What's this? Algea?

[Ade205]

Hi all. Just cycling my latest tank, a 400 litre Discus tank for my living room and I'm having loads of grey/brownish hair stuff... assuming it's algea, it's mostly on the very large piece of bog wood.

Stuff looks like old lady hair! Interestingly the wood took several weeks to sink and was in tank at full temp and there was none of this stuff, but asa I put gravel and plants in its going for gold! Tank has been running two weeks now and plants are growing well so hoping this stuff will die away in a few weeks!

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Ade.

 

[gerald]

It's fungus and bacteria growing on the decaying organic matter left in the wood (sap, sugars, etc). It's harmless and will go away after all the decomposable material has leached out.

 

[Ade205]

Thank you Gerald. It's driving me mad at mo, constantly cleaning and siphoning! As if Discus arent enough work already lol!!! It's odd because I've never encountered this before and I've done a few tanks with wood in my 30 plus years in this game, though this is by far the biggest peice of wood!

Thanks, Ade.

 

[gerald]

I usually soak new wood in my rain barrels outside until they get over the slime-growing phase. P.S. - if that's all it takes to drive you mad, why the heck are you keeping discus?

 

[Ade205]

That's a good idea. I've never had a peice that's this big...had no chance of boiling it lol Was a complete bugger to get in the tank as the brace bars were in the way and once it sank and was water logged it weighed a ton! Was annoying as had to get it back out because needed to cut it down a little to get it at angle I wanted!

Re Discus, good question lol!!! Been keeping them for decades and they ain't to bad... ish! Think most, including myself, overkill the water changing, just not as important nowadays but it's just habit! They can be a pain though, they get wormed more frequently than my cats and dogs!!

 

[gerald]

Boiling driftwood won't necessarily get all the sap and other organics out. It may still grow fungus for awhile even after boiling.