I have some lichens on the rocks i added to my new tank. Do you think that they would harmful to fish? there are no fish in my tank at the moment but the lichens are starting to decay and i was wondering, are the lichens going to leech out toxins or something that would be harmful to fish?
lichens on rocks
- Thread starter Fishyfan
- Start date
I recommend boiling the rocks to kill/remove the lichens before using the rocks in your tanks. Lichens are fungi that form symbiotic relationships with algaes and cyanobacteria. Any of these 3 organisms may release harmful products into your water column. Another risk is to people around the tank. Upon being submerged, the fungal and bacterial colonies may encyst as spores which can be thrown off of the surface by aeration and find niches in your house (usually in the home's framework). People with allergies/respiratory problems can have adverse reactions to the spores.
I used some rock with lichen on it, and after a little while in the tank they started growing a white fuzz. Wasn't sure if it would be harmful, but I took the rocks out anyway.
What I did learn is that if you boil the rocks then scrub them with a toothbrush, you can get most of the lichen off, and the toothbrush could reach the majority of the cracks. Just boil and scrub until the toothbrush doesn't come away discolored.
What I did learn is that if you boil the rocks then scrub them with a toothbrush, you can get most of the lichen off, and the toothbrush could reach the majority of the cracks. Just boil and scrub until the toothbrush doesn't come away discolored.