# i have mold or white algae growing from my substrate



## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

If you have any shrimp in the tank I'm sure they will be more than happy to munch that right up.


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## randyl (Feb 1, 2012)

I don't know what to look for in the picture. But do they look like the white stuff on top of that fake rock in this pic? If so, you got hydras.


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Probably just common white fungus that new tanks get. Usually it happens on new driftwood, could be a bit of organics in your soil that spurred it to start. Shrimp will eat it and it will go away on it's own.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

@ randyl, he's just getting "new tank" fuzz. Have you ever put a piece of driftwood or something in your tank without any fauna and had it grow fuzzy white stuff? I'm pretty sure that's what that is a picture of in the OP.

*edit* ninja'd by geto


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## randyl (Feb 1, 2012)

diwu13 said:


> @ randyl, he's just getting "new tank" fuzz. Have you ever put a piece of driftwood or something in your tank without any fauna and had it grow fuzzy white stuff? I'm pretty sure that's what that is a picture of in the OP.
> 
> *edit* ninja'd by geto


Oh yes, I know that white stuff on new DW, but I couldn't see that in the picture... maybe need a new pair of glasses.


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## Drewsplantednutz (Jan 25, 2012)

Ya i figured just new tank growth. It was plantless for about 2 weeks. so ill just leave it and let it do its thing and hope my Cbs eat it up when I get them. I did think it was hydra at first but it isn't built of "stems" like hydra is. Hey while we're on the hydra subject, I got some moss from my lfs for my main tank and it has something growing in it that I think is hydra and grows like an inch a day. Its real stemy and has a small single leaf at each node. Its hard to see and explain I guess


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

That's just a small plant. Hydra are critters and don't grow up and up like that, they just sit on moss or plants and sting stuff like shrimp that come by it. Half my mosses have all kinds of little plants, different kinds of mosses, etc in them.

The fuzz should go away or be eaten. My last piece of DW had it bad for a while then it went away.


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## Drewsplantednutz (Jan 25, 2012)

I figured it was some kind of plant/moss that came along. I like it, it looks like barb wire around my moss tree


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Drewsplantednutz said:


> Ya i figured just new tank growth. It was plantless for about 2 weeks. so ill just leave it and let it do its thing and hope my Cbs eat it up when I get them. I did think it was hydra at first but it isn't built of "stems" like hydra is. Hey while we're on the hydra subject, I got some moss from my lfs for my main tank and it has something growing in it that I think is hydra and grows like an inch a day. Its real stemy and has a small single leaf at each node. Its hard to see and explain I guess


That's bladderwort. It's a carnivorous plant that traps and eats small copepods. It's 100% shrimp safe so it's up to you if you wanna remove it. It'll be a tough battle if you decide to try to remove all of it though.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

It's utricularia gibba, and it is invasive, can grow from a piece a single mm long, so get rid of it while you can!


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## Drewsplantednutz (Jan 25, 2012)

Thanks Liam. If you say its no good. I believe it.


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