# Can someone help me identify this growth?



## avanti (Oct 26, 2006)

This has been present in my aquarium for several months. I've had aquariums for years, but haven't run across this before. It is filamentous, and I'd guess it is a type of fungus. Is there any way to get rid of it? Is it likely to cause problems? Thanks.
/http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/attachment.php?attachmentid=6025&stc=1&d=1200454264


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

deleted


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

avanti said:


> This has been present in my aquarium for several months. I've had aquariums for years, but haven't run across this before. It is filamentous, and I'd guess it is a type of fungus. Is there any way to get rid of it? Is it likely to cause problems? Thanks.
> /http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/attachment.php?attachmentid=6025&stc=1&d=1200454264


Welcome to APC :-D ... The link is not working.


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## avanti (Oct 26, 2006)

I'm trying to get my photo to come up on this post, but it doesn't seem to show up. This ought to be a link to the photo. Thanks for any help.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=5171&catid=newimages

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=5172&c=newimages


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## EdTheEdge (Jan 17, 2007)

Never seen anything like that before.....


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Not sure... _Have you tried removing it?_ If so, _does it come back?_


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I have never seen anything like that either, but it doesn't look like an alga or a fungus. I am wondering if it could be a freshwater bryozoan or some kind of other invertebrate. Could you get a closeup?


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## avanti (Oct 26, 2006)

Here is another photo of my aquarium. This stuff can be removed easily with vacuuming the aquarium, but quickly re-grows elsewhere in the tank. The fish and plants don't seem to be adversely affected by it.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=5173&catid=newimages


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

That looks like a fungus to me, especially where you can see the network of "roots" that seem to connect all of the blobs. What is the substrate? Is there soil or other sediment in the substrate?


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## avanti (Oct 26, 2006)

I set up this tank about 6 months ago following the Diana Walstad book, "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium", using a potting soil substrate and gravel. The fungus type growth began appearing about a month ago. Here is a pic of the tank:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=5174&catid=newimages


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Does this growth move around any from one day to the next? I don't think it is a bryozoan, but it might be a slime mold, Kingdom Amoebazoa.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

avanti said:


> I set up this tank about 6 months ago following the Diana Walstad book, "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium", using a potting soil substrate and gravel. The fungus type growth began appearing about a month ago. Here is a pic of the tank:
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/showimage.php?i=5174&catid=newimages


You might get a better answer posting this question in the el natural forum, where a lot of people are using that type of substrate. My guess is that this is a fungus that was in the potting soil.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

> This stuff can be removed easily with vacuuming the aquarium, but quickly re-grows elsewhere in the tank. The fish and plants don't seem to be adversely affected by it.


If it actually moves about from one day to the next, then it has to be a slime mold. I am pretty sure that is what it is. This type of slime mold is actually a giant multinucleate amoeba, and it feeds on bacteria. It is usually found on damp rotting logs, but it can live under water.


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## NoSvOrAx (Nov 11, 2006)

Thats just plain scary...


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## avanti (Oct 26, 2006)

The stuff does seem to crop up in different areas of the aquarium from day to day. It is actually growing on some wood at the present time. Thanks for your ideas. Now to figure out what, if anything, I can do about it. I'll try posting on the other forum to see if anyone there has any other experience. Thanks.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

It is definitely a plasmodial slime mold, and is harmless. It is thriving because there are a lot of bacteria. I noticed from your picture that your aquarium is heavily stocked with large fish and you probably put in a lot of food. Try one or more of the following:

(a) reduce the number of fish by about half.
(b) feed them less
(c) introduce some snails
(d) introduce some fish that like to graze on the substrate---guppies, platys, mollys, etc.


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## avanti (Oct 26, 2006)

Thanks for the advice. I'll work on your recommendations. I know my tank is overstocked, but it is a show tank in a waiting room, so I have tried to keep it "full". Since my rainbows all grew up it is way too crowded. I've been trying to just do more frequent water changes to compensate.


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