# The White Fuzz is here (fungus???)



## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

I have a problem in a single tank while others appear OK. 

It's mature and cycled with established plants, but I now notice after I've fed the next morning there's a fuzzy whitish cloud (fungus I think) all around the food pellet, or piece of flake that I've fed. The fish themselves are fine, no problems. My plants seem fine and parameters test in line with my other tanks. It's a fuzzy white cloud like fluff that seems to encompass the food then nothing touches it. Left in place this ‘fuzzy crap’ spreads to the surrounding gravel quickly. Does anyone know what this is? Google pulled random results.

I'm concerned because it's not one particular food but any food that goes to the bottom. In my other tanks if there is any food left the next day there's no fungus/fuzz. I don't understand why it's starting on the leftover food in the one tank? I feed a slight excess for the cory, pleco and loaches. Been doing this for years without problem. I have the feeling there's something going on within this tank.

5dGH, 1.5 – 2dKH, GLA ferts and GH booster along with Baking soda used along with RO exactly as my other tanks. Substrate is a mix of PFS and Flourite original. 
Have 3 tanks set with the same mix but only one with *The Fuzz*
Any help is appreciated.


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## shortsboy (Feb 6, 2011)

Same observations here; wish I could give you an answer but I've been stumped in my searches too. It appears in my shrimp 10g (flourite red gravel, low light, limited ferts, no co2), but not in my mixed 30g (flourite black gravel/sand, 2xt5ho, co2, med. ferts).

I agree that it looks fungal; kind of like the fuzz that shows up on new manzanita that hasn't been boiled enough.

Anyone else have a lead on this?


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## oscarsx (Mar 15, 2011)

I had the same problem before. I honestly just scraped It off.. It was starting to grow along my side walls... I scrubbed it nice and It never came back 

As for what's causing it, I'm not sure.. sorry I couldn't help you there.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

shortsboy said:


> Same observations here. I agree that it looks fungal; kind of like the fuzz that shows up on new manzanita that hasn't been boiled enough.


Exactly like wood fungus! Found a couple pics posted and looks the same only its growing on food.



oscarsx said:


> I had the same problem before. I honestly just scraped It off.. It was starting to grow along my side walls... I scrubbed it nice and It never came back
> 
> As for what's causing it, I'm not sure.. sorry I couldn't help you there.


Removed all the stem plants, scape materials and broke down the filter. Only thing I left in were three nice crypts. Gravel vacuumed untill the water was only inches remaining. Wiped down the tank walls with H2O2 and refilled. Cleaned the filter and rocks with H2O2 and did a 10 minute bath on the stems (they took a big hit) and reloaded the tank. Stuff came back in less than a month. When I was pulling the suction during the gravel vac the sub under the food was glued by this stuff clinging together.
Wish mine would disappear with a cleaning. Third bout with it right now and without an answer soon when time allows I'm going to nuke the whole tank. This stuff has me worried.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Do not feed more than the fish can eat in a few minutes, that has always been a rule.
Siphon any out that does get left, until you get the amount down they will eat in a short time. Problem solved.roud:


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

waterfaller1 said:


> Do not feed more than the fish can eat in a few minutes, that has always been a rule.
> Siphon any out that does get left, until you get the amount down they will eat in a short time. Problem solved.roud:


With several groups of Khuli (rarely out during daylight), Clowns, Pigmy Cory and other species of bottom feeders that hide most of the time that's not my direction of travel, aside from the fact it doesn't occur in 13 other tanks fed the same way but thanks for the reply :icon_wink.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

BUMPY BUMPY for ID plz


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Ugh, has nobody dealt with this? Zillion members here LOL


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I would try to feed less and smaller portions, it's related directly to the food, and there must be a build up of wasted food in the substrate for this to occur. I would start by skipping a day, then add such a small portion that the fish are done eating in less than 3 minutes and go from there. I neglect my fish all the time and they have been left with no power for 4 days and no food due to hurricane, plus I get busy some times and can not feed everyday, they all wonder around and pick and clean, I think it's a good habit and keeps them from getting lazy, after all if you and I were in the wild I doubt we would eat everyday.


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## DerCribben (Mar 15, 2011)

Hey Mike, could you post a pc? I wonder if it's something in your substrate or the water column, I guess substrate would make the most sense. You know, something I've done in the past looking for the names of certain mosses, insects, and plants is to take a pic and shoot an e-mail to the pertinent dept at my local university. I'm sure one of the brains that specialize in mycology at one of your local Uni's would be happy to take a stab at what sort of fungus that is.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

*Giving up on the answer NUKE IT TIME*

Thanks for the reply 150HD but filth and/or over feeding *IS NOT* the problem or topic posted here in question within this thread. It's isolated to a single tank when feeding schedule, parameters and maintenance practices are the same in another dozen systems without this occurring. 

Tried 5ml/pg H2O2 then doubled to 10ml/pg after 24hrs.
The only effect was to melt the chains swords in the tank and kill the good bio.

Did a 50% WC and removed the fish then switched to MarOxy per instruction. (Stabilized chlorine oxides)
Without effect after 24hrs. doubled the dose to 10ml/20g.
24hrs. and the amount of fuzz on the remaining two shrimp pellets is slightly diminished but not gone.

Officially over trying to deal with it. 
I'm nuking the tank as the bio is wrecked anyway.
Haven't 'H' bombed a tank since cleaning the quarantine last November after clearing the Panda Cory. 

