[MissCris]

I had a chance to pick up a batch of mini hairgrass for practically free because it had been invaded by mold. The mold isn't too bad (it appears to be eating the agar, not the plants, and probably just started growinga couple days ago), and the plants still look mostly ok, so I decided to try to salvage it.

How would you suggest going about trying to remove the mold safely?

Should I just wash thoroughly in tap water? Hydrogen peroxide swish?

Even if I can't save the whole batch, it was dirt cheap and I'm not trying to carpet a whole tank. Plus, if I can get them going, I can try this with more difficult cultures that the store normally would throw out.

 

[ElleDee]

You can just wash off the agar and plant as normal. The plant has a chance if it can transition out of culture, but it's doomed if left in the cup. It depends on how the plant material is holding up and how tough the species is. Lots of stuff can rebound with no problem.

 

[MissCris]

Well, I was able to salvage about half, maybe almost 2/3, of the cup that didn't look too questionable. I planted an area of the tank with small clumps spaced roughly 1" apart. Now only time will tell if they are ok.

 

[MissCris]

Just an update for anyone who was curious how successful an attempted rescue on a moldy TC cup went.

Most of the existing leaves melted, but most of the clumps have new growth that appears healthy.

It's looking a bit of a wreck in the patch since I can't quite pull out the melting stuff without dislodging the healthy plants, but I think the endeavor was successful and will look good once the plants take off and fill in.