Mushrooms growing in tank??

[scorpolover2000]

the title explains it all really; a few days i saw something white in the substrate, not thinking much of it i took it out. i come back to the terrarium a 2 days later and i see there's a whole mushroom just chilling in the terrarium. i take it out but i knew it was useless because more are gonna grow. and, shock, now there's a little mushrooms growing by the sides of the terrarium. i saw another forum on this site that had this problem and said not to worry cos they'll come and go but to be honest it's freaking me out. idk if mushrooms can be poisonous to scorpions the same as humans but it's still worrying me. here are some pics;


I'm a first time scorpion keeper and i've doing everything a scorpion needs but i seem to be struggling and keep getting it wrong :/

 

[Poonjab]

You growing cubensis? Somehow you’ve introduced spores into your enclosure. They won’t hurt your scorp. Unless he’s a hippy scorpion. Then I would be worried.

joking aside. Figure out how you introduced spores into the enclosure. Once done, you’ll be able to fix the issue.

 

[Gurantula]

joking aside. Figure out how you introduced spores into the enclosure. Once done, you’ll be able to fix the issue.

Spores are literally everywhere. You couldnt possibly figure out a single source of introduction (unless in a lab setting). The OPs got mature fruitbodies, so they have dropped millions, if not billions of spores. Mycelium grows throughout much or all of the substrate. When you see mushrooms you are only looking at a small portion of the full mushroom 'plant.'

@scorpolover2000 , those look like ink caps mushrooms. They should self-decay themselves in 24-48 hours. However, that is only the fruits of the plant and to completely get rid of the mycelium you would need to pasteurize your substrate prior to using it. I dont think the mushrooms/mycelium (they are actually the same thing!) would ever be a problem, I'm not a scorpion guy though. Most of the time people use substrate without ever realizing they have mycelium there.

Sorry for the kind of long post, I'm a hobby mycologist and love to talk about mushrooms.

 

[Poonjab]

Spores are literally everywhere. You couldnt possibly figure out a single source of introduction (unless in a lab setting). The OPs got mature fruitbodies, so they have dropped millions, if not billions of spores. Mycelium grows throughout much or all of the substrate. When you see mushrooms you are only looking at a small portion of the full mushroom 'plant.'

@scorpolover2000 , those look like ink caps mushrooms. They should self-decay themselves in 24-48 hours. However, that is only the fruits of the plant and to completely get rid of the mycelium you would need to pasteurize your substrate prior to using it. I dont think the mushrooms/mycelium (they are actually the same thing!) would ever be a problem, I'm not a scorpion guy though. Most of the time people use substrate without ever realizing they have mycelium there.

Sorry for the kind of long post, I'm a hobby mycologist and love to talk about mushrooms.

Looks like I stand corrected and learned something new today. Today I learned ha.

 

[Dr SkyTower]

yeah I don't think those mushrooms will affect the scorpion, they're predatory so they're not going to be bothered by mushrooms. I'd just remove the mushrooms before they start releasing spores (when they grow those caps) so you don't end up with lots of mushrooms.

 

[EpicEpic]

@Dorifto is the mushroom legend around here.

 

[Dorifto]

@Dorifto is the mushroom legend around here.

I heard mushrooms??? hahahahahaha

Nah, they are harmless, so don't worry if you see some of them, but you will have hundreds... every little white dot is a spore growing xD Looking to the substrate I'm pretty sure that they were on it.

Firstly I'd remove the drainage layer, this is more suitable for dendros etc, were a high water demand is needed. I had a drainage layer in my old setup, and it gave me only problems. If you use coco fiber and similar stuff, they can keep high amounts of water on it, but the top part tends to dry too quickly, so you add more water and the cycle starts again, and because of that, you will end with a flooded drainage layer.

I'd recommend you another substrate, like topsoil or something similar who can keep the moisture more homogeneously, so you don't have to mist your enclosure so often. I use topsoil in my vivs, and had them 2-3 (mushrooms) from time to time, but since the springtails and isopods thrive soo well in this substrate, they keep the mushrooms under control. With those kind of substrates you won't need to use any kind of drainage layer anymore.

This is why Epic says that I'm a mushrooms legeng hahahahaha, they are another guys who had mushrooms too xD

 

[Gurantula]

... every little white dot is a spore growing xD

Just to clarify, spores are not a problem and do not grow mushrooms alone. The white dots are hyphal knots created by the mycelium. <edit> the knots do turn into mushrooms though <edit> A spore will germinate and if another compatible spore is around they will mate (yes mushy 'sex' is real lol). Every mushroom you've ever seen/eaten is a direct result of just TWO spores mating and growing out in a substrate.

I dont want the OP to think the spores will create more mushrooms. Typically the parent mycelium has already grown out and will not allow its spores to grow big enough to make a different strain of mushrooms.

I do apologize for getting a tad of topic and correcting you. I just couldnt help myself I just think mushrooms are so fascinating.

 

[Smotzer]

the title explains it all really; a few days i saw something white in the substrate, not thinking much of it i took it out. i come back to the terrarium a 2 days later and i see there's a whole mushroom just chilling in the terrarium. i take it out but i knew it was useless because more are gonna grow. and, shock, now there's a little mushrooms growing by the sides of the terrarium. i saw another forum on this site that had this problem and said not to worry cos they'll come and go but to be honest it's freaking me out. idk if mushrooms can be poisonous to scorpions the same as humans but it's still worrying me. here are some pics;
View attachment 351742 View attachment 351743 View attachment 351744

I'm a first time scorpion keeper and i've doing everything a scorpion needs but i seem to be struggling and keep getting it wrong :/

Pluck them and fry them up

In all seriousness its no harm to your animals, just remove them but the caps look like they are already opened and have likely dispersed more spores so you will likely have more hyphae growth regardless since your conditions are clearly proper for hyphae growth and likely spore germination as well.

 

[Dorifto]

Just to clarify, spores are not a problem and do not grow mushrooms alone. The white dots are hyphal knots created by the mycelium. <edit> the knots do turn into mushrooms though <edit> A spore will germinate and if another compatible spore is around they will mate (yes mushy 'sex' is real lol). Every mushroom you've ever seen/eaten is a direct result of just TWO spores mating and growing out in a substrate.

I dont want the OP to think the spores will create more mushrooms. Typically the parent mycelium has already grown out and will not allow its spores to grow big enough to make a different strain of mushrooms.

I do apologize for getting a tad of topic and correcting you. I just couldnt help myself I just think mushrooms are so fascinating.

Lol I was trying to simplify the things hahahahaha

 

[Gurantula]

Lol I was trying to simplify the things hahahahaha

Haha I hear ya, thanks for reading my spiel lol.

 

[Smotzer]

For anyone who wants to know simplified progression of fungal growth goes spore release —> inoculation —> germination-> spore into hypha—>hyphae —>mycelia —>mycelium—>mycelium condenses into hyphae knots —>
primordia deveolpemt—> body selection—> fruiting body—>spore release—> back to inoculation.

 

[Dorifto]

For anyone who wants to know simplified progression of fungal growth goes spore release —> inoculation —> germination-> spore into hypha—>hyphae —>mycelia —>mycelium—>mycelium condenses into hyphae knots —>
primordia deveolpemt—> body selection—> fruiting body—>spore release—> back to inoculation.

You jumped the mushroom omelette step