Help me identify this?
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CaptainBarnicles
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Wowsers....is this growing on the log?
Welcome to TFF. 
Now, unfortunately, you have some serious issues. First is the wood--if this is actually coniferous, it is toxic to fish in time, the sap in these trees is highly toxic. I know from painful experience, back in the 1990's, I could not figure out why the fish were so lethargic and dying. Turned out to be something leeching from a huge piece of wood bought in a fish store no less, that was cedar. Bad. Get it out of the tank. In nature this is not a problem because the water carries the toxin downstream, but this cannot occur in an aquarium. I had the wood for two years before the toxin apparently began leeching out.
The whitish stuff is fungus. There are I don't know how many species, but most are harmless to fish. Some are deadly toxic. I experienced the latter some 8 or 9 years ago. It is more common on branchy wood like grapewood, but be careful.
The green "stuff" I do not think is cyanobacteria, which is slimy and forms sheets that you can easily loosen with your fingertips. May bee some form of algae. Fungus I believe is whitish.
There are issues with the numbers of some of the fish. Shoaling/schooling freshwater species must be kept in decent-sized groups. Old advice was minimum six, but we now know better through scientific studies on the effects of too few of their own. All characins (tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish), cyprinids (rasboras, barbs, danios, loaches) and many catfish like cories need a group. Less than 10 of each is stressful on the fish, weakening them over time.
Now, unfortunately, you have some serious issues. First is the wood--if this is actually coniferous, it is toxic to fish in time, the sap in these trees is highly toxic. I know from painful experience, back in the 1990's, I could not figure out why the fish were so lethargic and dying. Turned out to be something leeching from a huge piece of wood bought in a fish store no less, that was cedar. Bad. Get it out of the tank. In nature this is not a problem because the water carries the toxin downstream, but this cannot occur in an aquarium. I had the wood for two years before the toxin apparently began leeching out.
The whitish stuff is fungus. There are I don't know how many species, but most are harmless to fish. Some are deadly toxic. I experienced the latter some 8 or 9 years ago. It is more common on branchy wood like grapewood, but be careful.
The green "stuff" I do not think is cyanobacteria, which is slimy and forms sheets that you can easily loosen with your fingertips. May bee some form of algae. Fungus I believe is whitish.
There are issues with the numbers of some of the fish. Shoaling/schooling freshwater species must be kept in decent-sized groups. Old advice was minimum six, but we now know better through scientific studies on the effects of too few of their own. All characins (tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish), cyprinids (rasboras, barbs, danios, loaches) and many catfish like cories need a group. Less than 10 of each is stressful on the fish, weakening them over time.
Thanks for the reply.
The stuff is very likely… Cyanobacteria. Filamentous algae isn’t motile no? And fungus never is? A better pic Cyano . This is what it looks like before going through an iPhone.
I just can’t find anyone with “white” stuff. It’s all “too much light”, “too much food” it grows in the dark, and I don’t feed much. It has had a sudden burst when I added some minerals once. Then it subsided and retreated.
My paranoia comes in kind of like with fungus, there are a billion kinds of innocuous fungi but a few deadly ones.
Are there deadly cyanos? It seems like “maybe”.
I guess maybe I need to research what cyanos eat and try to reduce. That. Maybe the wood is full of sugar? Seems unlikely with how deteriorated it is.
Yea. I was waiting for the pine comment. It is an old wives tale about the wood. And of course you shouldn’t plop some “green “ sapwood in your tank. There is zero sap in the wood and even then, the terpines are the first to fly away.Not my first coniferous rodeo. If you can’t smell it it’s not toxic. The fish-toxic stuff in, I think ALL, wood is volatile and goes away quite quickly when discussing drift/bog wood.
As to the schooling…. I have not bought much into that. That is, it’s fine to have large schools, but less that than a “vibe”.
I’d be interested in reading aquarium based studies on that. Nature and captive are different. My reading and observation leads me to believe that it’s not necessarily the species as it is the nature of the tank. A cardinal tetra all by itself in a bowl is going to die. A single cardinal tetra in a mixed social schooling type tank I think has a good chance. The idea is, universal signaling that it’s ok in the tank is nearly as good as hiding in schools. Clicks the same button in their instinct.
this has been my experience as well. Particularly with those neons and cardinals. I’ve adopted singles (from people dismantling tanks ) that have gone on for years. I have a school of 8 tetras that largely stay in groups of 4. They frequently join other fish. I think that goes a long way in setting tank tone.
