VerdantGrotto's Fresh-Water Habitat

Byron

There are many types of fungus; some are toxic, some are not. It is impossible to say if this fungus is or isn't dangerous without a microbiologist examining it under a microscope. All you can do, if you leave the wood in the water, is observe very carefully.

If the water begins to get cloudy, get rid of the wood. If fish begin to respire faster, become lethargic, or remain closer to the surface or gasp, get rid of it. And do a major water change, 3/4 of the tank.

I had toxic fungus from a branch of what I believe was Manzanita wood, though it might have been grapewood. I almost lost my fish. And I know of others who did. Corys seem to show symptoms first, not surprising when one realizes how sensitive they are to water conditions and any substances.

Byron.

VerdantGrotto

The wood was removed from the tank this morning and scrubbed with a brush under running water. The affected areas cleaned up nicely. The wood was then boiled and left to cool. I'm reluctant to return it to the tank because of the phrase "toxic fungus" but I am also reluctant to not return it because it was expensive and looks amazing in the tank.

This afternoon one of the Corys seemed to be respirating rather quickly and was laying on the substrate by himself in the middle of an open area. About an hour or two after the wood was removed and at feeding time the corys grouped back together and seemed to be fine. I did a partial water change (20%) which cleared the tank up nicely. Prior to this the tank did seem a little hazy but it was a little darker than I would have expected (Not white cloudy but more of a dark greenish tinge).

If I was to replace the Mopani driftwood with a different type of wood, what type of woods are safe for the tank? I remember you stating that woods like Mopani, Manzanita and Grape are prone to developing these fungi. Are there any type of limbs that branch out that would be safe to use?

VerdantGrotto

The following image is taken from : Cichlid-forum.com

At this point I'm planning on returning the cleaned driftwood to the tank and observing it carefully and continously. If the fuzz returns again I will clean it again and try one more time. If the problems persist, then I will have to count it as a loss and remove the Mopani indefinitely. (At which point I will have some cheap Mopani driftwood for sale )

Attached Images

fuzz on driftwood.PNG (14.2 KB, 36 views)

jentralala

I think I read that JDM had a white fuzz on his driftwood and that Nerite (?) snails munched it right up.

Boredomb

Malaysian driftwood is your best bet for wood. It is usually not prone to fungus but this isn't a give me. All wood can have it or carry it. Malaysian is just less prone then others. You can find nice pieces of it too if you look around.

Oh That attachment you posted is not true. All fungus isn't safe. There are some that are deadly to fish. I had some that killed all but one fish before I caught it. There are others here that have had the same experience too.

Green water does not have that effect on fish unless its really bad as then it takes the oxygen out of the water. So my guess is it would have been the fungus on your wood that caused the Cory to be breathing fast. When you took it out and did a water change it help to clear the water back up. If you put the wood back in I would watch for the fungus to cone back and your fish to see if one or all start breathing fast again. If it was me I wouldn't after that last reaction.
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Nilet699

Yeah dont trust that at all.......especially with the breathing problems you've already seen. try it again if you want....like you said it was expensive.......but if i was you....i'd do it on a day off.....a day that you can spend checking your tank every 30mins so you dont lose any.
Worst comes to worst, you yank it out and have a garden ornament or something. lol

I have a piece opf wood which is Very prone to getting a white fuzz on it,on and off. i've seen the gouramis munch it a few times, and its never caused any issues that i know of with my fish. My aq is also only 2months old though and so im HOPING this will eventually disappear, but know it might never do so.

VerdantGrotto

The clip I took off of that website was probably more of me grasping at straws. Like I said, I'm a little reluctant to just get rid of it because of the cost. Although, If you total up the cost of the fish, plants and time and effort I've already put into the tank it's a no-brainer as to if I should return it. On that note, I will be looking for a new center-piece

Byron

The symptoms strongly suggest toxic fungus. I had the same, and I know of another aquarist who lost his corys because he didn't realize it was the fungus. If you value your fish's health over the cost of the wood, don't use it. I paid over $30 for the branch I had that did this; it is now dry and sitting on a shelf in my living room as a reminder of my close call.

VerdantGrotto

I'm pretty sure I'm on my way to loosing one of my pepper Corys . His eyes are bulging slightly and he hasn't moved very much in the last few hours.Also, my Bronze Corys have become rather pale in comparison to a few weeks ago. I imagine this is related to stress from the toxic fungus because all of the water perameters are fine (Nitrates @ 5.0ppm questionable). I did a 50% water change today and a 20% water change yesterday. The wood was also removed yesterday morning and will NOT be returning to the tank. My wife is actually going to repurpose the wood by using it to plant "Air Plants". (Google "Images of Air Plants on Driftwood")

Byron

Major water changes can sometimes work if the fish are not too far gone. Worth a try. By major, I mean 75% of the tank each day for 2 or 3 days.