Mushroom coral propigation

This is the site.  For the mushroom - there are several ways, but I have only used this method.  Take a small glass cup put some sand in the cup, leave about an inch or of space left in the cup and place in a low current part of the tank.  Cut the mushroom at the base and set it in the cup, after about a week the mushroom will have attached to the sand and then you can glue the mushroom to a rock with the sand.  I have heard of using bridal vail, but have not used it.

 

John "ReefAquarist"

 I have tried several methods for cutting the mushrooms. In fact I learned how to do it on this forum. I personally like to cut the head of the mushroom off. The head gows a new foot and the foot grows a new head. Mushrooms are very hardy I havent managed to kill one yet. One way to atach the mushroom frag to a rock is to stab the mushroom with a wooden toothpick. Make shure the toth pick isfirm in the rock or it will float away.

piston - I've never had the toothpick trick work for me :(  Everytime I try it the shroom just splits and releases before it attaches...maybe I'm doing something wrong?  Also if you want more "production" do as steve suggested and cut the head into 4 to 6 pieces (like slicing a pizza).  That way you end up with 5 - 7 shrooms from one :).

OK,
Thanks for all the suggetions, I will try them out.

But when I cut them the shrink up really really small, is this normal??

Thanks again

Steve

A gel superglue will make it easier for attaching the substrate particle or particles or abandoned shell or small piece of rubble rock that the mushroom attaches itself to.  Or if you want to you can glue it to a shell with a hermit crab in it.  Then you can call it a walking mushroom.   Similar to the walking xenia that was written about, I believe on the GARF site.    

If you want to glue to something that  will not be removed from the tank, you can place the glue on the substrate that's attached  to the mushroom then quickly place and hold it against the rock inside of the tank for a few seconds, they usually stay put. 

You could also cut the mushroom into small pieces so that when they are attached to substrate they can be placed  in nooks and crannies in the live rock where the weight of the substrate helps keep them there until they attach to rock on there own.

Keep your hands and arms inside tank and enjoy the ride.  

  

If you placed them in a cup or bowl with a bottom layer of rubble in a slow water area of the tank, they should attach and look a little more like normal within 10 days. (The container may not be necessary if there is a corner of the tank with slow enough water movement.)

In my experience once the mushroom cutting that's attached to substrate is glued to a rock , the recovery speed seems to speed up.

As far as the time table for the mushroom cuttings to resemble a whole mushroom I would say there are variables to consider like cutting size, how much wound area there is and how happy it is in the tank.

I have many large green fuzzy mushrooms in my tank and everyone started out roughly the size of a pin point. Most were actually attaching attempts gone bad. The cuttings found there way through the bridal veil method of attachment that I used to use. They lit in crevases of the live rock then grew out. At the time it was discouraging but in the end it was rewarding.

Also when cutting my fuzzys I don't bother with cutting a piece of the mouth off of the mushroom. I cut off of the parimeter and they grow new mouths.

Keep your hands and arms inside the tank and enjoy the ride.

Also separated some xenia stalks so i could move some to my just matured 30 gallon to accompany my incoming angler. Piece got away from crazy glue and had to be tied down. thanks to everybody who posts advice on this site!! Your time and energy make this hobby accessible to anyone willing to take the time to learn and try. Y'all rock. Thanks to the great LFS's as well

Edited by chrisslc

I will attest to Steve L's success with fragging shrooms. For such a "low light" system it is absolutely amazing how much growth he has. Maybe there's something to be said for not burning Hetal Halides? The technique Steve showed me of snipping off a piece of his green fuzzies (they are all like 8" accross!) and allowing the pieces to attach to sand was just really neat. Steve, thanks for taking the time to demonstrate your methods. By the way Steve, everything seems to be doing great. Still concerned about the Monti, but maybe time will tell.

Chrisslc, I have never heard of anyone having success with xenia and superglue. I would recommend rubber bands or the rock pile method.

This is a great hobby isn't it! 

Did anybody else notice that this thread has posts in it over a year old?

Wow, I can't believe people actually go back and search for old threads.  I'm glad to see they do.

Adam