Moldy Silicone

[Tshethar]

Anyone have a problem with black mold penetrating their tank silicone?

Anyone find successful ways of getting rid of it?

I will probably do a tank journal thread at some point that will go through the steps that lead up to this, but the short story is that I basically cured some manzanita wood in a new tank and the white fuzzy mold that started on the wood ended up in my silicone--and it's ugly!

Doesn't bother my fish--just bristlenose in the tank for now--but the aesthetics are a problem in the dining room and it doesn't scrub off the surface.

I'm thinking if I want it gone I may have to start over and reseal the tank, but hoping not to have to go that far. Was considering emptying the tank contents and bleaching first... advice and tales of experience(s) welcome.

Thanks!

--Bill

[rickztahone]

Anyone have a problem with black mold penetrating their tank silicone?

Anyone find successful ways of getting rid of it?

I will probably do a tank journal thread at some point that will go through the steps that lead up to this, but the short story is that I basically cured some manzanita wood in a new tank and the white fuzzy mold that started on the wood ended up in my silicone--and it's ugly!

Doesn't bother my fish--just bristlenose in the tank for now--but the aesthetics are a problem in the dining room and it doesn't scrub off the surface.

I'm thinking if I want it gone I may have to start over and reseal the tank, but hoping not to have to go that far. Was considering emptying the tank contents and bleaching first... advice and tales of experience(s) welcome.

Thanks!

--Bill

If you empty and bleach it might actually do the trick.

[Tshethar]

Yeah, I think I will probably go that route. If it works it certainly will be much less of a pain than redoing the silicone. Just so people will get an idea of what I'm talking about, this is it below (along with a glimpse or two of the plecos).

I don't know if this is extremely uncommon or what, but personally after seeing this happen for the first time, I don't think I would personally add unprepped manzanita with bark to a display tank again... though I guess this is exceptional or people wouldn't be doing it as frequently as they seem to.

Hopefully the bleach will take care of this--I'll think about temporary housing options for my friends here, and try letting it soak for a while or run a bleach solution through the system.

I guess it's not harmful, would work for a fishroom, but... in the dining room? Not so much.

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[rickztahone]

that doesn't seem normal for manzanita actually. I have had manzanita in the past and it does get the fuzzy algae which is white but I have never had it affect a tank like you just posted. That is some serious algae. Looks like mold almost which is weird. I would definitely bleach everything and see if that gets everything off asap. I personally no longer use manzanita because I hate that fuzzy stage