# What is this? and what do I do?



## Ischemia (Dec 19, 2012)

I have a 55g NPT setup for 2 days now and noticed this white film on my driftwood pieces that seems to be spreading across the sand floor. What is it? and what do I do to control it? Is this something I should leave be and let it run its course? I added 6 amano shrimp today hoping they may decide to feast on it and they are the only livestock in there ATM.


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

New driftwood tends to do that. Its some kind of harmless mold or fungus...

You can either take it out and scrub it off as it comes off really easily or you can just leave it and it usually disappears after a few days or so, maybe a week? I don't really recall, but it will go away eventually.

Most people here boil their driftwood to leach out the tannins that will turn the water brown, and it also prevents that moldy thing from happening.


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## Ischemia (Dec 19, 2012)

thanks...I had it submerged for 2 weeks but the pieces were way to big for me to boil....I will wait it out and hopefully it doesn't last too long


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Try a snail or two. Nerites, Mystery, Ramshorns or MTS, most will eat that stuff, though I am not sure the shrimp will. It does seem to go away eventually, but the snails sure speed it up. Being larger, Mystery snails will do it fastest, but I've yet to meet a snail that didn't like grazing on wood.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Try a piece of paper towel. Simply clean it off gently.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I find it goes away on its own after a few weeks


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

It's self limiting once whatever it's living off is done so is it.


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## Ischemia (Dec 19, 2012)

It got worse by the next day but hasn't gotten any worse since. No change yet but I am just gonna sit back and let this take care of itself. I have a few very tiny snails who were tag along on some on my plants but they have no interest in cleaning this up for me


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*mould stuff on driftwood*

i have had several tanks with driftwood , and all have gone thru this cycle lasting i think about a week or so then totally dissapearing .i can try to suck some of it up when u do a water change .use a smaller diameter vacuum hose to try to suck it up .no need to worry it is gross but it will clear up 
cheers .


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

I'm telling you, paper towel man it's easy as 1-2-3 BOUNTY!


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Ischemia said:


> It got worse by the next day but hasn't gotten any worse since. No change yet but I am just gonna sit back and let this take care of itself. I have a few very tiny snails who were tag along on some on my plants but they have no interest in cleaning this up for me


It's probably easier and faster for you to just wipe this off manually. I've had lace rock that did the same thing. If you leave it in for too long, it will start to stink.


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## irminia (Dec 10, 2011)

I've had this issue in the past with driftwood as well, and did not notice any adverse effects on any of my livestock. 

If you're really worried, you may try to put the driftwood in the oven at 240 degrees c for 20-30 minutes to sanitize it of the mold. I've done this method with my terrarium driftwood when they began to develop mold/fungus.


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## Ischemia (Dec 19, 2012)

solarz said:


> It's probably easier and faster for you to just wipe this off manually. I've had lace rock that did the same thing. If you leave it in for too long, it will start to stink.


I did a water change today and sucked it all out with the vacuum. Man you weren't joking that that stuff STINKS. Glad I got it out before my tank started to go all smelly on me


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Ischemia said:


> I did a water change today and sucked it all out with the vacuum. Man you were joking that that stuff STINKS. Glad I got it out before my tank started to go all smelly on me


Interestingly enough, however, my amano shrimps loves this stuff. They would clean it up in no time.


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## Ischemia (Dec 19, 2012)

I just added a bunch of red cherry shrimp into the mix and they LOVE this stuff. They wil be the cleanup crew I guess for what remains on the nasty white fungus


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## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

It's nothing man, it tends to do it. unless it is ugly for your eyes, ignore it


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## Ischemia (Dec 19, 2012)

its all gone now that I have RCS living in the tank. They cleaned that drift wood up better then it was before it went in the tank


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