# Tiny Tiny mushrooms



## code46n2 (Mar 1, 2009)

I just started a vivarium with the hopes of eventually getting some patricia tincs. I thought it would be best to make sure that the enviroment was stable before really diving in. I've had the set up fpr about 2 months and, initially everything was going fine. However about 9 days ago I started noticing a small amount of mycellium growing just under my bromolaid....I didn't worry about at first. A couple days later I noticed that the mycellium was fruiting in the form of tiny yellow mushrooms, none of them any bigger than the round part of a push pin. I went to a local "exotic pet store" with questions as to what the organism was along with the best way to remove it. The person workingf told me that he wold simply pick the parts of soil with fungal growth out and cover the whole vivarium with an additional inch or so of substrate...

Knowing first hand how fungus reproduces I thought that this would only increase the problem by further spreading the spores about and giving them more soil to feed off of.

So here's my mass of questions:

First and foremost, from your experience/educated guesses, do you think that this fungus is harmful to my future frogs or is it possible that they could simply be a healthy part of the enclosed enviroment?

If this fungus is harmful, would it be possible to remove it without tearing down my work and starting over?

what do you do to prevent such contaminations in your vivariums?

The bromolaid I have has odd formations of white on the leaves, could this be the fungus sporing on my plant or simply the resudue from hard water?

Also, on a completely unrelated issue, I have had some massive issues keeping the tank at a proper temp. What suggestions could you make to remedy that?

I Know this is a lot of questions. So, I apologize for taking up so much of your time. I just want to be as prepared as possible before getting a frog.

Thanks!


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## basshummper (Jan 13, 2008)

don’t worry about it. they are perfectly safe and the fungus will feed any springtails you have in the viv. some of us keepers strive for such things in our vivs, and get quite excited to see a few mushrooms pop up.


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## Christer (Feb 18, 2008)

Mushrooms are as far as I know a sign of a helathy viv. I love it when they pop up 

Those white stains are probably calc/mineral residues from the water you use in your viv. I´ve had them too. If those stains have a fuzzy look about them then check all new growths and especially the base of your plant. There´s a small chance it´s the workings of a Pseudococcus sp. Or it could be spiders too. But my wager is calcium residues.


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## Elf_Ascetic (Jan 31, 2009)

Indeed, Mushrooms/Fungi are no problem.

You asked how to prevent contaminations. You cannot prevent mold from growing, since their spores are everywhere, anytime. If you want to keep your creeper bugs to a minimum, rinse every plant before you plant it, and microwave the substrate. Boil out driftwood, or use the oven. In the end, you'll still have little bugs and worms in your viv. I like to have them, I think a viv is supposed to be a little ecosystem.There are very few little creepers who can form a plague.

Temperature question. You have several options. Try adding some more lights above the tank. If you feel that's already enough, try heating the water with an aquarium termostate or a heatcable with a termostate. If that is not an option or not sufficient, place a heatmat under the substrate. Don't forget a termostate, the last thing you want is to fry your frogs when your out for the weekend. 

Last question: the white residu. This is probably due the calcium in the water. If you really want to get rid of it, use osmosiswater or any other kind of demineralised water.


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

I would love to have tiny little mushrooms like that grow up in my viv when it goes through the cycle  Very lucky!


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

springtails will devour mycellium as well as fruiting bodies, not to mention give a good snack to your frogs. but as others have said, its perfectly fine to have fungi in the tanks.


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