White webby looking stuff in tank!!

[rasputin]

Hi,

This is not really related directly to my Axolotls or CFBN's but I wanted to see if anyone else on here has had the same thing.

As well as my Axolotl tank and CFBN tank I also have a Fluval edge for my tropical fish. This tank has been up and running for around 2 years and a few days ago I found what looks like white spiders web on the inside. I have searched the web, and the closest I can find is that it may be slime mould. I assume this would come from any snails that came in on a plant.

My question is, does anyone know of this is harmful to my fish? But, more relevant to this site, could it appear in my Axolotls tank or my Newt tank?

The tank it is in is at 24c so obviously the other tanks are colder. I do not over feed and I clean/water change all tanks as stated everywhere on this site.

I did recently go away for 3 days and left the fish a tetra weekend food stick. That is all that I can think I have done differently.

Any help or previous experience from other members would be great!

Thanks In advance.

P.s I have included a pic of the culprit (not amazing , as was done on phone) which I should also say moves around the glass! !

 

[Jennewt]

I've seen some crazy stuff appear in aquariums, and this is one of the strangest. I'm particularly impressed by the fact that it moves. Does it move from one hour/day to the next, or can you actually see it move in real time?

It could be a slime mold (which has nothing to do with snails, as far as I know). I am unable to tell you what it is, but it's unlikely that it will hurt your fish (or axolotls if it gets in their tank).

My suggestion would be to remove it manually and give all the glass a good cleaning. Check for any accumulation of debris in the gravel or any other nutrient source that could be feeding it.

 

[rasputin]

It moves very, VERY slowly. About an inch in 3 hours. Not going to be entered in any track and field event but impressive for a mould ( if thats what it is).

The only thing that stopped me removing it straight away was that it seems to feed on the spot algae that is in the corner of the tank. I can never get it off with just an algea magnet but this stuff leaves the glass clean wherever it goes.

I will however take it out, and as you say, check the gravel again to make sure there is no detritus in there.

 

[rethgar]

Hard to tell from the photos but..

If it seems to be consuming the algae then it may disappear when it has no more nutrients to sustain it. What may seem like movement may be a spread and die back situation as it feeds on the alage. Does it go back to a spot it has already moved from?

I used to get a lot of hydra colonies in a couple of my puffer tanks but the fish usually make short work of the colonies, I assumed they came in on new plants, this doesn't look like that though.

If you remain concerned clean off the glass and ornaments, whereuopon see if it comes back or maybe try a blackout. Move your animals and then completely starve the tank of light for a few days. might work if it is vegetative.

 

[Jennewt]

Slime molds are not actually mold/fungus at all, they are single-celled organisms that are able to "join together" and function like a multicellular organism (which looks like a blob of slime) under certain circumstances or conditions. That is sort of what this looks like - something made of single cells but congregating into a multicellular "something". But I have never heard of an aquatic slime mold, so this seems rather unlikely.

 

[rasputin]

Thanks for your replies!

I think it must be some kind of rarely spoken/written about aquatic variety of slime mould. I did a little more research and found this site which has a picture exactly the same as what is in my tank.

Very interesting stuff.

Everything Science » Blog Archive » Slime Molds

 

[Jennewt]

And here is a link to a page with photos of slime molds in aquariums:
Slime Mold Photos

I sent your photo to an acquaintance who works on slime molds. He confirms that this is certainly a slime mold.

The significance of slime molds is that they are an evolutionary "bridge" species, which spans the gap between single-celled organisms and multicellular organisms. Pretty cool I think! I never knew they could live in an aquarium, as they are typically found on decaying wood.