# What is on my cholla?



## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

Thursday, when I left for work at 10:30 in the morning, everything was fine in my 29g. When I got home from work at 7:30, this had happened.










Any ideas as to what it is and what to do for it? As you can see, it hasn't bothered the anubias, or any other cholla, plants or fish in my tank. Just that one piece...that I really like of course.


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## Cey (Jan 15, 2015)

I'm not sure what that is, but that looks like the same fuzz that takes over dead fish / frog bodies, and can also show up on uneaten food and wood/plants. From what I understand it is fungal, is usually always present in the aquarium, and only becomes visible / becomes a problem when it has too much of a food source (decaying matter) and won't attack living sources unless there is more of the fungus than there is food (usually not a problem except in extreme cases). I don't think it is harmful to the tank, in general, until there becomes too much of it.

Hopefully someone else has more direct experience with it and can help you out.


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## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

That's what I thought it looked like, but was really confused why it showed up on this piece...
thank you!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It's a normal driftwood fungus. It grows on new pieces of driftwood and will stay there for a few months. You can scrap/brush it off but it will grow back. Some snails and plecos will eat it but not all of it. Usually it will go in stages of different types of fungi until the bio-film takes over and it becomes normal. But it's not bad for your fish at all, very normal.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

It is perfectly normal on any wood. A variety of critters will eat it including Bristlenose plecos and Amano; not sure about snails. It goes away when the nutrients in the wood on which it feeds are depleted.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I can attest to at least Rabbit Snails eating the slime if anyone is curious, never seen Nerites, Ramshorns, Bladder, or Mysteries eat it though. Rabbits eat everything though lol


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## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

thanks all! I'll just let nature take its course then


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Or have the perfect excuse for Rabbit Snails!!! :-D


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Haha yep! They're interesting snails, they barely move around (honestly they should be Tortoise Snails!) and love to hang out on driftwood. They breed like once a month IIRC, or at least that's all they did for me. So they're an interesting snail but not as entertaining lol They're more like decoration really XD


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## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

I'm still slowing picking out the hitchhiker snails from both of my tanks that came with some plants I bought (not from you lil) and laid eggs either in the cholla or on my banana plant (which they destroyed).

I bought 2 horned nerites to help with algae in my 10g and that's enough snails for me.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Sure it was the snails that destroyed the plant? Snails usually don't eat the actual plant (other than Apple snails, they will!), but they will eat the dead parts off of it though, that actually keeps the plant healthy though.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

If your Banana Plant was grown emerged it might not have acclimated or it could have been a nutrient or lighting deficiency that occurred before you even bought it. If the plant was on its way out the snails would have been feasting on dead/decaying plant matter. As Lil said, pond snails usually don't eat healthy plants.


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## ellekay (Nov 11, 2014)

Super healthy plant grown fully submerged. Still growing like crazy, just the tubers got destroyed. I've read snails like those plants and can kill them. No snail is going in my 29g any time soon.


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