# Fungus or Algea?



## Petfairy (Jul 17, 2006)

I have this slimy/brush algea like stuff on my driftwood. I cleaned it off the other night and then the next morning it was growing again. I tested the water, nothing is out of wack. The nitrates where 0, ammonia was .25, but thats normal anyway, since my tap has 1ppm. I didnt bother testing nitrites..
The tank is not cycled, i know this, there arent any fish in it. The wood i got from the back yard, and i boiled it, for a long time actually. It has sunk to the bottom. I pulled it out to clean it, and it smelled bad. I dont have any lights on it yet, i need new ones before i plant. So, i dont bother turning them on. I have heaters running, and the water is about 78 to 80 degrees. The only light it really gets is whatever sneaks in from it being daylight outside. no rays of light through the window. I have a pleco, i had planned on putting him in when it was ready, maybe. I hadnt made that decision, because i didnt know how he would do around the plants. I dont want him kicking up the plants all the time. Do you think that since it isnt planted he would take care of the stuff?
Its white, clearish kind of. Thick and slimy. only growing on the wood. I have a sand substrate. It looks kind of hairy up close, but not like a hair algea. 
Here is a pic, but its not very good.



















Sorry for the bad pics.


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## dukydaf (Aug 31, 2004)

Petfairy said:


> The wood i got from the back yard, and i boiled it, for a long time actually.


It is fungus.

The same thing happend to me. You can take it out scrub it with an unused toothbrush and bleach it, maybe some snails will eat the fungus.
Good luck.


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## Petfairy (Jul 17, 2006)

ewe.... yuck...
Yea, ill take it out and clean it again, maybe ill soak it too, i guess it wont hurt to infest the tank now with snails. I want them in there eventaully anyway. might as well start now.
Thanks.
Any other suggestions?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You could try using boric acid in the soak water. Boron is a plant nutrient, a trace nutrient, so it shouldn't do any harm, and it is poison to the fungus. Bleach also kills fungus, but then you need to rinse very well and use a dechlorinator before adding the wood back to the tank.


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## Petfairy (Jul 17, 2006)

Yea, ill probably do a bleach soak. I usually just soak in dechlorinated water until id doesnt smell like bleach anymore.i put some snails in the tank, hopefully when im done cleaning it again, they will keep it under control if it starts again.

Is this harmful to fish? there arent any fish in there right now, but just good to know.


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