[map95003]

Most corals do well in my tank, I keep a few SPS pieces closer to the top of the tank and they are growing. LPS, zoas, xenias, etc. all growing, I even have a carnation leather that's doing OK and from what I read these are very difficult to keep. However, I tried a few red mushrooms a few months after I setup the tank and they didn't do well, I still have them but they haven't multiplied, instead they faded in color and are about 1/3 the size of when I got them. I tried moving them around the tank ove tha last year, nothing. I bought a few more 2 days ago and they were much bigger at the LFS...I keep them on the sandbed. I thought mushrooms were on the easier side to keep and more of a beginner coral.

Questions:
1) Do I have too much light for mushrooms (6x54w T5s on my 75g DT)
2) Too much flow? My tank has quite a bit of flow, 2xK4s and a MAG9.5 return. I used to have a K3 running also but I took it out.

Any suggestions?

My Parms (I had these doubled check at the LFS just incase my kits were wrong):
SG: 1.025
pH: 8.0-8.2
Alk: 9 dkh
Temp: 78-80
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: undetectable
Phosphate: undetectable
Ca: 420
Mg: 1300

[pogodzib]

My guess is that you have too much lighting for the red mushrooms. Most of the red varieties prefer lower lighting than some of the types of mushrooms around. I'd try placing them in a rock cove so they are not getting direct light and see what happens. As for the flow, usually mushrooms don't get bothered like many other soft corals if they have more flow so I would guess that the flow isn't the main cause of your problem.

[Dr. Clyde]

Don't mushrooms like a high nutrient enviroment as well.

[pogodzib]

Yes, but if the LPS, zoas, xenias, carnation, etc... are all doing well, then there would be plenty of nutrients for the mushrooms. In the nutrients were super low, then the xenia and carnation would probably be struggling. Besides, mushrooms can generally thrive in low nutrient tanks as well.

[yvr]

Do you add iodine to your tank? I believe that mushrooms really benefit from iodine supplementation and color improves/ intensifies with continued use;although some may disagree. From my experience, I think that they prefer a tank with elevated Iodine concentrations at approx. .06ppm. and I dose with TM Pro Coral Iodine.