# White fur on Mopani Wood



## Naturian (Nov 17, 2009)

I'm just starting a new vivarium in 10g. tank, I added eggcrate as a false bottom for drainage and then a layer of gravel and stones and some coco-husk. On top of that I added java moss and some plants with an exo-terra medium waterfall with a fogger.

I found the perfect log for the vivarium it twists exactly where I needed but this morning I found that it's full of white fur and some green spots which I definitely suspect it's mould. 

I still have no frogs in there, I want to let it stabilize for a month at least before adding anything else. 

I want to know if after a while it goes away or if it's harmful to frogs.

Thanks,


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

If it's Mopani (not grapewood!) it should go away. Mold cycling is 100% normal when first building a healthy vivarium.  It is not harmful to the frogs - but of course it's better to wait awhile before adding them to the viv. We usually let a viv cycle for about a month before adding the PDFs.


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## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

In my 75G tank, I have two large pieces of Mopani. I soaked one piece in hot water, and changed the water several times over two days prior to utilizing it in the vivarium (this piece was going partly into the water feature). The other piece I rinsed once and then placed in the vivarium. The piece of wood that was soaked thoroughly (started with approx. 200 F water) only had a single mold "bloom" shortly after the vivarium was completed. The other piece has had mold in cycles for almost 3 years (sometimes I see "white fuzzies", other times I have mushrooms).... It's never affected the frogs or the other plants, so I don't worry too much about it. 
Anyway, it is all perfectly natural and harmless (I panicked at first too).


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## Naturian (Nov 17, 2009)

Thank you all for the advice!


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