Its going in the driveway for a full strength H2O2 3% bath including all filter parts. 
Taking the opportunity to do all my nets and hoses too. 
Then drying it in the Florida sun for several days.

Chalking up all this _*fuzz*_ drama to an Area 51 mystery. 
(wheres Mulder and Scully)


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## Bannik (Apr 2, 2011)

I had this exact same thing. The previous posters pretty much nailed it. Mine was due to overfeeding combined with low light. I stopped overfeeding and it stopped growing. When I got my new lighting system the existing fungus melted away in a few hours under the bright light.


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## DerCribben (Mar 15, 2011)

lol


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

*What is it? (IDK) but its gone*

The tank with the issue has 30w of GE plant & aquarium F15T8 10.75" above the substrate (20L). 

20T 15W F15T8 15.25" above the sub no issues growing crypts, swords and moss.
Another tank only has 30w T8 18.5" above the sub with no issues. 
Another 64wT8 65K 21.5" above the sub no issues.
Still others are at F15T8 10.75" (x3 - 10g) and show no problem with bottom feeders having food available almost 24/7 being baby LFABN grow out tanks.

The solution here was a re-start which is completed.

*The previous posters pretty much didn't nail it (imo) when eleven other low techs have lighting both above and below the lighting provided this tank and display no fungus issues.* When I don't know I'll say IDK if asked or skip posting. Can't help but laugh here because I can't buy it.

I would have to agree that its possible to have this tank combine exactly the right mix to produce this effect with eleven others containing very similar combination's without it. That's less likely the case (imo) than a fungus spore or other contaminate being present that the others tanks missed exposure too. 

Tried deep cleaning the sub, cutting back on the feeding schedule and massive water changes. Then did the chemical assault listed above. 

Either way its gone now with the purge.


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## Mamasan (Apr 6, 2011)

*Fungus*

I ran across this amazing article and I think this will help explain it. 

I'm posting the section that applies to your problem but will include a link the the larger article. Detailed stuff.

Hope it helps!




 
*Another consideration in differentiating Fungus (Saprolegnia) from Columnaris is that Saprolegnia & fungi generally grow on dead tissue, unlike Columnaris which must having living tissue to live on.

Another consideration for the identification of Saprolegnia/fungi is that out breaks often occur in aquarium/pond with large amounts of decaying organic matter, with low pH and poor circulation in the area of decay.










Saprolegnia is not a true fungus (fungus are from the Kingdom “Fungi”), while Saprolegnia are from the Kingdom “Protoctista” which is a catch all Kingdom for the multicellular organisms which don't fit into the Animal, Plant, or Fungus Kingdom. This includes molds, green algae, red algae and more.
These organisms, considered to be saprophytic "water molds," are a normal, ubiquitous component of aquatic ecosystems (Saprolegnia are present in ALL aquariums and ponds). Saprophytes live off of decaying organic material.








 If you have ever seen a piece of fish food left in the aquarium and was covered in what looks like cotton, those are all fungus filaments doing their job of breaking down organics, and although they are a natural part of the aquatic environment, an overabundance of Saprolegnia (Fungus) caused by decaying matter (especially in new aquariums) can result with the Saprolegnia to start trying to break down your living fish and can also appear as cottony growths on the fish as well. 
The picture to the left is a double closeup of a fish tail with Saprolegnia/Fungus, with inner picture a multiple magnification of how the Saprolegnia “mold” looks

Saprolegnia will often get started if there is a large amount of decomposition of nitrogenous organic material such as dead fish left in the aquarium or large amounts of high protein fish food such as krill/shrimp. Injured fish with open sores will amplify this potential problem. This is why I generally recommend against using raw shrimp cycling method recently re-popularized on the internet by a few websites and some forums such as Yahoo answers and that is to use raw shrimp to seed the nitrogen cycle as this can result (as per my own studies) in Saprolegnia getting to strong a hold in a new aquarium (please read further about the lifecycle of Saprolegnia zoospores to also explain the risks, as well as the references).

*

*Treatment*

*here is the link*

*http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Columnaris.html
*


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Ugly stuff that but not what I was dealing with thanks.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

So it's gone now??? I just had some problems that are still on the mend due to poor circulation, surface film that cheeses up when disturbed followed by diatom outbreak. I kept on dosing and fixed the circulation by repairing my left side canister exhaust flow and things seem to be getting better, hopefully for you too.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

The *H* bomb was dropped weeks ago. 
Drained the tank, in the driveway, full strength H2O2 3% bath including all filter parts. Dumped 1.5qt/g of 3%H2O2 in on the substrate mixed things up then drained and dried it three days later. No more *fuzz.*


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## Akira (May 21, 2008)

I reused some old amazonia that had completely dried out of a tank that I neglected and now I'm dealing with white hair algea*just a little bit* could this be the result from this old substrate? is there a way I can treat the substrate or should I just start off with new substrate


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Akira said:


> I reused some old amazonia that had completely dried out of a tank that I neglected and now I'm dealing with white hair algea*just a little bit* could this be the result from this old substrate? is there a way I can treat the substrate or should I just start off with new substrate


The old sub could be treated just as I mentioned above. Rinsed then soaked in hydrogen peroxide wipes out almost everything. Then rinsed and dried in the sun it should be good for re-use.


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## Akira (May 21, 2008)

rinsing out amazonia will be a chore while also not eroding it all away..


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## Hyzer (Mar 9, 2010)

Where are the pictures of it? Would help with an ID.


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