[nitratehater]

Hi,

I just saw that all of my mushrooms have died! They are the green striped ones, nothing fancy. I had them for about 2.5 years. Yesterday, all was normal, with some of them as much as 3 inches in diameter or more. Now there GONE! Shrivelled up, and the largest ones now smaller than a dime. What could have happened? Everything else in the tank is fine. I have a toadstool leather, a galaxia, a sun polyp, and a green torch. they're ok, but the mushrooms...they're so tough. I'm beside myself. HELP!

Also, I've had to change my filter pad twice in the last 24 hours so my sump doesn't overflow. It's like it's getting clogged. There is also a film on the glass. Not like algea, but white film. From the shrooms?

oh, and i checked nitrates and they're below 5mg/l. anything i should worry about.

Thanks, Mike

[Ninong]

Mushrooms are sensitive to sudden overdoses of limewater (Kalkwasser). Are you dosing limewater? Are you using some other method for calcium and alkalinity maintenance?

From your description, I suspect that your problem was caused by a sudden elevation in pH that was caused by an overdose of whatever you are using for calcium and alkalinity maintenance.

[nitratehater]

i've been using Reef Complete for months now with no problems, and about 6 weeks ago I've begun using Kent Essential Elements. Then about a week ago I began using Kent Coral Vite. All of these i've been using as directed.


In addition to that, I'e been using Reef Builder from Seachem which raises carbonate alkalinity, but I've been using that for 6-8 weeks already.

Does any of that sound suspect?

Thanks for your help.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by nitratehater

There is also a film on the glass. Not like algea, but white film.

This is what sounds suspicious. It sounds like precipitated calcium carbonate. This could have been caused by a sudden addition of too much of one of your additives, which would have cause a sudden increase in pH, which would have caused your mushrooms to go south.

P.S. -- Any idea what your present pH is? How about your current calcium and alkalinity numbers?