Question: What's this?

[jumsyie101]

Hey guys, i am just wondering what this white stuff is? I have no clue what it is and will it harm my fish. The wood is only new and I'm just wondering. Thankyou

 

[Azhael]

Looks like Saprolegnia, a cosmopolitan oomycete. It´s feeding on the organic matter on the wood either because it´s not been cured or thoroughly cleaned. When the food source is depleted the Saprolegnia will disappear as long as not new food is introduced. The abudant pressence of this organism could potentially be a problem for inmunologically depressed fish, i suposse, but if they are healthy there shouldn´t be much to worry about.
In the future, you can reduce this by scrubing and desinfecting the wood first.

 

[jumsyie101]

So you wouldn't worry about taking it out, scrubbing it clean and putting it back in?

 

[Azhael]

I would just let the Saprolegnia run its course. It will deplete its food source and disappear.
If you scrub it, chances are some residue will be left that will produce a smaller Saprolegnia bloom anyway. You won´t get rid of it for good until it consumes the available food. Saprolegnia spores are everywhere, quite literally, it would come back again and again.

 

[jumsyie101]

Okay thankyou very much