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Home » Fish Tank Guide » How to Get Rid of White Fungus in Fish Tank

How to Get Rid of White Fungus in Fish Tank

March 1, 2021 Leave a Comment

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Mold could be a very dangerous problem for your fish tank. It can grow quickly and spread throughout the tank fast. The mold might also be harmful to the fish.

This means you need to learn how to remove the white mold from a fish tank. To remove it, you’re ultimately going to remove everything from inside. That includes the gravel, plants, and decorations.

How to Get Rid of White Fungus in Fish Tank?

You’re going to wash them completely and use a fungus treatment to the water. Then, you can put everything back into the tank.

White mold is a fungus, and it needs to be removed once you identify that’s what it is. Let’s figure out how to fully get rid of white fungus in your fish tank.

Table of Contents

  • Why Does the Fish Tank Have White Fungus or Mold?
  • What’s That White Stuff in the Fish Tank?
  • How to Get Rid of the White Fungus in the Fish Tank
  • Preventing the White Fungus from Coming Back
  • Conclusion

Why Does the Fish Tank Have White Fungus or Mold?

White mold is going to start growing in the fish tank because the conditions are just right for it. Typically, the biggest factor is the decomposition of waste and other materials. Mold could form on the decorations, rocks, gravel, and plants.

White fungus on driftwood

However, it quickly spread throughout your tank. The materials that often decompose in the tank include many things. They are:

  • Dirty water
  • Seeping wounds (fish)
  • Excrement or waste
  • Wood decorations

In the beginning, you are going to notice a thin and slimy film on the objects. It’s going to be green and gets worse with time. The thin layer is sure to become thicker and thicker.

It starts off green, but then it turns dark brown. From there, it becomes white. At this point, you need to clean your tank to prevent fish from getting diseases.

Your goal is to keep your tank area stress-free. The fish are going to get shocked, which can cause their immune systems to dip. With the fungus, they could get very sick.

What’s That White Stuff in the Fish Tank?

It’s possible that you may see white stuff floating in your fish tank. This is the fungus that has formed on the decorations, rocks, gravel, and plants. After a while, it is going to break off of the items and start floating around in the tank.

white stuff floating in fish tank

If you’ve been seeing white stuff that’s floating in the fish tank, you must take immediate action. Otherwise, you are going to find that it spreads even more throughout the tank. You’ve got to get rid of it so that you don’t have even more problems.

How to Get Rid of the White Fungus in the Fish Tank

You’ve seen the white fungus in the tank. Therefore, you can’t ignore it anymore. To remove it, there are a few steps you must take.

1. Wash your hands thoroughly. You do not want to introduce more bacteria, fungus, or anything foreign into your fish tank.

2. Remove the decorations, gravel, and plants. Put them into the sink or in another tank until they have been cleaned.

3. Wash off the gravel by running it under some hot water for one or two minutes. Once you’ve done that, you should put all of the gravel into boiling water and let it sit for 30 minutes. This is going to kill the white fungus.

4. Rinse the cleaned and boiled gravel under hot water once more. Don’t put it back in the tank just yet. Set it aside in a clean bowl or another tank.

5. Wash your plants, but remember that they’re going to be harder to clean. Therefore, you should use a moist cloth and rub off the white fungus until it is all gone. When you’re done, you can rinse it under the sink’s running water, but don’t put them back in your tank yet.

6. Wipe down the sides of your fish tank. Use a damp cloth and ensure that every corner is clean.

7. Remove the floating fungus from the tank. You might want to use a fish net and was it thoroughly when you’re done.

8. Clean the filter. It’s going to get a buildup of white fungus in it, so make sure you’re not reintroducing white fungus into the clean water.

9. Apply your fungus treatment. Since you’ve removed the white fungus from the tank, you can apply your preferred fungus treatment.

10. It might take 12 hours for it to work. Don’t put the fish or decorations back yet.

11. After the 12-hour period, you can introduce the plants, gravel, and decorations. If you removed the fish, now is the time to put them back.

You shouldn’t do a water change during the cleaning process. This might upset the chemical balance within the tank and could hurt your fish.

Preventing the White Fungus from Coming Back

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the white fungus, you don’t want it to come back again. The best way to do this is to make sure it’s cleaned regularly. This can also include a water change.

Though it’s tempting to overfeed the fish, don’t do it. Anything that’s leftover can rot and cause other problems. Plus, the fungus can use it as food and might start growing again.

Since you know white fungus is possible, wash your tank every 15 to 20 days. This is going to help control the spore’s growth.

When you make a habit of cleaning your tank, it takes less time to do. There’s less effort involved because the mess doesn’t get to be so bad. This is also going to help the fish stay healthy.

As you clean the tank, check pH levels, temperatures, and other factors that could cause mold growth. When your fish live in a hygienic place, they’re going to be healthier and happier.

Driftwood and White Fungus

The white fungus can grow on driftwood and isn’t harmful to the fish. However, you still need to treat the fungus so that it doesn’t spread and becomes a hazard.

Conclusion

You want your fish tank to look great so that you can enjoy the water environment you’ve created. Plus, you want the fish to be healthy, and white fungus can kill them.

These tips are going to help you remove the fungus from the tank. We also explain how to keep it from coming back. That way, you can enjoy your fish and keep them healthy.

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