[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

It's not that "fuzzy mold" that develops underwater. This driftwood is completely in air. I'm doing a dry start on my tank and the HC is coming tomorrow. There is no visible water level in the ADA Aquasoil Amazonia, some on the top is even starting to dry.

Last night I had to hood closed (for 8 hours, lights off) and mold began to grow again. I took the driftwood out, soaked/scrubbed it in very hot water, then put it outside in the sun for quite a few hours. I had boiled it prior to it growing mold a second time.

I'm able to keep mold away great when I open the tank's hood and turn a fan on the tank. Can I do that with HC if the substrate is moist, or no?

I'd like to do a dry start with the driftwood in the tank. If worse comes to worst I can dry start without it... Is there a way to dry start with it and prevent mold, or should I just forget about the driftwood altogether during the dry start, allowing more light and reducing mold?

THANKS!!

It's a short white mold if that makes a difference....

Please, someone with experience in DSM tell me what to do. How do you prevent mold during a dry start?

Don't have much time left until I have to plant the tank... Help?

 

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

Still need advice... The plants should be here any time now.

 

[MiamiArt]

Hi Guppy, try soaking the wood in a diluted bleach solution. This should kill most spores. Then soak it in fresh water to rinse bleach.

In the past, I just lived with the mold during the dry start. It will die away once you fill the tank.

Let us know what you decide.



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[audioaficionado]

Even if you boiled it, the spores will still be in the tank to reinoculate the mold. It should drown once you fill the tank.

 

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

Would the mold cause issues with the dwarf baby tears? If it wouldn't, I'd love to leave the driftwood in the tank.

It's one piece and it is easy to remove, but I'd like to HC to be able to grow around it so I won't have to crush any when I fill the tank. I don't want the mold to get to the roots either.

So I guess the big question is, will the mold hurt the HC?

 

[MiamiArt]

I don't think so.

 

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

Okay, then I guess I'll leave it in there. Thanks!

 

[ctaylor3737]

Okay, then I guess I'll leave it in there. Thanks!

Yea,just boil it again. More than likely it will,come back. Better to let it get fuzzy and just run some off and it will go away in a week or two

-Chris

 

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

I left it in... Looks like it won't be in there for long, though. I overestimated how much HC I needed and the entire tank is pretty much covered. Once it fully roots and grows out a bit more, I should be able to fill it up... So maybe a month?

 

[PlantedRich]

I find mold to be something of a mystery in many cases. I no longer try to fight it. Boiling, bleaching or other treatments may totally kill all the spores that are on the wood. But they are also blowing around in the wind much of the time so by the time you get it to the tank, you may have the same or different mold to grow. Got anybody in the family that is alergic to mold spores? They can tell you they are all over!
But on the good side, most spores are realy touchy about having just the right conditions in which they can grow. So the ones who grow when dry may be gone when wet. I find it works just as well to not worry the "look" unless I am down to the final point. In fish tanks, the fish may eat the "stuff".