# white dots



## Guest (Jan 6, 2006)

i just pruned away some of the creeping fig in my tank, and i noticed a huge amount of tiny white dots on the background (which is tree fern if it matters). you know that candy snowcaps? with all the little white sprinkles on it? it looks like that, only smaller. i tried to take a pic, but it just wouldn't show up because they are so tiny. eggs of some tiny creature? spores from some fungus? anyone know? i've noticed them also on my ghost wood near the background where a large portion of them are. This is the best pic I could take:


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## back2eight (Dec 19, 2005)

I have had these spots, too, and posted this same question. the best conclusion as to what it may be was wither eggs of some sort of scale insect, or fungus. I haven't seen any insects except for some gnats, and I have only found the dots on one type of plant in my viv. I still really don't know what they are, but so far hasn't harmed anything.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2006)

cody says it's probably white mold. any input?


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

Your alive!!!!!! Guess what I type without looking now hahah.


sny way it could just be mold or the starts of some shrooms I occasionally get little white dots on coco huts and the next week have a little field of shrooms on the huts.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2006)

Wow MJ! I'm so proud of you! And yes, I am alive =P


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2006)

back2eigh,

There's a big difference, IMHO on stating having white spots on plants (assumption being live plants) and on something dead, such as fern panel or ghost wood. The latter easily could have spores that come in with the items and just lay dormant until in the moist environment of the tank. Live insects that fit the bill of "white spots" per se, with some possible exceptions I'm sure, aren't as likely to be attracted to these dead items.

Any live plants with white spots would be suspect of insect attack first for me in most cases, esp. when a comment of dripping goo or the like onto a frog is also stated.

As I said, many insects do not move at a rate that can be observered by the human eye. Notably scale and mealy bugs.

Scale often can move out of the soil as crawlers. The crawlers will be soft and when scraped with a finger nail will remove easily and be a bit waxy. The hard shell is mature and/or dead scale with eggs under them. They no longer move. When scraped with the finger nail it will peel much like a scab. It may have a small amount of fluid or be dry with just eggs. Often will leave a small residue behind on the leaf.

mealy bugs will be a little fuzzy, can move very very slowly and when squished may produce a purple color from their fluids although that may be whooly aphids with the purple....it's been awhile since I have done either in this way.

With experience, it will be fairly easy to tell the difference between insects and fungus.
......bonsai :wink:


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