Mld Mold Mold

[Justdragons]

Hey guys,

I have some mold growing on the timber items in my water dragon tank on things that are getting wet regularly. coir pete substrate and logs and branches.. Mold is white with a bluey patch or two and looks nasty.. do you think that it poses a health risk to my water drasgons at all? There is good ventalation and humidity is between 35 - 88 max and min.

Since this photo it has gotten worse??
Thanks JD,

 

[Gonemad]

JD is it mold or just the rotting of your wood been damp.

 

[Justdragons]

Im not to sure, i just changed the water tub to a bigger one a week ago and then a few days later this started.. spewin.. i can get better photos of it when i get home if that helps.. ??

 

[cools2036]

Timber needs a waterproof sealant mate. Mould grows from the bacteria in the porous surfaces of the timber.
Just a few coats of sealant will stop this

 

[Justdragons]

Your a legend. Cheers


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[JasonL]

Peat + Water = Bacteria paradise

 

[Bluetongue1]

Mould is a form of fungi. Fungi are an important group of decomposers in nature, helping to recycle the matter in dead plants and animal bodies back into the soil. So anything that has lived in or under a rotting log or even decaying leaf litter, has been in close contact with it. While bacteria are also extremely important as decomposers they not effective at breaking down wood as they cannot breakdown the lignin. So your problem is purely fungal.

What you can see on the surface is the fruiting body of the fungus – the part that produces and gives off spores. The body of the fungus consists of a network of fibres (called hyphae) slowly growing down through the wood, dissolving and eating it as they grow. The lignin, that would normally provide the strength in wood, is removed and used as food. This is why rotten wood losses its structural integrity.

If you have adequate ventilation, development of fungal rot from air borne spores is highly unlikely. However, if the fungal body was already present when you first collected the timber then, it takes very little moisture to kick it of again. The spores being given off in an enclosed space are probably more of a risk to you than your reptiles. However, fungi can also give off toxic gases – myco-toxins. With adequate ventilation these do not represent a real threat. Given the sum total of effects – weakened wood furnishings, unsightly growth on them, spore production and musty, unhealthy smell (depending on ventilation), I would aim to get rid of it.

Ditch everything organic and start again. Wash the enclosure and non-organic furnishings thoroughly using 80% or pure vinegar. This is more effective at killing fungi than bleach is. You can use bleach as well, afterwards, if you really want but it is not necessary. And follow he advice already given.

Blue

 

[Justdragons]

Cheers blue. That's sad because I have some really really nice stuff in there. Oh we'll you live you learn. Ill get on it tonight. Thanks for the insight guys dang messy water dragons.


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[Bluetongue1]

You can try killing the mould using an anti-fungal chemical. I am out of touch with what is most effective. I used to use Benolate on my plants for controlling damping off (a fungal disease) and it was extremely effective. It has since been discovered that contact with it, over time, can cause nasty diseases. With a bit of care, that will not be an issue. You would need to add a bit of detergent to the mix to make if fully dissolve and allow it to soak into the wood. A couple of days of soaking in the fungicide solution, then a couple soaking in an 80% vinegar solution, followed by a couple of days in plain water, then thoroughly sun dry, should do the trick. This is why I suggested it would be easier to replace the lot. But I do understand about those special bits of wood that have just the right shape, dimensions and character. It is almost the same feeling as getting a new herp when you find one.

Blue

 

[Justdragons]

lol Couldnt have said it better myself blue, i can chuck the branches but the 1m long hollow trunk is a keeper. cheers for the advice.

just interested to know what is a more mold resistant substrate good for EWD, there is no stopping them going back and forwads to the water then their perch... there will always be constant splashing... would bark chips be better or will it, because being timber keep rotting?

 

[cools2036]

lol Couldnt have said it better myself blue, i can chuck the branches but the 1m long hollow trunk is a keeper. cheers for the advice.

just interested to know what is a more mold resistant substrate good for EWD, there is no stopping them going back and forwads to the water then their perch... there will always be constant splashing... would bark chips be better or will it, because being timber keep rotting?

Use a medium grade coconut husk like critter crumble, it mould resistant and can be ingested by the Reps without harm. Good stuff

 

[Justdragons]

ok that sounds good, I might have a look at that stuff.

 

[crocodile_dan]

Not sure on the space available for your set up but if you sat the water tub inside a larger tub to act as a "splash barrier" and fill the second tub with pebbles (too large to be ingested) it would catch some/most of the displaced water (but not all) and help to reduce damp substrate. It may increase the amount of time/effort to perform some regular maintenance task but just an idea.

Being a glass tank you could possibly silicone a glass divider in to act the same way as a splash barrier, again could inhibit maintenance aspects such as speed of cleaning.

Creating a false bottom may also help drain some of the water away from the substrate, however it would remain humid. Reducing the depth of the substrate only in the area prone to becoming saturated would allow it to dry out faster.

Depending on how bad the fungal problem is you could still cut the affected areas off your branches and then treat the useable wood pieces as above mentioned if necessary.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Where there is an on-going concern with mould developing due to exposure to moisture, the best solution is use of an inorganic substrate. So something like coarse grade aquarium pebbles, hydroponic clay pebbles, lateritic pea gravel or other forms of pea gravel. Sizeable particles of substrate are unlikely to be ingested. My personal opinion is the whole impaction issue due to ingesting substrate is highly over rated. I reckon you would have to be dead unlucky to get a reptile that ingests substrate with what it eats and ends up with an impacted bowel. The majority in nature eat on a soil or sand base and manage to survive OK. ( I’d reckon those that don’t are selected against by natural selection.)

Blue

 

[caliherp]

Blue I don't want to derail the thread but I strongly agree with you about impaction. Almost all of my reptiles have got substrate In there mouths some way or another and I have never had an impaction. I feel with proper heat and hydration reptiles can easily pass smaller amounts of most types of substrate. To get back on track, when I build an enclosure I let it run for two to three months without an inhabitant. Mold will usually grow on the wood but go away after two months. I'm sure mold can cause a magnitude of health problems in reptiles as it does in humans. Manzanita wood I have found is one of the most mold resistant woods I have ever used. Grape wood is the worst with molding.