White Fur

by **ritchies** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:44

Wondering if anyone has any experience with any type of white fuzz on any decor in their tanks.
I have noticed in my tank after fitting a new canister filter i have got like a fine white fizz on a piece of bog wood and the roots and leaves of an Anunbis plant in their.

Water params are fine and fish are healthy, i first though that it was oxygen bubbles on there from the filter but after closer inspection realised it was not.

by **Clare** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:15

I have had this before. It appeared over time on my plastic plants I used to have. Really slimey and sticky when taken out of the water. I never found out what it was though, some people said it was something in the water, some said it was the salts I was using.

Never got to the bottom of it so hope we can now as my problem was 2 years ago.

by **24troph** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 22:15

Bacteria living on the stuff leeching from the inside of the wood out into your aquarium. Many folk go through this when they add wood/bog wood to their aquarium. Soaking the wood for a FEW WEEKS/MONTHS first in the bathtub would have been ideal. There is not much you can do now except for siphon off the slime where possible as much as possible as frequently as possible. Expect the leech and growth for weeks to a few months. Not harmful to the fish if not excessive, I have not heard of it killing fish. It may increase the Ammonia nitrite and nitrate (filter load) of your tank a little.
In a way the white stuff is doing what your filters should do converting thse leaching organics into less toxic forms.
Keep an eye on your pH and KH as this uses up some of your buffer and add buffers as needed.

Alternatively dump the stuff as uncured wood/bog wood realy should not be sold as the real aquarium (pre soaked/cured) safe stuff.

All the best James