peter Houde]

Please take a picture of your plague. FTS with white light. I will buy all you can ship.

chemical warfare from softies is well documeted. Mixing softies, lps & SPS is not a happy tank.

HOWEVER, they are not TOXIC

Well, I wouldn't have even done an internet search about their toxicity were it not for the fact that one is quickly bleaching a monti where the shroom settled and touched it. Other monti's nearby, including the one the bleaching one cloned itself from, are just fine - so far. I was under the impression that the shrooms were peaceful, but there are certainly sites online that say they're toxic on contact. I don't believe half of what I read online, but I can't help believing what I'm seeing.

I'll be happy to send you photos (pretty busy today). But how would I harvest them? I'm not going to part with any of my Marshall Islands live rock.

What is FTS?

BTW, I only meant chemical warfare when I used the term toxic.

 

[Subsea]

Mea culpa for not researching it sufficiently before introducing these to my DT, but no one warned me that mushrooms ("TSA Leprechaun" = Discosoma?) are aggressive to SPS. Worse still, they reproduce like roaches, detach and spread all over over the entire DT like a locust plague.

What can I do to keep them under control?
1) I presume they'll grow back if I cut them off the rock, but is there any harm in doing that? It would make them smaller at least temporarily, right?
2) Can I inject them with something to kill them, like AptasiaX, peroxide, or lemon juice?
3) Is there any hope for scraping them off the rock without making lots more of them in the process?
4) Can placing stinging LPS like Euphyllia, Galaxea, Duncan, Acan or Favia near them keep them at bay? (Unfortunately, that wouldn't do anything for my SPS since I can't put LPS near them either.) Who is likely to be victorious in a face off - mushroom or LPS? Or would they both suffer?

Last, are these also toxic to gorgonians and clams?

I appreciate the advice!!!

I googled

Leprechaun Discosoma Mushroom – (WYSIWYG)​

$49.99 $39.99.

and that was the first hit. How many mushrooms do you have? Sounds like a business opportunity.

However, I will not buy them at that price.

 

[Reefing102]

If you cut it off at the base, it will likely grow back. Chipping it off the rock, it likely won’t grow back.

You should be able to treat them similar to Aiptasia. That said, coral warfare is not necessarily toxic in the way you may be thinking. Corals do release chemicals to take over areas. One of my monties has a dead spot right in the middle where my sinularia rubbed on it.

 

[Subsea]

In general, mushrooms like a high nutrient tank. I don’t keep any SPS but I thought that high nutrient was kryptonite to SPS.

 

[Subsea]

Well, I wouldn't have even done an internet search about their toxicity were it not for the fact that one is quickly bleaching a monti where the shroom settled and touched it. Other monti's nearby, including the one the bleaching one cloned itself from, are just fine - so far. I was under the impression that the shrooms were peaceful, but there are certainly sites online that say they're toxic on contact. I don't believe half of what I read online, but I can't help believing what I'm seeing.

I'll be happy to send you photos (pretty busy today). But how would I harvest them? I'm not going to part with any of my Marshall Islands live rock.

What is FTS?

BTW, I only meant chemical warfare when I used the term toxic.

Full Tank Shot: FTS

Chemical warfare normally means DOC compounds. DOC from coral exudates are mostly proteins & lipids and algae exudates are mostly carbohydrates. Exudates of some dinoflagellates are toxic and will kill members of CUC. In nature, this can result in “red tide” which is very toxic.

For chemical warfare, I suggest keeping combatants apart to decrease it. For in tank treatment of water, use high quality granulated activated carbon.

If you wish to exterminate mushrooms in the tank, then use a toothbrush dipped in peroxide every 10 seconds and scrub them away just as if they were Aptasia anemone.

If rock can be removed from tank, then work outside of tank.

 

[Peter Houde]

Full Tank Shot: FTS

Chemical warfare normally means DOC compounds. DOC from coral exudates are mostly proteins & lipids and algae exudates are mostly carbohydrates. Exudates of some dinoflagellates are toxic and will kill members of CUC. In nature, this can result in “red tide” which is very toxic.

For chemical warfare, I suggest keeping combatants apart to decrease it. For in tank treatment of water, use high quality granulated activated carbon.

If you wish to exterminate mushrooms in the tank, then use a toothbrush dipped in peroxide every 10 seconds and scrub them away just as if they were Aptasia anemone.

If rock can be removed from tank, then work outside of tank.

It started with one 16 months ago. I don't want to eradicate them, just keep them under control if that's possible. They are very pretty and they're hardy. And, I do a weekly 30g water change and carbon filtration.

I pulled a few and threw them into the QT. Let's see if they survive.

All images pure white light (they're bright green fluorescent under blue - very cool at night).

from above:

 

[Subsea]

You’re right, they look nice.

In 25 year old system, I have abundant GSP that acts similarly. I just did start manicuring some of this rock to sell as designer rock.

 

[Doctorgori]

I’ve seen that shroom before as a accidental introduction…
I have those obnoxious green palys, and what I do is box them in with Galaxea or torches or something nasty…

Shrooms might be harder to contain based on how they spread but the idea here is territorial denial via pre-occupation ….
they can’t grow if something is already there

 

[kevgib67]

I could send you my parameters, they are the only thing that struggles and rarely survive in my tank.

