# HELP!!! White filaments killing plants/ clouding water



## Vinkenoog1977 (13 Aug 2014)

Hey guys,

I'm having some problems with one of the tanks from VROOM VROOM; it started in the corner where the filter sits, but it's starting to spread: some form of white algea or filaments or webbing, not quite sure how to call it, and I've tried taking a pic, but my camera just wont capture it.

It looks a bit like webbing from a spider, some long, thin strands, a bit goo-like. It first killed the Rotala Rotundifolia (leaves going brown from the bottom up, then rotting), then it took the Micranthemum, and now I see it's starting to spread, and has also covered the hair grass. I've Googled a bit, and did a search here, but found nothing that sounded like what I have. This by the way started in dry start, and was the reason for flooding it. There is no fish in there, just three Amano-shrimp, in hopes they would clean it up, but no luck so far.

Any idea what it might be? I will be changing the M. Micranthemoides for Monte Carlo this Saturday, and would like to have this solved before then. It's a soil-based tank, covered with fine gravel. The other tank is doing perfectly by the way, healthy growth, very little browning on the Micranthemum, and wonderful Rotala. Am completely stumped.

Thanks for any help you can give me!

P.S.: As stated in the title, it also clouds my water. Whitish.


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## GHNelson (13 Aug 2014)

I would investigate the innards....of your internal filter.
Not just the sponges the whole internal!
hoggie


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## Vinkenoog1977 (13 Aug 2014)

The filter and cartridge are brand new, fresh from the box. Cleaned them all out since they were a bit noisy at first, everything is clean, new and checked.

P.S.: it started during dry start, so before flooding, so the filter cannot be the cause


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## X3NiTH (13 Aug 2014)

Could it be a slime mould fruiting body?


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## Vinkenoog1977 (14 Aug 2014)

I really have no clue, all I know is it's killing my plants, and clouding the water. It also sticks to the glass, forming large strands. I'll try again to get a decent pic of the issue. Really bugging me, cause I'd hate to have the new plants going in Saturday, suffering the same fate.


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## Mick.Dk (14 Aug 2014)

Your description of look and growth, have FUNGI spelled all over it. Fungi will often appear in Dry Start set-up..........but usually they don't adapt to life under water. Yours seem to have done so, however. 
There are unbeliavably many different fungi, so ID is probaply impossible. 
There are fungicides available for aquatic purposes - with a little luck that will kill it !!


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## Vinkenoog1977 (14 Aug 2014)

I'm thinking fungus as well.  I seem to have been able to halt it, however, I have now found the same stuff in another tank, where it grew on the wood, and killed off some Javafern plantlets. Siphoned off what I could, but will be getting some fungicide at my LFS tomorrow. I remember seeing some of this stuff in another dry start I did a while back, but that died off after flooding. This has not. [DOUBLEPOST=1408033823][/DOUBLEPOST]Been doing a bit of a Google; would dosing with potassium permanganate work?


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## Vinkenoog1977 (16 Aug 2014)

Well, since my plants are not arriving until Tuesday, I decided to drain the tank, tidy up the hardscape a bit, and restart the dry start. I cleaned the filters, the filter cartridges, the heaters, I russled up the gravel, siphoned off all the muck, cleaned the plants I wanted to/ could keep, and drained all the water I could. I added some gravel in places, let it all air out, and replanted the plants. 24 hours later, the mould/ whatever, is back, and I think I managed to get a decent photo of the stuff. Please, someone help me, it seems to have started in the Hairgrass I replanted from the same tank this all started in, and has already spread to the Rotala Rotundifolia I saved from the other tank. I have no clue what this is, or what to do. I have however, as mentioned before, seen the same sort of stuff appear in one other tank, originating from the wood (which from what I've read about this, is nothing unusual), and it has already killed off the Javafern plantlets I put in there. 
This is from this tank:





From the wood tank:





What can I do to take care of this stuff? Again, this is a soil based tank, capped of with gravel, in both cases.

HELP!!!


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## X3NiTH (16 Aug 2014)

Is it this you have?



Oomycota slime mould, it's a parasitic freshwater aquatic mould, no idea for treatment sorry.


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## Vinkenoog1977 (17 Aug 2014)

No, it's more spiderweb-like, almost like plant lice. This oomycota slime is too fast growing, and from what I understand, it does not occur emersed, which is where this all started, and is still happening. Have had something like this in my propagator once, same white fibrous stuff, killed off a patch, but after letting it dry out a bit, it was gone. So will refrain from misting for the time being, but I would really love to know what the hell this stuff is!


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## Vinkenoog1977 (17 Aug 2014)

Well, I found some info on BarrReport, and it looks like it is/ was just too wet/ moist in the tank; I was sure I read that the tank needed to be sealed to get the highest humidity, and just air it for a couple of minutes, but that appears not to be the case, so I opened up the front a bit, about a centimeter, while leaving the rest of the cling film on there; see what happens.
I will also be getting some H2O2, and mist the affected parts with that (1:4 with distilled water); see what happens then!


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## Vinkenoog1977 (20 Aug 2014)

Well, I've been misting the troubled spots with the mix of H2O2 and distilled water, and it has not proven effective, rather, it appears the healthy plants are taking a beating. However, since the mold in the other, flooded tank, has now disappeared after tipping the spots with liquid carbon, I've now started misting the spots in the dry start tank, with liquid carbon, hoping that will do the trick. If not, and the problems persist until into the weekend, I'll simply strip the tank, clean it out agressively, and start it a new, with fresh soil and fresh gravel. Hoping I won't have to, but if all else fails...


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