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I'm just starting my new 10g planted, and have noticed some whitish film on my driftwood since this past weekend. I've checked out the different kinds of algae, but this doesn't look like anything listed. The water's a bit cloudy and this "film" is clumping all over the wood. I am noticing some green algae form on the flourite, but am not too worried about that, since I am stocking with a rubbernose pleco.

Could this "film" be remnants of my crypt after it "melted" when planted, or maybe something on the wood that didn't completely boil off? Should I worry about this, since I have ordered plants on their way?

So far, the only things in the tank are the flourite, the driftwood, a plastic cave, one green wendtii, and a baby java fern from my other planted tank (which only has green algae).

I have dealt with three pieces of mopani wood in a span of 2 years. I boiled them to remove tannins, then placed them in the tank. In all three cases, a white fungus-like stuff grew on it. I think it may have been two weeks before it appeared, maybe a little sooner or later. I pulled it out and scrubbed it off, then put it back in. In some cases I had to do this twice. Then it stopped. This happened in two tanks that were just cycling, and it happened in an established tank when I added a piece of wood. I think it is a natural process, but I can't say I understand it.

If it is not too much trouble, consider pulling it out and giving it a scrub, then return it. Before long, it will be coated with a little algae that your algae eaters will love

Last edited by Cory_Di at 02-Feb-2005 21:02

Hi,

It's not really an algae as such. It's a type of fungus. Most likely the result of some dead organisms in the wood decomposing. It's quite natural.

The good news is it will disappear by itself within a week or two. No need to clean. It's is harmless to both fish and plants and will not spread futher then the wood itself. Just leave it be and it'll do it's thing, once gone it'd won't return.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

You mean I didn't need to scrub it ]:|

I freaked out when I saw it on some driftwood I'd added too... especially since my pieces were naturally collected ("Oh no what have I done" kept running thru my head). I did try removing it with a green scratchy pad thinking that the fish might try and eat it and get sick. Plus I didnt like what looked to me like boogers in my tank, GI-joe used to have a slime machine thing that made me unable to eat cream of wheat for quite a long time after I'd seen a commercial once. The only result of scrubbing it off was that it really clogged up my scrubby pad which I then had to clean off by hand . It kept growing back every few days for a couple of weeks then was gone!

^_^ [hr width='40%']
"The rain is falling down like silence in a shroud"[/font][/font]

Yep, sorry ladies, the cleaning was futile

Cleaning just removes the fungus, but it will continue to come back until the organisms have finished decomposing. Once it's fully decomposed it won't return. Just leave it be.

---

Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

It wasn't futile !

It kept me from having to look @boogers floating around in my tank while I was eating breakfast!

Plus I did have pieces that broke away in the current from the powerheads and ended up jamming up the sponge in my filter, which also had to be removed by hand !

^_^ [hr width='40%']
"The rain is falling down like silence in a shroud"

Same thing happend to me, and it only happens on mopani wood, i've had several pieces and those where the only ones that developed this fongus.

Really

I wonder why it only happens to mopani wood. Or, is it just that there is more organic content wrapped up in it that decays. I would have thought boiling would have taken care of it.

Can't possibly happen only to mopani wood, since it happened to the wood that I used. Figured out it was pine after I baked it gave my house that pine fresh scent !

or something like that .

^_^


[hr width='40%']
"The rain is falling down like silence in a shroud"

I boiled mine too. i guess that since mopani is more "pourous" (*spelling), it's prune to develop this fungus. As mentioned before, it went away on it's own about 3 weeks later not afecting water parameters or fish.

Boiling won't prevent it. Boiling will only kill whatever microscopic criiters are in the wood, not decompose them. The fungus is caused by the decomposition of the things that were killed.

I don't think it's limited to one type of wood. I've seen it on both driftwood and bogwood.

How or where the wood was stored before putting in your tank would have more of an effect. If the wood was stored in water or another tank it would have already gone thru this phase. If it was stored in the open or a shelf then there is always the possibility of ants or mites etc making the wood their home, then dying either through boiling or placement in the tank and then the decomposition starts.

Where I buy my wood they have a huge pile in the open and some soaking. The pieces I bought from the pile developed this fungus, the ones stored in water never did.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.