# Some weird mold. Please help



## Stugy (May 22, 2017)

Don't really know where to put this thread so I put it here. This fungus or mold (or same thing?) has been growing out of nowhere in some of my enclosures and I don't know how I can possibly kill it since I've never seen such ugly stuff. Has anyone seen this and how to get rid of it? Even springtails refuse to eat it.


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## schmiggle (May 22, 2017)

I'd just replace the whole substrate. That looks like mold, and it looks very well established.

All molds are fungi, not all fungi are molds, and molds themselves are a scientifically meaningless group.


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## The Snark (May 22, 2017)

Welcome to the world of the detritus layer. And trying to keep it from happening in your habitat. Looks like one of numerous common fungi that prefer woody materials.
Always keep in mind, the fungi you usually see is just the 'fruit'. The actual organism typically covers a far more extensive area. (Ex: 'Honey fungus, So. Cal. Extends over 15 to 20 miles underground.)

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## bigscarab10 (May 23, 2017)

im kinda a noob but it looks like mycellium though @thesnark correct me if im wrong. though i am not quite sure how to control it


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## The Snark (May 23, 2017)

bigscarab10 said:


> im kinda a noob but it looks like mycellium though @thesnark correct me if im wrong. though i am not quite sure how to control it


The rough rule with fungi is you cannot control or eradicate it. There are fungi that can withstand direct exposure to UV indefinitely, spores that can survive over 220 degrees F, fungi that can attack and break down antiseptics, herbicides, pesticides, and even uranium oxide. Hostile environments to the fungi is the only certain method of control. IE, start over with clean, perhaps baked substrate and avoid excessive moisture as example.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Stugy (May 23, 2017)

The Snark said:


> The rough rule with fungi is you cannot control or eradicate it. There are fungi that can withstand direct exposure to UV indefinitely, spores that can survive over 220 degrees F, fungi that can attack and break down antiseptics, herbicides, pesticides, and even uranium oxide. Hostile environments to the fungi is the only certain method of control. IE, start over with clean, perhaps baked substrate and avoid excessive moisture as example.


How should I bake substrate? I primarily use coco fiber.


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## mconnachan (May 23, 2017)

Replace all the enclosures with fresh coco fiber, it's the only thing you can do as the spores have become well developed, whenever you use items from an unknown source (collected from wild) you should always bake it at 200c for 30mins or zap it in the microwave, I tend to use the microwave for small pieces of cork bark etc. The oven for larger pieces, after they've been well washed in the shower, mould is a killer so you need to do this immediately.......


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## mconnachan (May 23, 2017)

See above..........


Stugy said:


> How should I bake substrate? I primarily use coco fiber.


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## Stugy (May 23, 2017)

mconnachan said:


> Replace all the enclosures with fresh coco fiber, it's the only thing you can do as the spores have become well developed, whenever you use items from an unknown source (collected from wild) you should always bake it at 200c for 30mins or zap it in the microwave, I tend to use the microwave for small pieces of cork bark etc. The oven for larger pieces, after they've been well washed in the shower, mould is a killer so you need to do this immediately.......


Heheh the thing is, that mold is growing primarily in the enclosures that only use coco fiber lol. But I'll do what you said when I get home. What should I do if there are small organisms that are not native? Do I just bug spray 'em? One of the deli-cups with the mold has Sinella curviseta (springtails and not sure if they are native so I don't want to throw them away)


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## schmiggle (May 23, 2017)

Stugy said:


> Heheh the thing is, that mold is growing primarily in the enclosures that only use coco fiber lol. But I'll do what you said when I get home. What should I do if there are small organisms that are not native? Do I just bug spray 'em? One of the deli-cups with the mold has Sinella curviseta (springtails and not sure if they are native so I don't want to throw them away)


Bugguide says they're native to all of North America, so you should be fine. 

By the way, with regards to which enclosures it's in: it's often easier for one aggressive microbe to take over in sterilized substrate, which I bet the coco fiber is. How new is it?


