# little white balls in micro sword grass



## [__--MUD--__] (Feb 2, 2008)

Got a patch of micro sword grass about a month back. Over the last week these little white balls about 1/4" in size have appeared in the micros sword grass. Don't see it on any other plants. All the grass clumps have it. There has been a lot of die off from shipping. I've trimmed it down twice to free up some of the dead material inside. Vacuuming it out of the tank typically calls for 50% water replacement, that dead material just doesn't want to come out...but there is alot of new growth.

It looks like some type of fungus to me...anyone recognize this-


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi [__--MUD--__],

I definitely looks like a fungus attacking the decaying plant material. Is there a "cleaning crew" in the aquarium like corys, ottos, SAE, or snails?


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## [__--MUD--__] (Feb 2, 2008)

Never had anything in the tank besides plants, tanks been up for 3 years or so. I just felt it was time for a change about a month back, gave away most of the plants and ordered some new ones.

I was planning on giving the tank some time to cycle off the new plants before I added some fish and a cleanup crew. I'm a little hesitant now w/ this stuff growing as i'm not sure if it could jump over to the fish.

Nitrates have gone up to 20 ppm over the last 10 days. They were level at 10ppm. Nitrite & ammonia is 0. ph 7.5.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi [__--MUD--__],

It sounds like you are still going through the nitrogen cycle which might make sense since there are no fish in the tank. The fungus should disappear on it's own as the available dying organic material decomposes.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Adding some fish, shrimp or snails would help. Fungi usually grow on dead or dying things, like dead plant leaves, or injuries on the fish where some flesh has died, or dead fish. It does not just 'jump over' to healthy fish, infecting them for no reason. 
Continued removal of the dying leaves will help, too. The less dead stuff for the fungi to grow on the less fungi there will be active in the tank. It will still be in the tank, but with little to feed on it will not be very noticeable.


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