# Help, white stuff all over tank



## Husker13 (Mar 23, 2012)

Does anybody know what this white stuff could be?

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals/178903-here-we-go-my-first-planted.html

My tank has only been running since Saturday, I found a few threads that mentioned there fish ate up a white algae like substance. So I was going to try and add a fish or two today and see what happens.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.


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## TwoTacoCombo (Apr 13, 2012)

Don't add fish today. If the tank has only been up since Sat, it hasn't cycled yet and you'll just wind up harming or killing the fish. Go get a test kit and cycle the tank properly before adding some inhabitants. Is that white stuff just on the drift wood? It may be a fungus that was already on the wood before it went in the tank. 3 days is a very short time for something of that size to grow within a brand new tank..


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## Husker13 (Mar 23, 2012)

The filter has been running for over a week on another tank and I washed out the filter pads from my 29G HOB filter in the new tank, so there should be lots of bacteria starting to grow. I will check the parameters tonight just to be sure. 

It seemed to start from the wood, maybe I didn't prep it correctly, but since it is a dirted tank and it is all mounted to piece of plastic under the dirt and substrate I can't take it out.


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## KrazyFish (Dec 23, 2010)

That stuff will go away with time - I had it also on a new set up. It was all over my manzanita wood nothing else. You should be able to rub it off and net it out of the water.

Can't remember the name - Anyone?


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## teonguyen (Aug 25, 2011)

It happened to me once when I first set up the tank, then i found out it was just fungus from my mazanita driftwood. What i did was took the driftwood out of the tank and soaked it the hot water for couple days. At the same time I did a small water change and sucked out as much as i could all the slimmy fungus.


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## KrazyFish (Dec 23, 2010)

I noticed from your journal that you did not seem to soak the wood prior. I think this certainly did not help your cause. I had this problem after soaking mine for more than a week. I kept a bubbler in the water with the wood and changed the water regularly - even after this it still happened although it was no where near as bad as yours. I fear you may be dealing with this for a while but no fear it will go away with time.

BTW you have a very nice looking tank. I am sure it will be beautiful once up and running for a few months.


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## hidefguy (Apr 13, 2009)

This also happened to me and went away on its own, but it was a pain in the butt because it would get on other plants and eventually kill it. I used a toothbrush and the hose during water changes to suck most of it out. Ive read that some people soak the wood, boil it, and even put it in the oven to kill the fungus before putting it in the tank.


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## Husker13 (Mar 23, 2012)

I guess this is one of those newbie mistakes, not boiling the wood. For now my treatment is going to be; drain 75% of the water daily and scrub off the wood during the water change. I did find I was able to genitally brush the plants and knock most of it off them, during my last water change.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

I wouldn't sweat this too much.....it's a harmless fungus that happens, sometimes regardless if you pre-treat your driftwood or not. Fish, especially barbs, will eat it. It usually clears up within a week. There is nothing dangerous or even abnormal about this. Chill!


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## Husker13 (Mar 23, 2012)

Thanks that makes me feel better.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahh, driftwood goo, mold, what ever, it will be gone in no time but you can remove most of it with a small bottle brush.


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