# White fuzz on my fish food while cycling tank?



## ramen lover (Jun 22, 2012)

Hi All-

I have been adding fish flakes every few days to my planted tank while it is getting started/cycling. it has been about two weeks now. some of the fish food that has fallen on top of my substrate (eco-complete) has grown some white fuzz on it. is this normal/okay? is it algae? it isn't green? i can take a photo later tonight when i get home, but am hoping this is something common.

i will also check my water parameters and post them tonight as well


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## babydragons (Mar 14, 2012)

I think its normal. I found some food that my shrimp had knocked out of the dish after a few days. It was white and fuzzy. I just cleaned it out but it might be good for your tank since its cycling


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

if it's white hazy, unstranded,,,, looking almost like a jello ball around the food then don't let it spread.
if it's algae no worries LOL


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## WestHaven (Jun 30, 2012)

I have seen the same stuff in my tank that has been cycling for about 3 weeks. The white stuff has the consistency of jello. What is it really?


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## ramen lover (Jun 22, 2012)

wkndracer said:


> if it's white hazy, unstranded,,,, looking almost like a jello ball around the food then don't let it spread.
> if it's algae no worries LOL


what if it does look like a jello ball? what is it?


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

sadly I never posted a pic but it was a weird bacteria of some kind that ended up being in my quarantine tank. Once the hazy film started on the food nothing would touch it. Then it started growing on my substrate similar to what others have posted growing on new driftwood. I couldn't get rid of it without burning it down. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=134473


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## Jules (May 20, 2012)

I've always cycled tanks by just adding flake food, and after a few days in the tank the flakes are always covered in fungus. 

While it's still in the water you can tell it's fungus by the fact that the white-ish hazy "ball" is actually composed of radiating fungal hyphae when examined under low magnification (but the hyphae will all mush together and look like a blob of gel when you take the food out of the water). In contrast, bacteria will look like a clear, uniform gelatinous mass under low magnification even when still under water. 

I've never had any problem with the fungus (it just breaks the food down into waste products same as fish would if they were there) - fungi are always present in your tank, but will only be visible (as hyphae) when there is food available (e.g., fish food, dead fish, damaged fins).

I've never had any visible bacterial growth on the food - not saying it's impossible, but the only thing I've ever seen growing on my food is fungus. As soon as the food source is gone the fungus will go dormant again. Depending on the size and sturdiness of the flakes this process could take a few days to a week or more, during which time the "ball" of hyphae will continue to expand - but you can speed the process up by breaking the flakes into small bits before adding them to the tank.


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## ramen lover (Jun 22, 2012)

Jules said:


> I've always cycled tanks by just adding flake food, and after a few days in the tank the flakes are always covered in fungus.
> 
> While it's still in the water you can tell it's fungus by the fact that the white-ish hazy "ball" is actually composed of radiating fungal hyphae when examined under low magnification (but the hyphae will all mush together and look like a blob of gel when you take the food out of the water). In contrast, bacteria will look like a clear, uniform gelatinous mass under low magnification even when still under water.
> 
> ...


interesting. yes it seems it is only on the fish flakes as they are now decomposing.. it's been a few days/weeks and the larger pieces are sitting at the bottom of the tank with white fuzz/cloud on them. i just want to make sure my tank is doing ok so far. will test water parameters as well when i get home.. since i haven't tested in about 3 or 4 days.


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