It was also the OPINION of a rather regarded animal behaviouralist friend of mine. But it may not be her most informed opinion. She doesn’t study captive animals. But I have read similar in other aquarists writings.
The stuff is very likely… Cyanobacteria. Filamentous algae isn’t motile no? And fungus never is? A better pic Cyano . This is what it looks like before going through an iPhone.
I just can’t find anyone with “white” stuff. It’s all “too much light”, “too much food” it grows in the dark, and I don’t feed much. It has had a sudden burst when I added some minerals once. Then it subsided and retreated.
My paranoia comes in kind of like with fungus, there are a billion kinds of innocuous fungi but a few deadly ones.
Are there deadly cyanos? It seems like “maybe”.
I guess maybe I need to research what cyanos eat and try to reduce. That. Maybe the wood is full of sugar? Seems unlikely with how deteriorated it is.
Yea. I was waiting for the pine comment. It is an old wives tale about the wood. And of course you shouldn’t plop some “green “ sapwood in your tank. There is zero sap in the wood and even then, the terpines are the first to fly away.Not my first coniferous rodeo. If you can’t smell it it’s not toxic. The fish-toxic stuff in, I think ALL, wood is volatile and goes away quite quickly when discussing drift/bog wood.
As to the schooling…. I have not bought much into that. That is, it’s fine to have large schools, but less that than a “vibe”.
I’d be interested in reading aquarium based studies on that. Nature and captive are different. My reading and observation leads me to believe that it’s not necessarily the species as it is the nature of the tank. A cardinal tetra all by itself in a bowl is going to die. A single cardinal tetra in a mixed social schooling type tank I think has a good chance. The idea is, universal signaling that it’s ok in the tank is nearly as good as hiding in schools. Clicks the same button in their instinct.
this has been my experience as well. Particularly with those neons and cardinals. I’ve adopted singles (from people dismantling tanks ) that have gone on for years. I have a school of 8 tetras that largely stay in groups of 4. They frequently join other fish. I think that goes a long way in setting tank tone.
It was also the OPINION of a rather regarded animal behaviouralist friend of mine. But it may not be her most informed opinion. She doesn’t study captive animals. But I have read similar in other aquarists writings.
Last edited:
Endlersendlers
Fish Crazy
It sounds like you think you have it figured out.
I still do not think this is cyanobacteria, but I will not push the point. It does not look like any cyanobacteria I have ever had, far from it. True cyanobacteria occurs from an excess of organics in the presence of light, nothing else.
And as for shoaling numbers, you are against proven science, and I will not argue over that. There is no point.
And as for shoaling numbers, you are against proven science, and I will not argue over that. There is no point.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
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Would you care to share a photo of your whole tank and point out the cyanobacteria for us please?
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
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Endlersendlers
Fish Crazy
What you are describing grows in the shade and is not photosynthetic.
Please point me at
look at it under a microscope… did my pics not upload? The last 2 pics are of the same thing but under 400x. Blue green algae is one group of Cyanobacteria… they come in all colors.
Yea I guess no one can see my pics. You couldn’t see it in a 6 foot wide shot. Ergo the closer pics… about 6”x6”.
And the microscope photos and links…. You know what…
I’ll soldier on.
Please point me at this research. I have access to most journals even if you just have the DOI or author, title… whatever, I can find it. A quick search yields nothing…. But not being a behavioralist, or even biologist, I may be searching on ridiculous terms.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
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Your photos did upload but it's hard to identify at 400x as most people haven't seen it like that.
I'm getting confused, if you already know what you're dealing with, what is it you're asking of us to help you with?
I'm getting confused, if you already know what you're dealing with, what is it you're asking of us to help you with?
You can do a search on Google Scholar, under "shoaling fish" and similar. One good study is this one.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
Global Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
Pet of the Month 🎖️
I think he flounced and bounced 
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