Spores on a root?

[Hoxter]

I placed an azalea root in my GBB enclosure and after some time I noticed white-ish spores on it. It's the first time it happens to me and I'm not sure what they are. Are they harmful?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

No.

 

[Hoxter]

So it's fine to keep it inside? I don't want it to cause any kind of mold outbreak later on

 

[Chris LXXIX]

So it's fine to keep it inside? I don't want it to cause any kind of mold outbreak later on

Speaking in general, at 360°, if you ask me it's better (always) to put inside fake leaves/plants and then live a comfy life

 

[Hoxter]

Speaking in general, at 360°, if you ask me it's better (always) to put inside fake leaves/plants and then live a comfy life

This is what I always do, apparently roots just don't like me. Should've sticked to 100% fake stuff. I'll have to find something to place instead of that, enclosure feels so empty right now.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

So it's fine to keep it inside? I don't want it to cause any kind of mold outbreak later on

Mould is harmless

 

[Feral]

In aquatics, azalea wood is notorious for developing a crazy-looking white cloud of biofilm that looks like underwater fungus. Springs up just as quick, too! It's kinda scary looking. But it's totally harmless and pretty interesting and many aquatic creatures love to nom it. I wonder if azalea's propensity for that in aquariums has anything to do with how prone it is to mold terrestrially. Hmmm.
But yeah, other people already answered your mold questions nicely. All I can add is if you don't like the look of the mold there are other options that seem more resistant. AND... Most importantly though, I'd def say to increase your ventilation and keep things dryer, I don't think a GBB enclosure should be wet enough to be getting mold!

 

[JPG]

I had same colored spores + other species on my mopani wood after rinsing it, so I decided to take action to be on safe side. I wiped it down, rinsed with water and scrubbed with those barrel cleaning tooth brush. Mixed baking soda and water, sprayed and scrubbed again. Rinse again, and sprayed more soda water to leave it on while drying. I,ve dried it for almost a week and the spores hasn't reappeared. Gonna leave it out few more days and brush again but dry to scrub off any baking soda remaining. A lot of work but this should keep those spores away, hopefully. (I'm just experimenting this, do it on your own risk)

On the bottom note though, they shouldn't be harmful

 

[Hoxter]

In aquatics, azalea wood is notorious for developing a crazy-looking white cloud of biofilm that looks like underwater fungus. Springs up just as quick, too! It's kinda scary looking. But it's totally harmless and pretty interesting and many aquatic creatures love to nom it. I wonder if azalea's propensity for that in aquariums has anything to do with how prone it is to mold terrestrially. Hmmm.
But yeah, other people already answered your mold questions nicely. All I can add is if you don't like the look of the mold there are other options that seem more resistant. AND... Most importantly though, I'd def say to increase your ventilation and keep things dryer, I don't think a GBB enclosure should be wet enough to be getting mold!

That's very interesting, I had no idea azalea roots are so prone to growing mold. This enclosure has tons of ventilation so humidity isn't even a bit high, substrate might still hold
a bit of moisture inside but it's drying very quick.

@JPG I'll try that out when have chance and more space. For now I guess I'll stick to fake stuff. Mold might not be harmful but I don't want it inside of my enclosures.

 

[Feral]

To be clear, the stuff it gets underwater isn't mold/fungus, it's biofilm. I don't know it I made that clear enough. And I was just wondering how it might relate to terrestrial mold growth, not definitively saying there's any cooralation.

Clarification, clarification, clarification. lol