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I am looking for some advice regarding bog wood. I have a tank which is about a year and a half old. It mainly houses Corydoras but I also have some Ember Tetras in there as well. The tank has a gravel bottom and is furnished with Mopani wood, Java fern and also Anubias. I decided to remove the gravel and opt for a silicon sand bases which is what I have in my other Cory tanks. I sucked the gravel out of the tank with a siphon over several weeks. When I did this I probably remove about fifty percent of the water. So when I topped it up I added some bacteria boosting product. I am not sure if this is related but I then started to notice white specs all over the wood. It is also forming on some algae on the glass at the back of the tank. The specs look almost like flour dusting I have cleaned the wood with a tooth brush several times but it then just comes back a few days later and I am wondering what I can do. The wood is as old as the tank and was boiled prior to adding to the tank. I have noticed some snails in my tank which I have removed it. I am not sure if this is connected or not. I don’t know if the snails have disturbed the wood. I have plants attached to the wood so I would prefer not to chuck it but will if I have to.

Undoubtedly something has changed in the balance of the water to trigger this.

However, if the fish are still fine, it shouldn't really be a problem - it might not look aesthetically pleasing but is unlikely to be harmful.

Are you looking to get rid of it as you don't like the look of it or was there some other concern?

In my experience, Ancistrus or smaller Panaque species will keep all type of wood fungus, algae and other "growth" (and deteriorating wood) nicely clean...

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Mats

hey! Mats has given you an excuse to get a new pleco! I say run with it

Gina

I was just concerned that it could have a detrimental effect on the fish. I have read that Cory’s are predisposed to Bacterial problems. But if the general consensus is its ok I shall leave it and see what happens. The fish are my first priority personal aesthetics are not important to me. I would love a Pleco and regularly admire them, but I think my tank is to small it is only 60 litters . What the smallest Pleco you can get? Is there anything suitable for a small tank? Would a Otocinclus catfish be any good at cleaning up wood? I have heard they are quite hard to keep?

A little is the answer! I use recently alive wood in a lot of my tanks and they can grow amazing amounts of stuff (and smell BAD) but the fish are very happy with it and many will eat it.

Many Barbs will also "have a go" but perhaps only Cherry Barbs would fit in with you fishes.

Jools

I am not a huge fan of Barbs. They are a nice looking fish but in my experience can be a bit aggressive. I like the idea of a Panaque Maccus. Are they ok with Corys? my tank is quite busy at the lower levels would like be ok for a Panaque Maccus?

Panaque maccus is about as gentle/friendly as fish can be. Don't expect it to be out much. And expect to clean your filter a little more often, as they do produce a good amount of "sawdust" for such a little fish.

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Mats

Some of the already water logged wood I collect from local streams develops mold despite several series of scrubbing the wood with a wire brush and straight household bleach. If I do not use the bleach cleaning the chances of mold growing on the wood is greater.
I think it is because the wood from a Trout stream has always been in cool water and once in a tropical temperature tank the mold is more likely to appear.
I have never seen mold grow on true bog wood.
None of the plecos I have kept in tanks with wood subject to mold growth do not retard its growth.
It is more unsightly than harmful. At least it seemed to have no effects on Discus and plecos I keep.
It is unsightly when mold does rear its ugly head but sometimes it seems to be part of the ecological succession for certain pieces. Some wood only supports mold at first and over time the mold is replaced with some kind of algae.
Larger pieces of locally collected wood have been the worst offenders. Curious how many smaller pieces of local wood rarely develop any mold.
There are so many variables that influence whether or not a given piece of wood develops any mold growth. Hard wood has been as fertile mold substrate as some softer wood but it is impossible to know until you try the wood whether or not mold ever appears.