 

[Peter Houde]

I’ve seen that shroom before as a accidental introduction…
I have those obnoxious green palys, and what I do is box them in with Galaxea or torches or something nasty…

Shrooms might be harder to contain based on how they spread but the idea here is territorial denial via pre-occupation ….
they can’t grow if something is already there

I hope you're right. I just introduced an Acan lord and a Galaxea that I picked up during the Black Friday madness. It won't bother me at all if they sting the shrooms.

 

[Peter Houde]

I could send you my parameters, they are the only thing that struggles and rarely survive in my tank.

I'm probably the last person to ask for advice, but feel free to share the info. Maybe your tank is too clean

You’re right, they look nice.

In 25 year old system, I have abundant GSP that acts similarly. I just did start manicuring some of this rock to sell as designer rock.

 

[Peter Houde]

You’re right, they look nice.

In 25 year old system, I have abundant GSP that acts similarly. I just did start manicuring some of this rock to sell as designer rock.

GSP, yeah, I see what you mean. I heeded that warning and stayed away from it, Xenia, Kenya, and zoas. I thought bubble algae looked cool when it first showed up in my DT ... until it as overwhelming. It took perseverance and a long time to eradicate. That's what concerns me about these shrooms. They're on the exponential growth curve. And like bubble algae, they have a knack for ensconcing themselves in deep hard-to-get-at places.

 

[DanyL]

I keep SPS, LPS and Softies in a mixed tank for more than a decade, toxicity wise - it’s not a real problem.

All I do is keeping fresh activated carbon in the system 24/7, and cleaning mushrooms and palys from time to time for aesthetics.

I also regularly frag palys and mushrooms to somewhat limit their population in the tank, though they do spread rather quickly.

From my experience they harm other corals only when I disturb and try to remove them but not able to catch them right after, then they might free-float right on top of other corals and leave a mark, but it’s nothing I would consider as serious, and it’ll usually will heal and grow back in a couple of weeks.
Here’s a top shot of Acropora Spatultha in my tank touching and living together with Discasomas surrounding it at the base from all sides - no harm to the Acropora, nor the discasomas. Same is true with palys.

 

[kevgib67]

I'm probably the last person to ask for advice, but feel free to share the info. Maybe your tank is too clean

Thats it, plenty of softies, mushrooms just hate me!

 

[Peter Houde]

I’ve seen that shroom before as a accidental introduction…
I have those obnoxious green palys, and what I do is box them in with Galaxea or torches or something nasty…

Shrooms might be harder to contain based on how they spread but the idea here is territorial denial via pre-occupation ….
they can’t grow if something is already there

One of these all but killed my Galaxia. After weeks, I'm still waiting, hoping for it to fully recover.

 

[Peter Houde]

Please take a picture of your plague. FTS with white light. I will buy all you can ship. I have room for them.

chemical warfare from softies is well documeted. Mixing softies, lps & SPS is not a happy tank.

HOWEVER, they are not TOXIC

Hi, Let me know if you're still genuinely interested in these things. I'm planning to take the two dozen plus I currently have in my QT to donate to the DT at the university where I work, mostly because that is the easy thing for me to do (my time is at a premium) and because that tank really needs some color. But, I am harvesting these things weekly, if not daily. It won't be long before I have another load to unload. I don't want to eradicate them. They are pretty. I like them, but their tank mates don't. And they are weedy as hell. Let me know if you're truly interested. I'd like to get something for my effort, but I'm not looking at this to supplement my income and I'm pulling them from the DT regardless. But there are caveats. You pay for FedEx. Most are not attached to anything, certainly not to plugs. I'm no professional, so I won't guarantee anything about their arrival alive. That being said, they seem to be indestructible. I've been throwing them into a QT with no acclimation, no more than room light, and no parameter testing. In fact, I discovered that the first bunch I threw in survived for weeks at SG >>1.030. Cheers, Peter

 

[Subsea]

Hi, Let me know if you're still genuinely interested in these things. I'm planning to take the two dozen plus I currently have in my QT to donate to the DT at the university where I work, mostly because that is the easy thing for me to do (my time is at a premium) and because that tank really needs some color. But, I am harvesting these things weekly, if not daily. It won't be long before I have another load to unload. I don't want to eradicate them. They are pretty. I like them, but their tank mates don't. And they are weedy as hell. Let me know if you're truly interested. I'd like to get something for my effort, but I'm not looking at this to supplement my income and I'm pulling them from the DT regardless. But there are caveats. You pay for FedEx. Most are not attached to anything, certainly not to plugs. I'm no professional, so I won't guarantee anything about their arrival alive. That being said, they seem to be indestructible. I've been throwing them into a QT with no acclimation, no more than room light, and no parameter testing. In fact, I discovered that the first bunch I threw in survived for weeks at SG >>1.030. Cheers, Peter

I actually don’t need any more indestructible softies. I made the statement to indicate that they had value. And to encourage your thread activity.

Continue donating to university and consider a local reef club frag swap. Where in New Mexico do you live. I have family from Albuquerque & Los Alamo visiting for solar eclipse.

 

[Cell]

If they are undesired in your tank, I'd gradually swap out rocks and try to stay ahead of the spreading.