Mushrooms not doing well

[McGee10]

Hi, slowly all my soft corals are not doing as well as before, they used to get big all the mushrooms were growing like crazy. SPS are growing well, water test perfect. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Mike

[Dkuhlmann]

What exactly are your parameters. I've noticed lately that there are others like you who have mixed tanks and the LPS or softies/leathers aren't doing so hot. It's usually because their water is "too clean" LPS and softies/leathers need some nitrates and phosphates to be happy and thrive. SPS can handle <5 nitrates and <.3 phosphates.

This usually happens as our tanks mature and they are more efficient at getting rid of both nitrates and phosphates. It's worse when you are doing things to get them out of your system.

[McGee10]

Hi, sorry for the delay yes I was thinking the same. LFS said phosphates are zero, nitrates 0, PH 8.3, calcium 410, temp 79. I am running a big skimmer. maybe I am cleaning the water to well!

[Reeferz412]

Softies do like somewhat nutrient rich water. They actually like a little bit of nitrates in the water as well. I had the same problem with my rhodactis shrooms. I had a huge bloom of them growing left and right, and slowly over 5 months they shrunk and their foot let go of the rocks. Everything else in the tank was great (lps stonies, gorgs). I recently upped the feedings and my nitrates climbed up a bit, I had one of those rhodactis left and it had extension i hadn't seen in a long time. I also had a bounce shroom that was huge after upping the feedings.

[McGee10]

So what is the best way to get more nutrients in the water without going crazy?

[Dkuhlmann]

Don't run your skimmer as much, over feed a bit. Just come up with ways that work for you and of course monitor your parameters when you do this and figure out what works to keep your nitrates around 5 or so at most and I believe your phosphates will be about right if you get the nitrates set.

Maybe do a 12 hr cycle with your skimmer and see how that affects your water parameters.

[Mark9]

Hi, sorry for the delay yes I was thinking the same. LFS said phosphates are zero, nitrates 0, PH 8.3, calcium 410, temp 79. I am running a big skimmer. maybe I am cleaning the water to well!

You didn't list your kh, which if low, affects most corals.

[McGee10]

You didn't list your kh, which if low, affects most corals.

7.2 kh lower than i usually keep it. I try to keep it at 8.