# Help please is this Algae?



## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi
I have just noticed this growth on my piece of wood in the aquarium (see attached) i am sure it wasn't there last night, my tank is on its second week of cycling with no fish in the tank.

Thanks Graham


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## OSagent23 (Feb 10, 2013)

Hello,

What kind of wood is it?


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Its Mopani, and i cleaned and soaked it for a few days until it was not changing the water colour before putting in the tank


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

might wanna takeit out of the tank... feel it, what does it feel like? stringy? smooth?


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Image of it in tank


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

It doesn't look like algae, so it is likely a fungus. Is it whitish in life (photos distort colours often)?

Some fungus are relatively harmless, some are highly toxic. Without a microscopic examination by a microbiologist it is impossible to say, unfortunately. I nearly killed a tank of fish with a toxic fungus that appeared on a piece of wood, and Mopani, Manzanita and grapewood are all contenders for this. Has the water become cloudy at all?

Byron.


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## OSagent23 (Feb 10, 2013)

I would recommend taking the wood out, scrub that stuff off with a old toothbrush or something of that nature and giving it a good rinse. Place it back in the aquarium to see if it comes back. What do you think Byron?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

OSagent23 said:


> I would recommend taking the wood out, scrub that stuff off with a old toothbrush or something of that nature and giving it a good rinse. Place it back in the aquarium to see if it comes back. What do you think Byron?


Can't hurt.


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Its a light brown colour, better safe than sorry, think it is worth taking it out before it gets to the plants, although they look clean.


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Oh and water looks clear


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

OSagent23 said:


> I would recommend taking the wood out, scrub that stuff off with a old toothbrush or something of that nature and giving it a good rinse. Place it back in the aquarium to see if it comes back. What do you think Byron?


add a good boiling aswell


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

In the cold light of day the water does have a brown tint to it and the filter is quite brown, i take it this is from the wood.

Not sure if it is worth putting it back in or changing to some rocks.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Oxon Fish said:


> In the cold light of day the water does have a brown tint to it and the filter is quite brown, i take it this is from the wood.
> 
> Not sure if it is worth putting it back in or changing to some rocks.


The brown tint is most likely tannins from the wood. Mopani I have found to have a lot of tannins. These are not harmful.

That is a nice chunk of wood, it is worth trying it. The fungus may be non-toxic, unfortunately there is no way to test this except in a tank with fish.


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Quick update, gave it a good scrub and boil and has been back in the tank for a week and no new growth although i do now have 6 guppies and 3 amano shrimp in there and they are doing fine.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

how logn did you boil it? and was the water all nasty and gross looking? u can do this a few times to get as much out as you can. (carbon will also suck up the tannins) but you have to replace carbon every 30 days or so or it will leech out whatever it has absorb the past 30 days.


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

I had it in a bowl and poured boiling water over it, covering it. I did this for a day changing the boiling water about 6 times, so not actually boiling it. Gave it a good scrub in between each new hot water.

the water didn,t get that dirty, after a day it was pretty clear so put it back in and it seems fine.


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Should i be looking at changing the carbon filters in my filtration soon? i have had the wood in from day 1 and that was 3 weeks ago, i do have tannings in the water but not to any great extent.


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## rexpepper651 (Dec 25, 2012)

i did the same thing you did. i placed my wood in a bucket and poured boiling water over it and changed it ever 4 hrs or so and coving it with a lid. atfer a week i put them in my tank. for 3 weeks i have tea colored water but after every water change it got better.


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## essjay (Dec 30, 2012)

Thank you for this thread, I was just about to do some research on boiling new driftwood... 

:yourock:


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

Yes I would replace the carbon since it is prob about full if it atill leeches boil it for like a half hr rinse repeat till u ate satisfied
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oxon Fish (Feb 11, 2013)

Replaced the carbon filter as it was pretty bad, water seems to be clearing a bit of the tannings, continuing to do 25% water changes weekly, so should improve even more.


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