hermits eating mushrooms?

[bcollins]

i just bought this fantastic mushroom rock. i dont know what kind of mushrooms they are - but when theyre small about 1/2" to 1" in diameter - when fully open about 3" in diameter.

i brought the rock home last night and havent seen them open yet. this morning its crawling with hermits.

are they just picking at the rock - OR EATING MY MUSHROOMS!

HELLLLP! :sad

 

[mogurnda]

I would guess they're either picking at stuff on the rock, or maybe eating mucus secreted by the mushrooms in response to transport. I've never seen my hermits touch my mushrooms.

Are the mushrooms opening at all?

What kind of hermits?

 

[bcollins]

they're red & blue leg hermits - about 1/2". and the mushrooms look like they're starting to open up. it's been about 36 hours now since transport.

that same night, i bought a toadstool leather who has just wilted away. the tank turned cloudy since i put the mushrooms and leather in - i'm assuming it's a bacteria bloom.

i'm considering bringing the leather back to the lfs - not to get my money back (because they won't) but just to hold until the tank is more stable.

do you think i should wait to see if it comes back?

 

[BrianH]

How long has the tank been set up? Parameters? Is the leather disintegrating or just limp? Leathers can be pretty finicky about being moved but they usually recover in a couple of days.

Where in north jersey do you buy these?

Brian

 

[bcollins]

the tanks been up for two months - just started stocking. water parameters that i can test are good. ammo 0, nitrites/trates 0, salinity 1.023. i'm going to take a water sample to rt 4 aquarium in fairlawn (where i bought the corals) and have them check for copper and calcium levels if they can.

i see your're from oakland - hi neighbor!

i like rt 4 aquarium, although the staff is pretty young, but very helpful.

i go to absolutely fish sometimes, but they are so arrogant.

here's an interesting story if you shop there!

when i was cycling my tank, i was looking for marineland bio-spira bacteria. they dont carry the marine version and tried to sell me fritzime (sp?) i needed a 4oz bottle for my size tank, but they only had the 8oz for $40!! so i said i'd take it. as they were ringing up the sale, i was reading the bottle - it said it had a 2 week shelf life. looked for an expiration date - didnt see one. asked the gentlemen selling the item - he looked to and didnt see one. when i got home i saw a suspicious looking glue spot on the bottle. called the store. asked them if they had any bottles with an expiration date. he checked - said they did but they were all expired! did the salesman peel off the date label and sell it to me anyway? i'll never know.

called fritz told them the story. the very nice lady in customer service was quite annoyed with the fish store. to make up for my hassle, she sent me 3 bottles via overnight for FREE. (my favorite word)

so the moral is... watch out for these guys. no personality and a little sleezy.

where do you go?

 

[BrianH]

Beth,

Here is a list of most of the stores I visit regularly


Reef Encounter
504 Hudson St.
Hackensack, NJ
(201) 229-0555

Rainbow Aquarium
1487 Rt. 23 South
Wayne, NJ
(973) 694-9675
rainbow aquarium

Absolutley Fish
1080 Rt. 46 Wesy
Clifton, NJ 07013
(973)365-0200

The Fish Tank Man
527 Belmont Ave.
Haledon, NJ
(973) 389-2255

Animal House
1510 State Rt. 23
Butler, NJ
(973) 838-7239

Pet Center (?)
Route 4 North(cinema 35 shopping plaza)
Paramus, NJ

Route 4 Aquarium
143 Broadway
Elmwood Park, NJ
(201) 797-6650

Pet Place
1462 State Rt. 23
Wayne, NJ
(973) 305 - 8842

I'm not really a fan of AF either but they have one of the largest selections of SW livestock in the tristate area, even if it is also the most expensive. Be a little careful of Rt. 4 also, I see a lot of different algaes growing in their coral tanks. From what I've seen, they have a good selection of LPS but the sps and softies leave a lot to be desired.

I would suggest buying your own test kits. This way you can perform your own water tests without having to go to the lfs.
I would also run some carbon while the leather is wilted. This is just in case it release any toxins. Whether the leather makes it through or not, I would suggest waiting a few more months for your tank to stabelize before adding any more corals.
If you have any more questions about local issues don't be afraid to ask.

Brian