Splitting Mushroom Coral

[bhanson]

I have a mushroom that came in on a peice of live rock. It has grown very nicely 4" dia. How do I get this mushroom to produce more. I heard at my LFS that I can split the bottom half down from the center and it will split into two. Does this work or are there any other ways to do this?

Thanks

 

[paats]

I`m read many replies that say splitting is a good way to propagate mushrooms.From what I`ve seen people just split the thing right down the center with a good clean razor.I`ve also read that slicing off the top and basically leaving the 'stem' part of the mushroom works well also.The part you leave will regrow a new cap.Of course you have to attach the part you cut off to rock.I haven`t done mushrooms but I think the rubberband method is the best for holding down cuttings till they take hold.Just don`t make it too tight.Try putting the cutting in a small depression in the rock and then put the rubber band on it and put in a low flow area of your tank.

 

[Anonymous]

IF you are in a hurry split it as paats suggest if you are not in a hurry a single shroom will spread all by itself.

 

[Sprattoo]

I tried cutting the top off one of mine. I only got part of it :x
I tried holding it upside down and snipping.. I got chicken, the thing retracted.. we had a moment..... I got my now 3" mushroom from the lfs for free .... it was a little slice rolling around on the bottom of the tank, they threw it in the bag.

ANYWAY...
the snipped part died but the original split into two. My vote is with splitting. Does anyone know if you slice them down the middle will they re-form into one or does it always make 2?

is it possible to make more than two out of one?
I would like to find a sure fire way to snip then attach one or two to a new piece of LR instead of spreading over the same rock.

I am interested in finding a relable propagation source /method for these guys

 

[scottk1]

I like the cut method. I take the shroom and cut it away from the stalk. Then I cut the shroom into pie shaped pieces, each with a center mouth-type portion on it. Then take the pieces and put in a shallow dish like a butter bowl with a layer of crushed coral or rubble. Cover that with bridal veil and rubber band the veil around the dish. Place in a low light, low flow area for a few days and then bring out into the open. After a short while, the shroom bits will regenerate into whole shrooms and attach to the rubble. The glue the rubble to the target spot or rock.

I just did 2 bowls full (about 12 shrooms) and only lost one. I suspect it didn't get a good mouthpiece with it.

 

[Uber]

yea thats the best way that i have found to do it also scott, except i just use thoe jam jars, you know, the ones your grandma gives you, i usually only do the cuttings in fours, ill cut the shroom in half, then cut those pieces in half, i have yet to have a death, as long as your take your time, and do it correcty, you shant have a problem, just cut the shroom off of the rock with as much of the base as you can get, then place on paper towel ( to help witht eh slime that its gonne let out) and cut, making sure that a piece of the mouth is in each piece. i dont know if i would do it with my one and only shroom if i had never done it before, so plan on maybe losing one...maybe go buy a small rock with a shrooms on it? then give it a good go, something said for positive reinforcment

 

[Sprattoo]

well I actually have 2. So I think I will get brave this weekend and take a hack at one. *gulp*

I Don't know how it will go.. the shrooms are 3 or so inches across but it looks like the mouth is pretty dang small maybe 1/8 inch.

I have made many Sarcophytons frags.

Thanks for the help

 

[Anonymous]

What's the time frame for them after the initial cut, and for them to become a full blown, attached shroom? (Never done this either, but very interested).
Thanks!
~wings~

 

[intranet]

I have cut a few of my shrooms. From what I understand it isn't necessary to have a piece of the mouth but it regenerates faster if you do. I have heard of people literally putting them into a blender with great results.

I cut mine in "pie" shaped pieces as mentioned and they seem to do great. Haven't had any die yet, but did lose on in the tank for a short period of time.. The times vary, but mine seem to form back into small circles and attach in a week or two.

 

[Sprattoo]

Well I DID do it.
I want to make clear I'm propogating Mushroom anemones not sarcophytons or leather corals (Which look like mushrooms)

I had cut a couple of pieces of the edge of this guy a number of months ago and the cuts died, the anemone recovered, then split in two later.

After posting here, I tried just whacking its head off by holding the rock upside down over the cutting bowl. then after the rock was back in the tank, I cut the head into about 6 or 8 pieces keeping a piece of the mouth on each piece. It was slimy messy work... but by placing it flat on a paper towel then cutting it with the paper towel it was A LOT easier.

I put them into a bowl covered with onion bag mesh in my refugium. All seem to be doing well as far as I can tell.

The old stump looks like it is probably still alive too.

So thanks for the help!

 

[fredso2003]

:lol: i HAVE SPLIT AND GROWN OVER 120 SHROOMS TURNING THEM INTO OVER 400 SHROOMS IN 4 MONTHS TIME! THE METHOD SCOTT ELABORATED ON IS THE ONE I USE.IODIDE ADDITIVE IS A BENEFICIAL FACTOR WHAN PROPAGATING MUSHROOMS IME,I HAVE HAD GREAT SUCESS IN MY 3 GROWOUT/FRAG TANKS WITH THIS METHOD,HOPE THIS HELPS!!(AND E-BAYERS LOVE MY SHROOMS$$$)

 

[Sprattoo]

I actually recently split a rted shroom down the middle and sure enough it grew back together to form 1 again!

 

[christssoldiers]

:lol: i HAVE SPLIT AND GROWN OVER 120 SHROOMS TURNING THEM INTO OVER 400 SHROOMS IN 4 MONTHS TIME! THE METHOD SCOTT ELABORATED ON IS THE ONE I USE.IODIDE ADDITIVE IS A BENEFICIAL FACTOR WHAN PROPAGATING MUSHROOMS IME,I HAVE HAD GREAT SUCESS IN MY 3 GROWOUT/FRAG TANKS WITH THIS METHOD,HOPE THIS HELPS!!(AND E-BAYERS LOVE MY SHROOMS$$$)

I agree that iodine is the key. I got three green striped mushrooms from a friend about three years ago. I have never cut or propagated them but by the end of that year I had given away twelve to friends, sold eight to the LFS for trade, and still have about eight four to six inch shrooms in my tank. I stopped using iodnine in the tank about six months ago when preparing to switch tanks and have not had a single new shroom since. BTW, I think you CAPS LOCK is stuck :wink:

 

[fujianboy]

you can check this for reference...http://www.garf.org/trever/MUSH.html

 

[Sprattoo]

This is similar to what I did.
I lost a number of pieces under rocks - through the currents.

But the head I cut off grew right back into a new shroom. and one of the pieces I didnt lose grew into a new shroom

 

[Mouse]

use a blender, whizz da shroom untill fairly liquified and then leave some bits of rock to soak it up. thn the whole rock will bloom in shrooms, no joke.

 

[Sprattoo]

This is interesting. I am definately going to try this out next week. I have some red guys that need to be spread.

 

[bilmac]

I want to thank everyone who posted here for the helpful info. I just cut" some nice red mushrooms, I started cutting 3 of them, and when iI was finished cutting I had 18. I cut each mushroom into 6 pieces. all are doing fine and no losses. It has been three days. after cutting them I placed them into a disposable glad sandwich container, then placed the container in a mesh filter bag and put it in a low flow/light area of my tank. All is going well. again thanks alot