White Fluff-Help?

[Kim3]

Ok, so Hi! I'm new here and am struggling a little.

I've only recently (since December) started keeping fish (save for the indestructible goldfish I had as a kid) so im a super newb! I house share with a guy who has 2 tanks and knows pretty much what he's doing so I've had good guidance and very few accidents as yet but now I'm stumped!

I have a 23l fluval edge (I know now how awful they are but I was naive) and in it I have a betta, a pit bull plec, a hillstream loach/butterfly plec and a mini albino cory. All is well, everyone's happy as far as I can tell.
I've also got a coconut cave, a piece of driftwood with a plant attatched and another small plant. It's the driftwood that's causing me the problems.

I bought it from my local fish shop and it was already in a tank with fish, I got it home soaked it and rinsed it before putting it in but since I've had it it's growing fluff! It looks like cottony mould and I can't get rid of it. I spoke to the guys in the shop and they say it's a fungal problem and gave me some fungus and finrot medication which I've used but it hasn't worked. Unfortunatly I haven't got water parameters etc for you guys but as far as we're aware the waters fine, it's part changed weekly.

The fluff doesn't bother me, as unsightly as it is, but I noticed that my betta has a tiny patch on his side that's pale and grey and the pit bull plec is rapidly losing his fins! I thought he was being nipped but now I'm not so sure!

I hope someone can help and I'm sorry about the essay. Thanks in advance guys xx

 

[Hoveringpie]

I can remember as a child that I had a piece of bogwood with 'cottonwool like substance' on it and I never had a problem but I can't be any more help than that. Could your house mate have put something in the water? Is the tank fully cycled take some Water to your local fish store to get it tested its normally free. Then come back to the forum with the results. The fluval edge isn't such a bad tank you just need to know about water chemistry and such.
I currently have a heavily planted fluval edge with co2 nitrite and ammonia both at zero, I would like to add though when this problem is resolved to add more corys they are schooling fish and prefer to be with at least 3 of there same species or they get depressed.

Sorry I can't be much help on the fungus but I hope the rest of my help, helps you

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

It's normal for wood to develop this "slime" when first added to the tank. You can clean it off or sometimes the fish will eat it as well. As far as I understand it, it's harmless.

I do highly reccomend that you get a liquid test kit and check the water, especially as you have an injured fish. If your parameters aren't "spot on" the fish will not heal and you'll end up with a bacterial or fungal infection - which from the sound of it you may already have. Unless your betta is nipping, which some do...

As Hoveringpie said, your cory isn't the best fish to have in this tank and I don't reccomend you keep him, that's just my opinion sorry

 

[big_sw2000]

My thinking is its friendly bacteria growing on the wood. Like a small bacteria bloom. Dont worry about it, it will disapear in a week or so

Steve

 

[Kim3]

Hi, Thanks for the reply guys.

I have taken your advice with my cory. Ive also got a 95l established tank, so I transferred him there and invested in a couple of new friends for him. He's really active and seems to be loving the extra space as well as his new mates. Bit of bad advice on the LSFs part and also lack of research by me.

As for the cottony stuff, I went back to another LSF we use frequently and got the water tested which they said was fine but they also said they'd had other people ask about it too! But they still don't know what it is.

I decided to chance it and get some zebra snails to see if they'd clean any of it up and so far so good! They've started munching on it and seem happy!
Being on a computer instead of iPhone, i'll try and add a photo.

Thanks again! x