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## Stugy (May 23, 2017)

schmiggle said:


> Bugguide says they're native to all of North America, so you should be fine.
> 
> By the way, with regards to which enclosures it's in: it's often easier for one aggressive microbe to take over in sterilized substrate, which I bet the coco fiber is. How new is it?


Few months old. Kinda funny because my super old coco fiber hadn't started molding yet xD all this mold is from my new substrate


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## Stugy (Nov 6, 2017)

The damn stuff is back again. Well it’s always back and I have to spot-clean it. I’m starting to worry a lot because this mold ALWAYS comes up in my enclosures that have coco fiber. It’s terrible. I can’t keep replacing substrate as that will be much too expensive at this point. There is basically no way I can avoid this stuff. I might have to try using a new kind of substrate as I’m tired of seeing this ugly mold ruin my enclosures.


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## The Snark (Nov 6, 2017)

I made the mistake a while back of buying a 'Shoe Keeper'. A nifty little cabinet with a padded seat on top and an area underneath to put your shoes that had a little door. One week of putting our shoes in it and it was solid white molds and fungi. Never been able to use it since.

Made the mistake this rainy season of leaving my shoes on when I had to run back in the house to grab something I forgot. Every door in the house, (bare wood) was speckled with white mold dots within a week. Weapons of choice in this battle: Dettol bathroom mold killer-disinfectant, a powerful hair dryer (cook woody stuff until it almost chars) and the desperation maneuver, a propane torch.


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## Galapoheros (Nov 7, 2017)

I don't worry about mold in terrariums, I get what looks like the same species in the coco fiber over here and I just let it grow and die out.  Using my own head I asked myself, "What's so bad about this mold, all inverts we keep live and deal with it all the time in the wild, might even prefer being around it, millipedes eat some species, leave other sps. alone, it's really not a problem imo.  I think most of us have a bias about it from being kids and hearing our parents say, "eeewwwww, there's mold on this food in the refrigerator, gross!"  Molds probably even help break down waste in the substrate, I consider it a good thing actually but like I said, it could be a sign that what it's growing on, like a dead cricket, needs to be found and thrown out.  What you see in your terr might be what the yellow mushrooms finally grows from as it matures.  I used to get those yellow mushrooms and I just let them grow, I don't see them anymore though, no buggy probs with it.


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## Stugy (Nov 7, 2017)

Galapoheros said:


> I don't worry about mold in terrariums, I get what looks like the same species in the coco fiber over here and I just let it grow and die out.  Using my own head I asked myself, "What's so bad about this mold, all inverts we keep live and deal with it all the time in the wild, might even prefer being around it, millipedes eat some species, leave other sps. alone, it's really not a problem imo.  I think most of us have a bias about it from being kids and hearing our parents say, "eeewwwww, there's mold on this food in the refrigerator, gross!"  Molds probably even help break down waste in the substrate, I consider it a good thing actually but like I said, it could be a sign that what it's growing on, like a dead cricket, needs to be found and thrown out.  What you see in your terr might be what the yellow mushrooms finally grows from as it matures.  I used to get those yellow mushrooms and I just let them grow, I don't see them anymore though, no buggy probs with it.


This stuff won’t refuses to die. I’ve had containers with nothing but coco fiber and the mold (after the mold happened to kill anything in there, including mites) and the mold stays alive for months. I still have one of the original containers somewhere (was testing out how long the stuff will live) and the mold is thriving. Absolutely indestructible. Like I’ve said before, even my springtails and isopods refused to eat it. It survives without any water for god knows how long. Plus it’s hideous to look at.


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## The Snark (Nov 8, 2017)

Stugy said:


> This stuff won’t refuses to die. I’ve had containers with nothing but coco fiber and the mold (after the mold happened to kill anything in there, including mites) and the mold stays alive for months.


Yup. It's not just the mold but the spores. Spores seem to tolerate dry heat >300F. And they are everywhere. Every inch or your house looking for woody material to thrive on/in.


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