Furry driftwood

[enigmatic]

I bought my new tank second hand and the guy that sold it to me also passed on several pieces of driftwood that he had used. When I collected everything, it was all dry and I then stored stuff for a few weeks before setting up the tank.

Nearly every piece of driftwood I got with the tank has grown a fur coating progressively as it has been submerged in the tank. I thought at first this would go away but it got progressively worse to the point where I have pulled nearly all the wood out.

By contrast, none of the pieces I have bought from the LFS have had a problem.

Is there anything I can do to resolve this problem as I would like to use this wood rather than have to buy more pieces?

AFAIK, the guy who had the tank previously had Cichlids; don't know if his water parameters would have any influence on the wood?

[mcloughlin2]

What colour is the fur? I think you have yourself a black beard infestation.

Or maybe its just another type of algae ...

[mcloughlin2]

Can you post a picture? :wink:

[enigmatic]

Working on a photo; lighting on the tank isn't what I want at the moment so trying to get the best balance with my flash.

The best way to describe what is on the drift wood is to say it resembles loft insulation where it appears in large clumps. Yellow/white colour.

As before, this is only on the wood that came with the tank; not on any of the new wood.

[Merrilyn]

It's just a non toxic fungus that grows on wood and even rubber parts on aquarium heaters and suction caps.

Nothing to worry about. Just scrub it off with some salt and hot water. If you had bristlenose catfish, they would make short work of it.:P

[enigmatic]

It's just a non toxic fungus that grows on wood and even rubber parts on aquarium heaters and suction caps.

Nothing to worry about. Just scrub it off with some salt and hot water.

OK, will give it a go over the next few days.


If you had bristlenose catfish, they would make short work of it.:P

I do have one but it is in the other tank. I can't catch it to put in the new tank :oops:

Too late for the LFS today so will look tomorrow. I was considering bristlenose -v- ottos but I prefer bristlenose.

Cheers

[taksan]

I had some green "fluff" growing on a log in one of my tanks.
It kept getting worse and worse but it seemed harmless enough if unsightly.
It only appeared on one paticular log that I'd had in the tank for ages without any fluff. It just started appearing one day from this log.
I left it ..... until one of my fish seemed to get the "fluff" caught around its head. The "fluff" attached itself to my fishes head and basicaly ATE ITS FACE OFF !
Whatever this fluff was ....it was EVIL.
I threw the log out of the tank and the fluff dissapeared.
We are thinking there was a evil bacteria lying in the log that was uncovered one day and infested the tank.
Not all "fluff" is harmless ..... this stuff was lethal.

:shock:

[Merrilyn]

Taksan, you gotta stop drinking tank water.

It's having a serious affect on your memory.



Hmmmmm or is that the scotch that's doing it.

[taksan]

I'm quite sober ..... I swear it was the same stuff on the log that attached to the fish and ate off its head.

[sugarpuss]

I'm quite sober ..... I swear it was the same stuff on the log that attached to the fish and ate off its head.

It was a sad day to see the poor little pet succumb to that horrible 'fur'