# Molding Manzanita Wood



## scotty b (Oct 23, 2012)

that looks like black beard algae to me


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Looks like BBA to me as well.


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## Lfisher (Feb 13, 2012)

Sorry about the poor picture quality, but I am confident that this is not black beard algae. I have BBA in another one of my tanks and this black growth is close to the wood, underneath a layer of clear/whitish fuzzy mold. Just to give a little more background info about the tank, it was set up 5 days ago, and I have left the light off except to check on the progress of wood.


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

It is mold, caused by sugars in the wood seeping out. As far as I know it's harmless, as the fungi only feed off carbohydrates and sugars. 

I've seen this happen tons of times with my own driftwood, ramshorns seem to love munching on the mold.

I have kept Tetras, snails, plants, and shrimp with this kind of mold with no drawbacks, not even an outbreak at a later date. The mold consumes the leached sugars in the driftwood and either spreads to more driftwood or is eaten or dies off.

No deaths due to mold on driftwood to date.


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## Lfisher (Feb 13, 2012)

AVN said:


> It is mold, caused by sugars in the wood seeping out. As far as I know it's harmless, as the fungi only feed off carbohydrates and sugars.
> 
> I've seen this happen tons of times with my own driftwood, ramshorns seem to love munching on the mold.
> 
> ...


Thank you AVN, that is very reassuring to hear! If you don't mind my asking, did any of your driftwood return to it's normal color after the black mold died off?
I've also been wondering if anyone has tried combating tank mold by promoting acidic/tannic water? I have an RODI unit and some peat & oak leaves that I was planning on using in this tank...


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## Lfisher (Feb 13, 2012)

For anyone reading this that is having a similar experience, it took about 3 weeks but the mold is almost completely gone.


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## Zolek (Jul 25, 2007)

Manzanita mold is actually extremely good food for plecos/otos and other algae eaters. They love it.


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## Lfisher (Feb 13, 2012)

Zolek said:


> Manzanita mold is actually extremely good food for plecos/otos and other algae eaters. They love it.


Good to know! Thanks!


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## HiepSTA (Aug 23, 2011)

this is normal and happens to me 100% of the time when I add a "virgin" manzanita branch into a tank, by virgin i mean that its still white and has never been in a tank before, it eventually goes away either with time or via fish/shrimps eating it


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## ACFishTank (Jul 26, 2004)

Hi Lfisher,

Same is happening to me. Its been about a month and a half and I'm still getting a little, though it seems to be slowing down. One thing I can assure you is that it doesn't / won't harm fish or shrimp. My Oto doesn't seem to go for it so much, though I've caught the Amano shrimp munching on this stuff.

Aside from not looking so nice, it really poses no harm. 

Mike


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## Jon Kramer (Jul 26, 2021)

I understand the discoloration but no one has mentioned the awful smell generated by this mounding process… it smells like a sewer


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Jon Kramer said:


> I understand the discoloration but no one has mentioned the awful smell generated by this mounding process… it smells like a sewer


Lol zombie thread. If you're having issues with smells like that it's not normal driftwood mold/ rot. I'd remove the driftwood and boil the crap out of it.


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