# Removing mold off aquasoil



## vtyou (Mar 17, 2012)

So I had a disaster with DSM and the mold has been getting out of control, there's brown patchy parts around the soil so I plan on just restarting the tank and let the carpet grow immersed. 

I was wondering if I could boil the soil to kill the mold? Will this affect the soil's texture or anything?


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## default (May 28, 2011)

vtyou said:


> So I had a disaster with DSM and the mold has been getting out of control, there's brown patchy parts around the soil so I plan on just restarting the tank and let the carpet grow immersed.
> 
> I was wondering if I could boil the soil to kill the mold? Will this affect the soil's texture or anything?


Just spray the soil with some H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and fill it with water, let it soak for 24-48 hrs and then drain, all the mold will be dead.

Another option is to just let it air out, but this is riskier, as dry aquasoil would be more likely to crumble in the long run. I would recommend to just 'drown' the mold/fungus out, and allow the H2O2 to kill them immediately.

Do not boil the soil, you'll ruin whatever container you use, most likely break the soil apart, and make everything smell like mold infested swamp.

Good luck.


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## vtyou (Mar 17, 2012)

default said:


> Just spray the soil with some H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and fill it with water, let it soak for 24-48 hrs and then drain, all the mold will be dead.
> 
> Another option is to just let it air out, but this is riskier, as dry aquasoil would be more likely to crumble in the long run. I would recommend to just 'drown' the mold/fungus out, and allow the H2O2 to kill them immediately.
> 
> ...


Awesome thanks for the tip, what ratio of water:h2O2 do you recommend?

Also, how would I wash the h2O2 out of the soil? Just rinsing it a few times?


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## default (May 28, 2011)

vtyou said:


> Awesome thanks for the tip, what ratio of water:h2O2 do you recommend?
> 
> Also, how would I wash the h2O2 out of the soil? Just rinsing it a few times?


There really is no need for any concern when using H2O2 in a empty tank, you can use as much as you like if it's the typical 3% diluted product from pharmacies. I would just spray the aquasoil fully and extra amounts in areas were there are more mold/fungus present, or if you have standing water in the tank, you could just pour a good amount into the tank - depending on the size of your tank.

Since H2O2 simply turns into oxygen and water as the finishing product, you don't have to worry about dosage or rinsing the soil afterwards. I would however recommend, once the mold is gone from the 24-48 hr soak, try to stir the soil up a little (don't be too rough as that can crush them into dust), this will bring dead cells into the water column which you can then siphon out. Do two 15-25% fills with tap water and then drain, don't worry too much about any water you didn't fully drain - this is just to clear your soil from any dust or other gunk, plus the chlorine in tap water will help clean things up a bit.

Another thing to keep in mind, throughout the process, *do not* let your aquasoil dry out, once soil gets wet and allowed to dry again, the soil will break much easier in the future.


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## vtyou (Mar 17, 2012)

default said:


> There really is no need for any concern when using H2O2 in a empty tank, you can use as much as you like if it's the typical 3% diluted product from pharmacies. I would just spray the aquasoil fully and extra amounts in areas were there are more mold/fungus present, or if you have standing water in the tank, you could just pour a good amount into the tank - depending on the size of your tank.
> 
> Since H2O2 simply turns into oxygen and water as the finishing product, you don't have to worry about dosage or rinsing the soil afterwards. I would however recommend, once the mold is gone from the 24-48 hr soak, try to stir the soil up a little (don't be too rough as that can crush them into dust), this will bring dead cells into the water column which you can then siphon out. Do two 15-25% fills with tap water and then drain, don't worry too much about any water you didn't fully drain - this is just to clear your soil from any dust or other gunk, plus the chlorine in tap water will help clean things up a bit.
> 
> Another thing to keep in mind, throughout the process, *do not* let your aquasoil dry out, once soil gets wet and allowed to dry again, the soil will break much easier in the future.


Wow I did not know that H2O2 just turns to oxygen and water... mind blown haha

One more quick question, what's the best way to save a few bunches of dwarf hair grass that did not get contaminated? Would I just move it over to a plastic container as a temporary home for them? Is it even possible to salvage them?


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## default (May 28, 2011)

vtyou said:


> Wow I did not know that H2O2 just turns to oxygen and water... mind blown haha
> 
> One more quick question, what's the best way to save a few bunches of dwarf hair grass that did not get contaminated? Would I just move it over to a plastic container as a temporary home for them? Is it even possible to salvage them?


If it's still healthy, they can be left in a cup for about a week or two, just use some de-chlorinated water and leave it where there's ambient lighting, there's no need to direct lighting as that may encourage algae growth.

Another good option would be using a small emersed set up, it can be done with new AS, potting soil, or any inert medium - this can even be done in a small plastic container or good sized bowl. This would be more ideal for longer periods, if it's just for a short period, the first recommendation would be more than sufficient. I've left plants in a container with no lighting for about two-three weeks with minimal impact, plants are much hardier than most people believe.


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