Mold

Hey folks....

I added a driftwood piece I bought at the pet store to my tank about 2 weeks ago and yesterday noticed some fuzzy grey mold growing on it where it touches the substrate. I use Zoo-Med Forest Floor Cypress Mulch and my RH ranges from 40-85% with the higher RH bump this week due to my snake in shed. It's down to 70% now and usually ranges from 40-65%.

I took the wood out and spritzed the mold with Clorox then baked it at 200 degrees for about 4 hours. The substrate closest to it was thrown away.

Any suggestions, comments, sealant I might want to consider applying to the wood before putting it back in?

Thanks....

OOOOK then - guess it's trial and error this time LOL

Mold is a common problem with wood décor in high-humidity enclosures. My solution was to give up and switch everything over to plastic/PVC.

Beyond cleaning and sanitizing the drift wood, you also should clean the enclosure to remove any spores...since heat and humidity promote mold and bacteria growth, I would recommend a full clean with new substrate and scrub the molded area on the wood under water to remove any spores or particles. Anything that goes into my habitats gets the full treatment before being placed in the enclosure...

You could use wood that is more dense and suitable for wet/humid environments

I too had the same problem when I used driftwood from the pet shop. The stuff grew mold around the bottom where it touched the substrate. I gave up using wood.

I appreciate the input folks. Deep clean coming up this weekend while she feeds in a tub.