Recent content by Birder

I purchased 3 Red mushrooms in June of 2005 and after 9 months now have 4 Red mushrooms. The reason I purchased, I really liked them and from my reading this forum, they would really reproduce fast! Can anyone pinpoint why they are not reproducing/growing for me? Feeding - Kent MicroVert 3-4...

My 10000k bulb on my MH fixture which quit working after a years use and I have a 5500k bulb (used in past for FW plants) which I would like to use for its remaining life over my soft coral tank. The only info I have found on using 5500k bulbs in a reef tank is on the HelloLights site which...

Has anyone had spots on their mushroom corals (pictures below), who can tell me if this is an disease or some water condition? It only affects the blue and red mushooms, and started when I added the red mushrooms attached to a LR. I have lost one red, overcome with spots. All rics, zoos, polyps...

For the last several months I have had trouble with mushrooms and some soft coral polyps staying closed most the day. Out of desperation, a month ago I started running carbon 24/7 and now all the soft corals look great and are open. All my water parameters have always been good (13 months), so I...

Does anyone have any experience in controlling and getting rid of this coarse red hair algae? It has been in my tank for 6 months, but now staring to appear on other rocks. This algae is so tough that a stiff toothbrush will not remove and I am now thinking of removing all lr and using a steel...

[Is there a method for propagation of button polyps that works, other than waiting for it to spread to other rocks? I would like to give some to my son, but so far all the methods I have used for other soft corals has killed or lost the polyps in the rockwork, due to current. Thanks]

[Have one blue Ricordea mushroom which I have had over 6 months now and is 4" wide. Does this variety (picture link) ever split or produce addition mushrooms on its own in a reef tank? How long does it take? Because so pretty (and only have one), do not want to slice up like my other varieties...

[Before I damage this coral trying to transfer part of it to another rock, need to know if can be propagated easily. I think this coral is Encrusting Gorgonian (not sure), but instead of being pink or brown in color as I see in some Web pictures and in this forum, the polyps and mat are white...

[Is there a right way to remove a Ricordea Mushroom from a rock so can move to a different place in tank? Will cutting the base at rock do too much damage? Is there some way to just get it to release from rock? Breaking up the rock is really not an option. These seem to grow so slow for me, I...

[I am starting a new tank, in which will be primarily for a Jawfish, but will also maybe have some corals and invertebrates, I was given a bucket of crushed coral substrate, which I like and think a Jawfish would like, but I was not given any assurance that copper had not been used by the...

[I am planning on moving a 175w (10,000 K bulb ordered) MH from a freshwater plant tank to my 58 g reef to try and get the soft corals to grow with a little more vigor. Does the wattage per gal guide also apply to MH? I was planning on keeping a 192 watt PC and adding the 175 w MH, giving me 6...

[Does anyone have any experience as to the accuracy of the Seachem calcium test kit? When I purchased the kit 3 months ago, my tank was reading 300 ppm. 2 months ago, I switched tanks and did a 50 % water change, added a thin sand bed of aragonite, and have done consistent 10 % per week water...

[I had a Royal Gramma disappear within hours of its purchase and decided to get another. Thinking even though I did not have a carcus, maybe there was a possibility of getting a partial credit on the purchase of a new Royal Gramma. the first thing I saw in waiting to talk to the owner was a sign...

[I purchased a healthy Royal Gramma a week ago and had the pleasure of watching him dart in and out of his cave for 4 hours. Have not seen him since. Also, a Cleaner shrimp has disappeared after a 3 month stay. Is it possible that a Mantis Shrimp is in the tank and I have not spotted it? If so...