What Is This?!

[Jayladd]

I have some weird cottony stuff growing all over my wood, I think it has even started to cover my heater suckers. It is removed easily by the finger.

What is it? My tank is pretty clear other than that. Except the bubbles from the venturi (just while my tank is cycling).

 

[Mowbz]

Its a type of fungus that while common, it still unknown.

It appears mainly in new setups, during cycling, and quite often seems to indicate a forthcoming nitrite spike. It normally starts on heater suckers and spreads elsewhere.

Its harmless, and fish will eat it if you dont remove it, but even them it does no harm.

Quite a few threads about it on here in the past. search "white stuff on heater suckers"

 

[fishprotector]

It is a newly set up tank? It looks like part of the bacterial bloom which almost always occurs whilst the eco system is maturing. The wood will also be decomposing slightly and getting used to the conditions which will also contribute to it.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Its a type of fungus that while common, it still unknown.

It looks like ordinary saprolegnia to me (saprolegnia means 'wood rotter').

It is a newly set up tank? It looks like part of the bacterial bloom which almost always occurs whilst the eco system is maturing.

It's definitely not connected to a bacterial bloom.

 

[Jayladd]

Wood rotter?

Does that mean the wood is literally rotting? Is that bad for my tank? Do I need to take it out? I brought it as swamp root.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

No, don't worry about it, you can remove the wood and scrub it off if it offends you but it'll do no harm.

 

[Jayladd]

Ohh ok, that's good, will it just go away on its own then? Will it go away after my tank matures?

Thanks for everyone's replies

 

[fishprotector]

My fish ate mine, but once the wood has settled in to the new environment and your tank matures, yes it will stop.