black fuzz growing on driftwood.

[cephalofoil]

i have some wood i got from my backyard. it's a thicker woodier part of a grapevine we cut down just before winter started. I debarked it then weighed it under a rock in my 20 gallon. It's been there since September. we don't use pesticides in my backyard.

while doing a water change and gravel vac i noticed some black fuzz peaking out from under the driftwood. I dug around and there is a bunch of black fuzz growing out DOWNWARDS into the gravel. It interlocks with the gravel. I siphoned out as much as i could.

i thought it was Black beard algae, but it's growing down away from the light towards the bottom of the aquarium. None of it is above the substrate.

It was only on one side of the vine (it's more of a stick), and it looks like lint from a clothes dryer only black.

any ideas?

 

[thrillbillie12]

Possibly mold?

Sent from my LG-LS980 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[ehh]

Possibly mold?

Sent from my LG-LS980 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

+1


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[cephalofoil]

Possibly mold?

Sent from my LG-LS980 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

do you think there is a risk of adversely effecting my water quality and fish?

any ideas on how to get rid of it?

 

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

Yeah sounds like mold, get your fish in a different tank, and scrub that thing out w/ some aquarium safe stuff!

Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[cephalofoil]

has anyone experience wood rotting underwater? would a rotting piece of wood start to mold? i think the wood was pretty fresh when i dropped it in. Cut from the main vine maybe a day or so before submerging it.

 

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

Isn't that a bad thing that it was so fresh? I always figured dead dried up would is best, like they sell at the LFS. My plan was always just to pick some off the beach that washed up

Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[thrillbillie12]

has anyone experience wood rotting underwater? would a rotting piece of wood start to mold? i think the wood was pretty fresh when i dropped it in. Cut from the main vine maybe a day or so before submerging it.

That's just it though. The woo d was fresh. Every piece of wood that I've ever used in an aquarium was drift wood, or anything that has been water logged for some time.

I would remove it asap, move the fish to another tank or Rubbermaid tote asap, and thoroughly scrub the tank out.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[thrillbillie12]

do you think there is a risk of adversely effecting my water quality and fish?

any ideas on how to get rid of it?

Not just for the fish. If it is indeed black mold, do you want to risk contact with it? One water change and gravel vac with any open cut or sore on your hand or arm could be dangerous.

I couldn't tell you exactly how to disinfect it properly, but I'm sure a few quick searches on this forum will yield you results.

Also, as mentioned above, remove the wood asap. I would also get rid of all the gravel. Any decorations I would give a bleach bath and boil to kill everything on it.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[joe jaskot]

Mold can not and does not grow underwater. What you see is most likely fungus or algae.