[DJK83]

I've got a very strange problem in a viv that I never got a chance to put any frogs in. I made it late last summer, using an Exo Terra 36x18x18, but made several mistakes that have forced me to redo it completely. One of those mistakes was taking the advice of an article that suggested using a substrate mixture that contained a lot of coco fiber and peat moss, which I've since found out holds too much moisture. In the last few months, some of the plants (including the Pothos) have had leaves turning yellow and dying, so I've clearly screwed up. I also used a ton of gravel, rather than hydroton, and the tank has sprung a small leak, which is the last straw for having to get a new one and start over again.

Anyway, the odd problem is that there seem to be these droplets of slime that, at first glance, look like water droplets, but they aren't. I've included two pics -- one with the flash on, and one with it off. The two main areas it was collected is the moss and on the driftwood. Someone had suggested that it was "slime mold" that could be controlled by seeding the tank with springtails, but the substrate I made the mistake of using failed to support them, and they didn't take.

So, as I was breaking the tank down last night in preparation of making a new one (with hydroton, and the variant of ABG mix sold by New England Herp), I decided that I want to wash off and reuse some driftwood and plants from the old tank (which, again, never had frogs in it). But I'm once again looking to be sure that this slime isn't anything harmful that could be transferred to the new tank.

 

[carola1155]

ever seen any snails in the Viv? They kinda look like snail egg masses... are there small specs in them by any chance?

 

[DJK83]

Nope, I've never seen any snails in the viv, and from what I can tell, there aren't any specs in the slime droplets.

 

[ExoticPocket]

I honestly have no clue... Has the rock been put in the tank recently? Maybe there was something on the surface and when you misted it it combined into the slime... Just a thought.

-Alex

 

[carola1155]

can you scrape it off and get a closer shot of it on like a white background or something?

 

[Pumilo]

I vote fungus. Something not quite a mushroom.

 

[Scott]

Reminds of the cyanobacteria we occasionally get on the sides of our tanks.

s

 

[Ed]

I honestly have no clue... Has the rock been put in the tank recently? Maybe there was something on the surface and when you misted it it combined into the slime... Just a thought.

-Alex

If I follow the OP's post correctly that is a piece of wood and not a rock which is why it could be some odd member of the fungal group as well as some form of bacterial or cyanobacterial growths. I don't think we're going to get a resolution even to a general identity, without a microscopic view.

Ed

 

[crested]

Looks verrry similar to slime mold I had in one of my springtail cultures. That's my vote.

 

[Pumilo]

If I follow the OP's post correctly that is a piece of wood and not a rock which is why it could be some odd member of the fungal group as well as some form of bacterial or cyanobacterial growths. I don't think we're going to get a resolution even to a general identity, without a microscopic view.

Ed

Ahh, but you said "fungal", first, so I win!

 

[DJK83]

Carola, I was unable to scrape any off for a closer look, since the driftwood got pretty dirty in the process of digging everything up. What little is left seems to be somewhat dried up, too, so there's really no way to get a better look at it.

Ed, it was on the driftwood as well as the moss (I'm not sure what kind of moss it was -- it's the stuff that New England Herp grows). I actually took a few pictures several months ago, which show the slime pretty well. I can find them on my computer and post them if it would be helpful. As for the driftwood, it was purchased at Pet Supplies Plus, and boiled for several minutes before it went into the viv.

I guess the big question is, is it harmful in any way (meaning that I can't clean off and reuse anything that's been in the tank), and what can I do to prevent it in the future?

 

[mordoria]

I get that stuff all the time on my water feature. Im assuming it a cyanobacteria of some sort bc it like really wet areas. It will get bigger and spread a bit. I use a hard stream of water to blast it away. It comes back after a few weeks. Try better air circulation. Itll help. If theres no frogs, i use some Hydrogen peroxide to spray the area.

 

[Scott]

But I was the first to say cyanobacteria - so you're both "not first".

s

Ahh, but you said "fungal", first, so I win!