# Help with a White Algae/Hair like Stuff?



## vash (Jul 9, 2007)

Hello everyone ...

I am a newbie in aquatic plants and algae and needs some help identifying a white hair like substance on my freshwater tank.

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Last week I found a drift wood on our backyard and decided to tie my java moss on it, what's weird with this wood is it floats... anyway they seem to look cool, first two days it was alright and didn't saw any trace of the white algae(?) 3rd day very few... and on the 4th day I put some plant food supplement for my Ludwigia Repens plant.

here's what the food supplement contains:

Soluble Potash (K20) ..... 3%
Copper (CU)(MIN) ..... .00001%
IRON (FE) (MIN) ..... .24%
MANGANESE (MN)(MIN) ..... .01%
MOLYBDENUM (MO)(MIN) ..... .0009%
ZINC (ZN)(MIN) ..... .00014%
KELP EXTRACT AND VITAMIN B1 ADDED

the night of that same day I noticed that this white algae's (?) quantity seems to be increasing... and now its so much visible and appeared onto other drift woods too.

I am not sure what it is, I'm just concerned whether if it is an algae or some sort of pest. I have guppy and molly fry in this tank and they seem to eat this white hair like stuff. 2 of my sailfin molly and 3 of my guppy fry had this bloated stomach now from eating those white stuff.

I hope someone can tell me whether it is a aquatic life enemy or just serves as good food.

Thanks a lot in advance =)

PS: Below are the photos of the white algae (?) ...

Regards,
Joe

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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

I'd pull the plants off of it and pull the wood. I think you're growing mold. Best to pretreat DW by boiling and soaking it (for as long as it takes) to leach tannins out of it. It may get waterlogged and sink over the course of pretreatment. The soaking part can take weeks, though.


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

It's fungal or bacterial (maybe even bits of both) that is on the wood as it hasn't decomposed. Usually it goes of it's own accord, but I had a piece that was covered and the mould spread onto the plants and substrate and I had to remove the wood. Boiling didn't help so I have chucked it in a container of water outside and left it for a few months and that seems to have done the trick.


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