|
Home | Marine Aquariums |
Freshwater Aquariums |
Planted Aquariums |
Brackish Systems |
Ponds,
lakes & fountains |
Turtles & Amphibians |
Aquatic Business |
Aquatic Science |
Ask the WWM Crew a Question |
Please visit our Sponsors | ||||
White fungus? Not likely... 4/14/07 Hello, <Hi Jared, Mich here.> I have a 75 gallon FOWLR and I have some white stuff spreading over some of my rock. <OK.> It looks like fungus. <A photo would be helpful. It is highly unlikely that it is a fungus, perhaps a sponge, perhaps just some detritus build up on your LR, difficult to say without a picture.> If so what can I do to rid my tank of this? <I can't say, there is not enough info. It is possible that this is a beneficial growth.> Thanks, <Welcome, Mich> Jared Marine Fungus? 12/8/05 Mr. Fenner & Crew, I'm looking
for some information concerning a situation that has recently appeared
in my 120g reef tank. Three or four weeks ago, I observed what appeared
to be fungal mycelium? emerging from the plenum substrate in my tank.
It was growing on the inside of the glass, cream to light green-brown
in color and looked like a 'tree' in that it starts as a flat,
wider mass at the bottom and meanders upwards and horizontally,
branching into smaller and smaller 'limbs' until it terminates
in spider web like 'feeder roots'. <Hmmm... there are
very few marine fungi and no reports that I know of that they make
appearances in our tanks.> The growth is quite rapid as it will
cover 25-30% of the side or front glass over night (7-8 hrs.). It only
grows when the lights are out and once the tank starts to brighten
(daylight & lighting) it begins to degrade and is all but gone by
mid afternoon. It happens three to four days in a row and then it may
be three or four days until I see it again. <Wow! That is
rapid growth! Fungi don't need light, but many Cyanobacteria and
dinoflagellates do. Based on the rarity of marine fungi and the fact
that Cyano and dinos bloom and then wane as you describe makes fungi
very unlikely.> It emerges from different areas in the tank and when
it is visible, there seems to be an active layer of the organism about
1-1.5" below the top of the substrate growing horizontally within
the substrate. I have had a reef tank of varying sizes for over 7 hrs
(plenum system for 5 yrs.) and have never observed this before. It
doesn't seem to have any visible effect on the inhabitants as the
SPS, LPS and all of my soft critters are going gangbusters. There are 4
fish (Tomato clown, Sailfin Tang, Purple Dottyback and an Algae Blenny)
along with numerous 'cleanup guys' that are all healthy and
growing. Water parameters: Alkalinity: 9-11 dKh Ca++: 400-420 Nitrates:
< 5ppm pH: 8.2-8.3 Salinity: 1.022-1.023 I haven't checked the
phosphate level lately but I don't have any algae problems, so I
assume it is low. The tank is set up with a plenum system, 30g refugium
sump w/fine sand bed and macroalgae & +/- 130 lbs live rock. I do a
30g water change once/month and vacuum the substrate when I do the
water change. I use Mark Weiss products 2-3 times/week and as I said
before, the tank is doing great. Except for this 'tree' thing
that has appeared. I would greatly appreciate any info or insight you
may have and if there is a need for concern? Thanks, Craig Larsen
<I am semi-stumped. What you describe is most likely Cyano or dinos,
but it doesn't sound totally typical of them either. If you would
like to get rid of it, I would suggest trying to siphon out as much as
you can when it is at it's greatest mass. Usually, with patience,
this will eliminate the "stuff" and also accomplishes some
nutrient export. You may also consider raising the ORP via ozone. This
often helps with Cyano and dinos, and on the off chance that it is
fungal, it should help there also (fungi are generally very sensitive
to oxidizers). Best Regards. AdamC.> |
|
Features: |
|
Featured Sponsors: |