# It is killing my miniature orchids



## Bengt (Aug 27, 2014)

Hey,

I am about to build a new Vivarium because a parasite(?) is killing all my plants. And I wonder how I can get rid of this thing when I move my orchid's to the new terrarium. 

I have very good ventilation and the orchids/plants are never longer than 15min wet. There are very delicate orchids in my vivarium and they aren't doing well after they got infested by this thing.

Thanks for any help!









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## Johanovich (Jan 23, 2017)

Not easy to distinguish from the pictures, but it looks like either a species of rust fungus, or algae.

Fungus can be treated relatively easily, algae will pop up again after a while if conditions are suitable for them. Are there animals in the vivaria?


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## Bengt (Aug 27, 2014)

Johanovich said:


> Are there animals in the vivaria?


 yes, 6 dendrobates auratus. If I touch the "fungus" its like a dry powder not like algae.



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## Johanovich (Jan 23, 2017)

Bengt said:


> yes, 6 dendrobates auratus. If I touch the "fungus" its like a dry powder not like algae.
> 
> 
> 
> Gesendet von meinem SM-G960F mit Tapatalk


Sounds more like a rust fungus then. Problem is you can't treat when your frogs are around the plants. Rusts also spread very easily to other plants and may not always be visible on the outside.

Maybe see if it's possible to keep your frogs temporarily in another setup and then treat the plants. Main problem then would be your CUC maybe absorbing some of the treatment.


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## Bengt (Aug 27, 2014)

Johanovich said:


> Sounds more like a rust fungus then. Problem is you can't treat when your frogs are around the plants. Rusts also spread very easily to other plants and may not always be visible on the outside.
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe see if it's possible to keep your frogs temporarily in another setup and then treat the plants. Main problem then would be your CUC maybe absorbing some of the treatment.


Thanks for your help! 
I am about to build a new Vivarium and I dont want to get any of this fungus in the new one if I move the plant's. Therefore the frog wont come in contact with the treatment.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

It's probably a rust fungi. I have several mycologist colleagues who do a lot of work with them, being important pathogens of crops. Here's the thing: rust have an extremely complex life cycle with up to 5 spore stages and two plant hosts. There's it's Achilles Heel: Two plant hosts for a complete life cycle, remove either and the fungus is dead. It's hard to achieve in a field, but in a vivarium, maybe not so difficult. Ferns are classic hosts of one life stage (don't ask me to summarize a rust life-cycle- it's super complex- that's what Plant pathologists are for).
Remove either the primary or secondary host and you foil it's reproduction. Ferns are common hosts, so we know one of them. The secondary host may support a life form that appears completely different than the dusty rust. it may be microscopic as well. Try removing all ferns and treating them topically. Once they seem clear don't put them in a viv with ANY of the plants you have now. We don't know who host 2 is, so be safe. Use plants from a new source to cohabit with your ferns, preferably of different genera. Alternately, make the fern a house plant. I'm no expert, but I know about the rusts superficially. Here's a write up from one of my friends (I assume it's her because she's the chief of Plant pathology at Purdue, and wickedly smart- and the top reference in this article)
https://ag.purdue.edu/btny/Herbaria/Pages/Arthur Herbarium/The-Rust-Fungi.aspx


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