# Mopani wood: need to bake?



## Kaity (Sep 18, 2010)

I bought some Moponi wood from Petco to use in my terrarium. It has been sitting in a temporary plant terrarium for a month and has a coating of yellowish mold on the underside that was in contact with the bottom. Do I need to boil/bake this wood? Or can i just put it in the viv and let the springtails eat it?


----------



## BR5 (Dec 7, 2009)

Not sure about the yellow mold, but have used several pieces of mopani. Usually I boil it before placing in viv. and have had it develop a fuzzy white mold, but it seemed to disappear with in a week or so. Why not add some springtais to your temporary plant terrarium and see if they consume it?
hope this helps
Brian


----------



## verybadcow (Aug 6, 2010)

The mold is completely normal and safe. Every piece of wood I have used, Mopani, Ghost and even grape do this to some extent. It'll eventually go away and if you have springs even faster. I have some in one of my tanks that has been there for about 4 months.
You could also spray it with water on a regular basis and that'll for sure help get rid of it faster.


----------



## Kaity (Sep 18, 2010)

will the springs get to the part with the mold on it even if the mold is about 6 inches from the substrate floor? will they crawl up the log to get there?


----------



## afterdark (Jan 16, 2007)

Springs will be all over your tank. They will definitely climb the wood. 

That said, since the wood came from Petco I would still give it a quick bake or boil just to be safe - but I'm paranoid. Chances are, it'll grow another nice crop of mold anyway after being in your viv for a week or so.


----------



## Kaity (Sep 18, 2010)

Good to know...it is in the pot boiling now...then i am going to bake it a little for good measure. Thanks everyone!


----------



## verybadcow (Aug 6, 2010)

Yeah boiling and baking it is pretty much the only thing you can do, although you can never really sterilize wood 100% i've never had a problem doing it that way.


----------



## Venomos (Jun 26, 2009)

verybadcow said:


> Yeah boiling and baking it is pretty much the only thing you can do, although you can never really sterilize wood 100% i've never had a problem doing it that way.


+1

I have bought some pieces that will state they were pre-baked and cooked. But I still do my own to be on the safe side!


----------



## TapDart91 (Jul 7, 2014)

I am also useing Moponi wood in my dart tank. I Boiled it when I first got it home and still it has a thin strip of white and green mold on one side of it. Should i soak it with water every misting to try clearing it up? Where can i get Orange isos and springtales fir cheap. Thank you.


----------



## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I've never boiled woods purchased in the store. I make sure of course that they are of safe source, never used in a viv or fish tank and that they are clean. Mold is common: I spray it over some water and I put a lot of springtails in the viv.


----------



## Jeremy M (Oct 19, 2012)

verybadcow said:


> You could also spray it with water on a regular basis and that'll for sure help get rid of it faster.


I don't follow. How would water make mold go away? Wouldn't it just grow faster because it's in a moister, more humid environment?


----------

