# Help with mold/fungus growing in new aquarium



## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

So I recently set up a new planted aquarium. 

I used dirt, capped with caribesea supernaturals sand/super fine gravel. I added a couple of rocks and a piece of driftwood from a seperate established tank, and an extra filter that had been running on the other tank for a couple of weeks. 

The water was pretty clear directly after setting it up, but the next morning the water was super cloudy, almost whitish looking. The 2nd morning I noticed a white/clear colored fungus stuff growing on the gravel. Its like patches of long white stuff that has movement and flows when the filter is running. I tried to gravel vacuum it up the best i could which is hard to do because of the sand. The next day it was back, and now it is growing all over the rocks and driftwood. 

There are no fish or plants yet. The tank I took the rocks, wood, and filter from has no problems at all. What the heck is this stuff and where did it come from? How do I get rid of it? Please help!!!


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You're right, it's mold. Probably from excessive organic compounds in your water column and/or in the substrate. If you stir it up every now and then it will go away naturally.


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## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

Should I wait till it disappears to add fish and plants? Will it harm either of them if I add them while it is still there? And what about the mold growing on the driftwood, do I need to scrub it? Can I put anything in that will eat this stuff?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I would wait to add fish and plants, though when I had it in my tank from a piece of lava rock that had (unbeknownst to me) lichen growing on it, I had plants in there at the same time and they were fine.

On a side note, that stuff looks like ectoplasm, doesn't it? haha


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## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

I have been stirring this stuff up everyday and every morning its back. Anything eelse I could be doing to get rid of it?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Possibly try hydrogen peroxide.Used properly it is harmless so being very cheap it would pose no risk IMO.
Here's a link to proper use of hydrogen peroxide
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Hydrogen_peroxide
If you're in USA then hydrogen peroxide is 3%,if in UK then 6%.
Hope this helps,I use it for many things.


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