# Please help: getting conflicting opinions on whether this fungus is fine or if I need to gut the tank.



## 129242 (Apr 11, 2021)

View attachment 302343

My tank has been planted for a few months and has had frogs for one month. This fungus started after I added the frogs. I have posted on facebook groups and have been told it is flower pot fungus. Some people say it is fine and others say I need to gut the tank because springtails won't eat it and it will take over everything and kill the plants. I tried to remove the visible fungus but it grows back quite quickly. Please share any opinions or experiences you have.


----------



## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Some past discussions on this very fungus:









Using filter foam as growing media


I have had a vivarium set up for about 3 months using all best practices and ABG soil from Josh’s frogs. I apparently got a bag with the tree fern mold/fungus and I am going to have to tear it out and start over. Given I have heard a lot of issues with ABG purchased in the last 6 months, I am...




www.dendroboard.com













substrate re-use: to sterilize or not?


Me again! Tried searching old posts on the subject but wasn't quite getting what I needed; maybe I wasn't searching effectively. Working through a tank re-do. The tank in question (animal-free, before and going forward) has had periodic mushrooms popping-out of the substrate-filled cork rounds...




www.dendroboard.com













Is this harmful?


Hey all, I've noticed that these little yellow ball-type things have started popping up everywhere in my ABG substrate. Does anybody know if it's a threat? I don't have any frogs in the viv right now, just springtails. Thanks in advance for the help!




www.dendroboard.com





FWIW, there's no reason to believe that a complete teardown will eliminate the fungus, since it is as I understand a ubiquitous species. It'll likely grow wherever it finds conditions suitable.


----------



## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

So this is _Leucocoprinus birnbaumiis_? I've seen several photos of this popping up in vivs over the years. Never read any mention of it killing plants. It often comes up in potted plants and never heard of it harming plants there, either.


----------



## Harpspiel (Jan 18, 2015)

Socratic Monologue said:


> FWIW, there's no reason to believe that a complete teardown will eliminate the fungus, since it is as I understand a ubiquitous species. It'll likely grow wherever it finds conditions suitable.


I recently had a discussion with someone on FB who was dealing with an unwanted fungus similar to this, and had completely torn down a tank, baked the substrate, etc. but it came back. I asked if there was any air exchange between that tank and other tanks she had pics of - she said no. The tank was an Exo Terra so I asked about the vents on the tank, and she didn't think having ventilation in the tank would allow fungal spores to carry from one tank to another. But I agree, this seems ubiquitous, or at least a very widespread genus/family.



hydrophyte said:


> So this is _Leucocoprinus birnbaumiis_? I've seen several photos of this popping up in vivs over the years. Never read any mention of it killing plants. It often comes up in potted plants and never heard of it harming plants there, either.


Orchid growers get really worried over something they call "snow mold" that pops up with potted orchids in bark mixes. It's theoretically a species of Ptychogaster but usually is identified by little white balls in the potting mix that look very much like that pic, and theoretically it can suffocate orchid roots. I wonder if the reason mold/fungus is harmful to epiphytic orchids is because "potted in bark mix" really isn't a natural growing condition for them, its purpose is to increase ambient humidity around the roots, but while increasing humidity it also greatly reduces airflow compared to their native environments and therefore makes the roots really prone to rot and fungal infections. Comparatively, terrestrial plants have roots that are adapted to moisture, fungus, lack of air flow, etc.

Anyway, I also have some sort of little white ball fungus in clusters in all my tanks, and occasionally yellow mushrooms (so it's probably Leucocoprinus), and I haven't noticed any negatives.


----------



## Eurydactylodes (Sep 7, 2021)

NorthernDart4 said:


> View attachment 302343
> 
> My tank has been planted for a few months and has had frogs for one month. This fungus started after I added the frogs. I have posted on facebook groups and have been told it is flower pot fungus. Some people say it is fine and others say I need to gut the tank because springtails won't eat it and it will take over everything and kill the plants. I tried to remove the visible fungus but it grows back quite quickly. Please share any opinions or experiences you have.


Should be fine. I have had the fungus in lots of tanks, and it never does anything Bad. I am not an expert on fungi, but I have never had issues concerning them in vivariums. It should die back in time, or continue to establish itself, forming a nice network that will provide food for microfauna. I would leave it there. It is a sign of a healthy ecosystem


----------



## 129242 (Apr 11, 2021)

I have noticed some growth onto wood pieces and the background that are above the soil. I just hope it does not overtake everything.


----------

