# Grey fuzzies?



## holly12

My 20g is in week 4 of cycling. I've been leaving the lights on much longer than I would if the tank had fish in it, trying to build up algae for the Otos and snails - they are pigs!

I noticed a thick grey fuzz on the decorations the other day.... I've never seen grey algae before. Could it be micro film? Do Otos and snails eat micro film?

I don't think it's BBA. I had that in the 10g, so I'm pretty sure I know what that looks like.

Just want to be sure it's not something I should wipe off and suction out before everyone goes in.

Thanks!


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## automatic-hydromatic

could possibly be fungus, but I don't think that's all too common

what's your feeding schedule for the talk? the fungus tends to grow on and around uneaten food. or around a dead fish  but you'd see the fish if that were the case, and it wouldn't be very wide-spread either


but otherwise, yeah it does just sound like an algae breakout. you say you've been keeping the lights on longer; how long are you letting them on every day?


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## holly12

It's a fishless cycle, so there is no rotting food and no fish.

Lights are on for about 15-16 hours a day. (When fish are in it's about 10-12 hours a day.) I wanted to make sure there was lots of food for the algae eaters when they move it.

I hope it's not a fungus!!!! That would suck!!!! I see it most on the large center castle. There is some on the smaller left side castle and almost none (at least that I can see on the smaller right side castle.) There is a little bit on the fake plants (that are being replaced with live when cycle is done,) and a tiny bit on some parts of the gravel.


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## jrman83

I think if you keep leaving the light on that long you'll just end up with an algae none of them will touch. I wouldn't have it on at all, regardless of the expected inhabitants. Or at least it would only be a few hours. Personally, I don't think I'd ever be in to purposely trying to grow algae. Its the reverse of what everyone tries to do...fight algae. a pic would be better. Sounds like BBA.


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## holly12

Oh man! I can't seem to do anything right, lol. Ok, light is turned off and will stay off until cycle is done!

Here's a link to the pic: Aquarium Gallery - Grey/white fuzzies? 

It's more a foggy/opaque/white/light grey, lol. I had a BBA out break in the 10g and it was small balls of black algae and the Nerites ate it. This looks different. It's mostly on the big cast and the smaller one. There's a little on the gravel. Do I need to wipe it off and siphon it out when I do the WC before putting the fish in?


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## snail

is the grey stuff slimy or rough to the touch to the touch? I had slimy stuff all over one of my tanks after I added a new peace of driftwood think it was a bacterial bloom but it went away on it's own after a couple of weeks. My loaches seemed to like eating it.


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## holly12

I haven't actually touched it but it looks like it would be soft - almost like it would come loose as soon as it's touched.


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## 37tall

i just started noticing little grayish white spots on my fish tank's walls and the plants, what does that mean? could it be the same thing as holly's problem? and my fish is wiping his face on the plants and gravel could the mystery spots be on his face as well?


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## holly12

If your fish looks like it's itching itself on plants and decoration, I'd keep my eye open for Ick. That's one symptom. (The fuzzy white stuff on the glass wouldn't be Ick though.) If the fish has Ick, it will look like some one sprinkled salt all over it.


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## snail

37tall said:


> i just started noticing little grayish white spots on my fish tank's walls and the plants, what does that mean? could it be the same thing as holly's problem? and my fish is wiping his face on the plants and gravel could the mystery spots be on his face as well?


Bad water conditions like high ammonia can cause blooms in algae or bacteria and also irritates a fish's skin so I'd start by doing a 30% water change and testing your water if you have a test kit. Is this a new tank?


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## jrman83

There are other parasites that will cause flashing. Ich is just one of them. Agree with the water change.


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## tehgyb

Had this exact problem when I added drift wood to my tank a few weeks back... scraped some samples of it and took it to my LFS to see if they could guess anything, happened to be the manager himself I asked, who informed me its a type of fungus and is absolutely harmless - most fish will eat it even... well mine went away within the last 4 weeks (Cant say I honestly remember the exact timeframe, sorry) and all my fish are fine..

Well, except my 2 blue lobsters who died yesterday during my mysterious nitrite spike -.- unrelated story but I overcleaned and caused a mini cycle =X oops

Also, I apologize Im all over the place and my writing is horrible tonight, Im too tired lol


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## jrman83

There is a different type of fungus that grows on new dw when you put it in the tank.


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## SomethingGourami

I have the same problem in my 36. I have lights on for 10-11 hours a day and recently had a water change. Also it has been done cycling for 8 months


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## yekoms

Why not have the real plants in tank for the fishless cycle? 
Because I'm new to this stuff I did a fishless cycle with live plants in a 45gal tank. 
Tank cycled in 14 days and the plants were ok and now a few weeks later the plants are still fine. We have 8 Neon,7 Serpae Tetras and 4 Otos and all is well.
We had fuzz grow on the driftwood that was fixed by baking it.
The Otos didn't bother with wafers or seaweed but love zucchini.


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## christophermcvay33

hello! Is this the gray stuff you all are talking about? This is in my 55 gallon tank, right beside a piece of drift wood.


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## seankeg

wow, so what was it? learning a lot here!


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