White fuzzy stuff on tank decor

So I woke up this morning to the top of the ornament in my tank covered in this stuff. I scraped it off, but I'm concerned as to what it could be?

It's a 2.5 gallon tank, with a 3I whisper filter. Not currently housing any fish(currently houses a java fern), and I dosed it with cycle as prescribed the last two days. Any ideas as to if it's a fungus or just a bacteria?

 

wait, is that white thing your ornament completely covered in it?! that's heaps!

what cycling bact are you dosing, just out of interest?

welcome to Fishlore, by the way!

 

To me it looks like a fungus. Do you have any fish in there? If fungus is growing on aquarium items and substrate it could attack your fish especially if the fish's immune system has been weakened by ammonia, or nitrites etc.

I would suggest a fungus treatment and then do a large water change and make sure it is cycled before any fish go into it.

It is a very small tank, what are you planning on keeping in it? Tanks of this size are very hard to maintain as they need regular water changes etc.

Is the whisper filter carbon cartridge as that won't be of use to build up a colony of BB, you will need a sponge and bio media as it has large surface area for the BB to build up a decent sized colony to support the fish but again it depends on what fish you are aiming on housing in the tank. 2.5 gallons is about 7 litres only. So not many species of fish would be suitable for that tank, maybe some shrimp. It is even to small for a single betta

 

That looks just like the stuff that grows on new driftwood. It will probably disappear as quickly as it showed up.

 

I have never seen this on driftwood in all the time I have had it in my tanks. This looks like the fungus that envelopes rotten food and or dead fish and fish eggs. So I still lean towards fungus. Do you have any rotten food in the tank?

I think as you have received two very different responses you should wait til you get other responses and decide where to go from there.

 

post 8

 

I plan on putting a small single Betta in there for now atleast, he'll be getting an upgrade once he matures. And there's been no fish in there since I set it up over 2 weeks ago. I had to speed p the cycling since I'm leaving shortly and Alastor(Betta) is going to be needing his tank so I added nitration cycle. The next morning this showed up.

And BravetheBetta no I didn't think to take a picture before I scraped it off the onrnament. That's a picture of the stuff just floating on the bottom of the tank.

And no, there's never been any fish or food in the tank since I've set it up a second time. And I do agree it looks like that, but where's the fungus come from? The ornament was socked in vinegar for afew days before it was stored, and then later put in this tank

 

if no fish and no food, what is your source of ammonia for cycling?

 

I do have live plants in there, I was hoping that would be enough considering some aren't doing so well. I had been planning on adding fish food, but then I saw the white stuff.

 

the plants do not produce ammonia, fish pee is what the ammonia is with fish in the water.

 

the plants do not produce ammonia, fish pee is what the ammonia is with fish in the water.

think she meant since some plants aren't doing well, it may be the ammonia from the rotting? haha

 

Dying plants will produce ammonia, but the cycle will take quite a while. Using pure ammonia or fish food (which begins decaying hours after it comes in contact with water) are much quicker ways to cycle.

The white substance is fungi, and despite what other members have said it cannot infect any living organism in the tank. Herbivores will actually eat it readily.

Keep up with your cycling and you can add fish soon, fungus or no fungus.

 

Thank you everyone, whatever it is, it seems to be retreating.