# bracket/Shelf Fungus



## SappyHucks (Oct 4, 2006)

Trametes versicolor aka: Turkey Tail Fungus

I went ahead and split a small clump for a small 10gal moss viv I'm working on. 

Question: Will it most likely die out and become a wall mount ornament that loses color over a few years or should it adhere to the background and drop spores over time? 

I should have the long term answer as I'm testing it out but thought I would ask as some may have tried this already.


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## SappyHucks (Oct 4, 2006)

The Fungus BTW


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## mattmcdole (Nov 28, 2006)

I have been dying to find a shelving fungus someplace locally and have had no luck.. Is that something you have local to you?


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## SappyHucks (Oct 4, 2006)

it's all over a stump in my back yard/woods


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## Fishinfl321 (Aug 10, 2006)

I have often wondered about shelf in a viv as well. Is there anything harmful to frogs about using shelf? Anyone know?



Troy


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

It will eventually be eaten by variuos insects that tend to live in it's tissue. I have tried preserving them even in a dry place and they just begin to disentigrate so be prepared to remove them once this happens.


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## SappyHucks (Oct 4, 2006)

harrywitmore said:


> It will eventually be eaten by variuos insects that tend to live in it's tissue.


Link to source? Would like to know more. Thinking of starting a tank just for fungus so I can get it growing on some nice driftwoods.


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

> Link to source?


Experience. I have tried these particular mushrooms many times in terrariums and this is what seems to happen to them. I suppose if you could grow them from a piece of sterile wood that had been infused with spore it may be more successful since the insects will not have the opportunities they have in the woods.
But like I always say, experimenting is a good thing and you may be very successful where I have not.


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## StevenBonheim (Feb 22, 2004)

You cant simply transplant the fruit body like that. The part of the mushroom that you have in your viv is not capable of supporting itself with out being connected to the 'vegetative' part of the fungus that has been decomposing the log you found them on. If this fruiting body you have in your tank drops any spores, it is unlikely they'll have anything to colonize. Most species require a specific type of wood of a certain age, temperature and water content. Its even possible that your mushroom has already released it's spores and you have a leftover from last season.


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## dirtmonkey (Feb 10, 2007)

^^^
What StevenBonheim said. But, you can order grow kits for this fungus, and others, online Just search mushroom grow kits and you should find a few sources in your area or Country.

The turkey tail Trametes don't have perennial fruits (the part you see). They decompose and re-grow each year naturally. Some sort of Ganoderma would be a good choice to experiment with, you could inoculate a sterilized small log, wait for it to colonize, then put it in the viv to start fruiting. It requires patience, but after doing some homework is very possible. Many or most ganoderma have perennial woody fruits.

They are not toxic, and in fact are being studied for medicinal purposes (before anyone asks for references, let me suggest Google as a great resource)

I have grown Trametes from a purchased culture, but used it outside. I've grown Ganoderma, Lion's Mane, Shiitake, a few kinds of Oyster, and Wood Ear indoors. The Ganoderma, Oyster, and probably Wood Ear would enjoy the high humidity and warmth of the vivarium, but the othes might want it cooler. Ganoderma is a shelf fungus, and will last for a long time once going. If CO2 is a little high inside, it will grow in an interesting antler form instead of the typical shelf.

Another wood mushroom that might be fun to try are the glow-in-the-dark varieties, which you can also buy cultures of online from various places. I don't remember the temperature requirements, but Enoki might be another one to try, too.

There are lots of fungi that fruit in warm humid conditions, which can be bought already started or as spores. Probably more now than when I used to grow the edible and medicinal ones. Just be sure not to get anything illegal started in there lol!

If you haven't grown fungi (intentionally) before, The easiest would definitely be the Oysters. You could make even make paper-clay logs out of leftover brown cardboard, or something fun like that, Oysters will grow on almost anything. Inoculate whatever you want to grow it on (after sterilizing), let it colonize, then place in viv to fruit. If it's on a chunk of wood or small log, you should get several flushes. Unfortunately they also tend to be pretty messy enclosed, because they blow out a lot of spores. Harmless, but can be ugly. If I remember right, the pink oyster isn't so bad about sporulating everywhere... but check on that first.

Another thought-- I wouldn't grow fungi on purpose in any viv that includes expensive wood. You'd hate to see the mushrooms begin turning your $150.00 of beautiful imported bog roots into compost! You wouldn't even know it was happening until after the insides were already pulped. And, just in case, that includes using shelf/bracket fungi as decorations unless they've been sterilized first, to kill the spores (i.e. pressure cooker).


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## Smashtoad (Apr 27, 2007)

Ureka!

You guys are some hard-core idea spawners. I have a bag with about ten pounds of dried artists conk fungus (big, woody shelf polypores) and some other shelf fungi that I have had for over ten years...and true to what has been said here already...some of them were turned to flimsy lace by the insects inside of them.

But the biggest, hardest pieces are as nice today as they were when I collected them. In fact, I tried to sell this lot to "*****" several years ago and they didn't want them...so, just like the pack rat that we all are when it comes to this kind of stuff...I kept them. I never used them for lack of a good way to attach them to a viv wall or piece of wood with a natural look.

Now that you guys have turned me on to the Great Stuff / silicone / co-co method...I can use them...BUT

Are they just going to mold in terrarium conditions? I plan to use no water feature...but it obviously will be humid.


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

StevenBonheim and dirtmonkey are pretty spot on. We had another topic a few days ago if you want to do a search where we came to a similar conclusion.


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## SappyHucks (Oct 4, 2006)

Smash - I, like you, have "DRIED" pieces and from testing, found they are fine if you mount them in a "less moist" area.

If they are in a moist to wet area, they get a little soft and form a green algae/moss looking haze. But if you mount them a little higher, near the light and out of the misting zone, they hold up quite well and look very much alive. 

It's one of the few fungus that doesn't turn to mush once it drops its spores.

If you have a nice little collection of the "DRIED" bracket, find a piece you wouldn't mind testing and put it in the viv, see how it works and go from there.

It's like drift wood. You use it because you want an accent in your viv. Not because you think it will grow a tree.


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