Is it mold?

seckardt

Arachnopeon
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Jun 9, 2013
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So i built this enclosure from scartch for my Avic avic, its been around 2 weeks since i moved her to the new enclosure and just today i notices the whitish/greenish spots on the backdrop. Can anyone tell me if it is mold? and if so is it going to kill my T? how do i fix it?
here some pics of the enclosure 20140327_173022.jpg 20140327_173040.jpg 20140327_173035.jpg 20140327_173016.jpg 20140327_173002.jpg
 

MarkmD

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On the last pic i can only see a small amount to the other pics. It does look like mold (not a mold expert) but you could clean your enclosure and put more air holes in, that said your enclosure doesn't look bad could be the substrate or how much water is in it? looks saturated.
 

Blut und ehre

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You shouldn't be keeping that moist to grow mold ....Avics do not survive constant moisture.
 

seckardt

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i spray every other day. perfect ill bust out the dremel tool and drill more holes. thanks
 

shebeen

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i spray every other day. perfect ill bust out the dremel tool and drill more holes. thanks
I think your ventilation is fine, just stop saturating the substrate. A large water dish will provide all the humidity you need.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
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Looks like lichen.
 
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catfishrod69

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I agree with Lichen, its hard to scrub all of that stuff off. But bark looks good with lichen on it.
 

viper69

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Mold comes in every color imaginable. If that just appeared out of no where, it's more likely mold, than lichen. Hard to tell via that pic. Pretty A avic, much prettier than mine ever was.
 

seckardt

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Mold comes in every color imaginable. If that just appeared out of no where, it's more likely mold, than lichen. Hard to tell via that pic. Pretty A avic, much prettier than mine ever was.
how do i tell one from the other?
 

catfishrod69

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Lichen looks more like flaky green paper, and mold is fuzzy and not shaped like flakes. Im pretty positive that is just Lichen.
 

viper69

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how do i tell one from the other?
Mold just slides off w/your finger and remains on your finger too. It has the consistency of baby powder. Lichen that I'm familiar with is quite stiff, like dried leaves. They don't look anything a like to me, but from your pic I can't tell.
 

The Snark

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how do i tell one from the other?
Lichen is fungus and a photosynthetic plant combined in symbiosis. Normally harmless. Lichen is in the top 10 of the worlds most hardy organisms, being one of only 3 'plants' that grow in Antarctica. Getting rid of. Repeated applications of a powerful fungicide followed by heat around 350F for a half hour to an hour to kill the spores should do it.
The stuff in the picture looks like 'fern leaf lichen', named by the shape it often assumes as it spreads,
 

ratluvr76

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Lichen is fungus and a photosynthetic plant combined in symbiosis. Normally harmless. Lichen is in the top 10 of the worlds most hardy organisms, being one of only 3 'plants' that grow in Antarctica. Getting rid of. Repeated applications of a powerful fungicide followed by heat around 350F for a half hour to an hour to kill the spores should do it.
The stuff in the picture looks like 'fern leaf lichen', named by the shape it often assumes as it spreads,
Not to hi-jack this thread but is lichen harmful to spiders? I have some awesome pieces of dead wood with some beautiful lichen all over it. Would it be suitable for my Avic. avics enclosure? It was collected from our pecan trees, pesticide free, disease free.
 

The Snark

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Not to hi-jack this thread but is lichen harmful to spiders? I have some awesome pieces of dead wood with some beautiful lichen all over it. Would it be suitable for my Avic. avics enclosure? It was collected from our pecan trees, pesticide free, disease free.
Some lichens or components in them are EXTREMELY poisonous. Probably a good idea to avoid them as a general rule as I doubt all lichens have been thoroughly analyzed and documented.
Found a quote: "Ulla Kaasalainen from the University of Helsinki has discovered that one in eight species of lichens wield microcystins, a group of poisons that cause liver damage in humans and other animals."

By the way, lichen does not necessarily need moisture or high humidity to grow. Some varieties grow in some of the most arid places in the world as the Siberian and Gobi deserts and Antarctica.
 
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MadMauC

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Jun 19, 2014
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It is mold - I had the same issue last month with a new T setup - if the bark is not glued - best to remove - give it a good scrub under running water - douse with hot boiling water to kill the spores and dry bake in the oven at 120C for good measure.


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