# White fungas/mold on driftwood



## joe (Jan 3, 2012)

I have bought some driftwood at big als and boiled it and soaked it.
youd figure id have killed everything

Thats not the case i have placed it in the tank and a white fungas has begun developing on it.

anyone have any insight to what this is and a means of getting rid of it?

Ive read if you let it grow for two weeks it will die off on its own, to me that sounds like alot of bullshit, not doing anything shouldnt really solve the problem.

All help would be greatly appreciated as this is the new tank for my mosses and crystal blacks


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

It's wood fungus. It will dissolve away on its own, be eaten by critters and fish, or be removed/dissapear during and after a waterchange. It's not really a problem- no bullshit.


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## joe (Jan 3, 2012)

*thanks*

so it doesnt really affect the water at all? i just didnt like the idea of fungas in my tank. im getting the tank ready for shrimp so i only have autocats in it right now, should i put in a fish to eat the mold? if so what one?

so basically the fungas is just something slowly seeping out of the wood?

thanks for the help btw


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## Jaysan (Dec 19, 2011)

From what I have heard, the fungus grows on the wood when it is placed in a tank that is still cycling. 
I had tried this theory out by placing two pieces of the same type of wood in two tanks, 1 completed cycle and 1 still going to cycle.
The tank that was still cycling had a white type of mold grow on the wood.
Its perfectly safe, you can remove it by hand if you like or use a turkey baster to remove it.

Water change will also remove it


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## joe (Jan 3, 2012)

I guess Ill do a 10 gallon water change..
i wish you could buy cycled water, im trying to start up a second 75 gallon but its gonna take a while to cycle 

i have moss growing on the wood so i guess ill leave it on since the fungas is harmless, are there any fish that would eat it?

this tanks got alot of cycling to do i guess


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Water doesn't cycle, bacteria growth does. The benificial bacteria you are waiting to grow in a tank, doesn't stay in the water column, it's attached to surface areas (glass, substrate, rocks, and especially the porous filter media).

Otocats, shrimp and plecos will often consume the fungus. It's not long lasting, so it's often gone before people get to putting those fish in.

It's likely that diftwood is less likely to fungus in a cycled tank (filter) because the BB (benificial bacteria) consumes the fungus before it can manifest in the translucent slime.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*slime*

ive had teh same thing with new wood from the store 
white slimey and gross it will be gone in less then a week from my experience 
tom


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## greentea (Mar 22, 2011)

Your shrimp will probably eat in a few days unless it goes away on it's own. I had terrible white slime mold on my driftwood for almost a month before I introduced a few cherries to my tank.


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## joe (Jan 3, 2012)

*thanks*

Thats alot of good info thanks guys!

i have crystal black shrimp so im gonna wait a while before I put any in and im gonna move a nice amount of substrate over, maybe some more plants to.

Thanks for the advice again



Will said:


> Water doesn't cycle, bacteria growth does. The benificial bacteria you are waiting to grow in a tank, doesn't stay in the water column, it's attached to surface areas (glass, substrate, rocks, and especially the porous filter media).
> 
> Otocats, shrimp and plecos will often consume the fungus. It's not long lasting, so it's often gone before people get to putting those fish in.
> 
> It's likely that diftwood is less likely to fungus in a cycled tank (filter) because the BB (benificial bacteria) consumes the fungus before it can manifest in the translucent slime.


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