# algae? bacteria? eww..



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

I have this clear bushy type of thing growing on my newly set up tank (less than 2 weeks old). Specifically, on the driftwood. It's been spreading like crazy for the past 2 days and it looks nasty. If anyone could identify what it is and how to get rid of it, it would be more than helpful.


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

Sorry I don't know what it is but it usually goes away after a couple of days.


----------



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

matti2uude said:


> Sorry I don't know what it is but it usually goes away after a couple of days.


thanks for the knowledge of it going away eventually, but then has it happened to you before?


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

It is a kind of mould that happens to grow on pieces of driftwood that are new to the aquarium.

I is harmless, if not unsightly. You can take the piece of wood out and boil/scrub it, but there is no guarantee that it will not come back.

If you give it a few weeks, it will disappear on its own.


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

Beijing08 said:


> thanks for the knowledge of it going away eventually, but then has it happened to you before?


Yes it has happened to me a few times. It usually goes away for me within a week.


----------



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Awesome! Thanks guys 
I guess only time will tell


----------



## jamesren (Aug 27, 2008)

Yes is kind of mould. They will become excellent shrimp food.


----------



## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

Many fish and shrimp love to eat the stuff.

I had a whole ton of it in my quarantine tank.


----------



## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

Same, I got that stuff on my decor/driftwood and it did not harm any shrimp


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I bet if you analyzed it, it would show up as a mixture of:

a) Fungi
b) bacteria
c) algae

Like the others say, harmless. I've found it appears quite often in soft, nutrientless water and usually stems from something that is leeching nutrients (like a leaf, or in your case, some driftwood).


----------



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks everyone! It's actually going away now...I guess no more natural shrimp food.


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I doubt it was solely caused by frozen foods...it is just part of a normal process.


----------



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Chris S said:


> I doubt it was solely caused by frozen foods...it is just part of a normal process.


chris, jamesren said it's good shrimp food, the fungus itself. It's disappearing, meaning no more shrooms for my shrimps LOL


----------



## Tark77 (Sep 6, 2010)

lol, do you find your shrimp doing crazy back flips.....or just chillin' on a leaf with a weird smile on its face?????


----------



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Tark77 said:


> lol, do you find your shrimp doing crazy back flips.....or just chillin' on a leaf with a weird smile on its face?????


haven't had the chance to experiment yet cuz tank's only been up for a week or so. But I'd like to find out...


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Beijing08 said:


> chris, jamesren said it's good shrimp food, the fungus itself. It's disappearing, meaning no more shrooms for my shrimps LOL


Sorry I misread what you had posted - I thought you said "No more frozen foods" and assumed it meant that you thought frozen foods caused it!


----------



## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Chris S said:


> Sorry I misread what you had posted - I thought you said "No more frozen foods" and assumed it meant that you thought frozen foods caused it!


no sweat chris, your previous post was extremely helpful...that "analysis" for the origins of this fungus. Thanks again


----------

