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Mold on partially emersed driftwood

C

codpin

New Member
Joined
21 Nov 2022
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14
Location
Braila
Hi guys,

I have a new setup (6 weeks) and after about 2 weeks or so, I started to notice mold on my partially emersed driftwood. This driftwood was used before (bought it from a LFS) because I found all kind of tiny roots and dried moss on it when I washed it. Being too big I haven't boiled it.

My tank is open top so there is plenty of ventilation around it. I tried dosing Liquid Carbon (from Master Line) on it but it didn't do anything. For about 2 weeks now, once every 3-4 days I take some q tips and H2O2 and wipe as much as I can from the wood. After that I use a dropper and dose some more H2O2 over the most affected parts and immediately becomes fizzy, so I guess the H2O2 has some effect on it. But after 3-4 days it's back, full on.

What solutions do I have?

I've read online that some people say it will gt better over some time by its own. Others suggested to maybe but some moss over and try to grow it emersed, but I don't think this will work as I've tried on another scape to do that and it dried out after a few days.

Any suggestion/idea/solution is more than welcome.

Since I'm writing this from tapatalk on my phone and I don't have the option to attach photos inline, I'll drop everything as attachments.

Thanks,
Catalin20221204_144627.jpg20221204_145355.jpg20221204_145404.jpg20221204_145422.jpg20221204_145440.jpg
 
Hi all,
codpin said:
I started to notice mold on my partially emersed driftwood.
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The easiest answer is just ignore it, and it will go away.
codpin said:
but I don't think this will work as I've tried on another scape to do that and it dried out after a few days.
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You would need to keep the moss in contact with the water, so it wicks the water up. You could start with a terrestrial moss (any-one will do).
codpin said:
My tank is open top so there is plenty of ventilation around it. I tried dosing Liquid Carbon (from Master Line) on it but it didn't do anything. For about 2 weeks now, once every 3-4 days I take some q tips and H2O2 and wipe as much as I can from the wood. After that I use a dropper and dose some more H2O2 over the most affected parts and immediately becomes fizzy, so I guess the H2O2 has some effect on it. But after 3-4 days it's back, full on.
Click to expand...
Chemical methods are unlikely to work, the bits you can see on the surface is just the outermost part, most of it is inside the wood.
codpin said:
Any suggestion/idea/solution is more than welcome.
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A single Woodlouse (Armadillidium spp. etc) would do, but may drown itself in the tank.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,
codpin said:
Thanks @dw1305 for your reply!

So basically, just ignore it until it goes away on its own. My mild OCD won't help at all
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I know what you mean, but "ignoring" is almost certainly the best option.

It wouldn' t bother me, but I'm pretty slap-dash and <"have no sense of aesthetics">.

Cheers Darrel
 
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I second ignoring it, once the mould runs out of food it'll just die. Try thinking of it as a natural part of the maturation process, kind of an emersed version of biofilm, and that might help you to like it a bit more! If you're really lucky you might get fungi! I've got a bit of emersed wood doing the same thing right now, white mould on top to match the brown diatoms beneath 🙂
 
Yeah, I guess thinking of it as part of the maturation and a natural, necessary process might make it easier to live with.

I'm the kind of person who likes everything clean and tidy, but since an aquarium is a part of nature, I should embrace the chaotic part of it.

Thanks guys!
 
I third ignoring it. I tried running weeping moss on the top of a piece of drift wood, letting it wick from the tank, and it looked pretty nice for months. The problem was it was a constant battle with algae as it is so close to the light. I ended up getting fed up and tore the moss off. Now I run bare and moldy like you op. Maybe I could have found balance eventually and moving my light up would have helped some but, not worth the effort imo unless I'm going to do a full Paludarium.
 
JayceeMonroe said:
That's when I turned to water damage restoration services, and they were a huge help.
Regarding your driftwood mold situation, it sounds like you've tried a few things already. Have you considered seeking advice from water damage restoration experts? They might have insights into dealing with mold in a water-based environment like your tank. It's worth a shot! Hang in there, and hopefully, you'll find a solution soon.
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I think we have ourselves a bot...
 
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