Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've had my tank up and running for nearly 4 years now, and I've got a piece of mopani wood in there with an anubia attached - it's been in since the setup. Recently, I've noticed the top of the wood has started to bleach. I'm not sure what's causing it, but I've got a sick fish at the moment, and I'm worried it might be some kind of bacterial issue that's affecting both the wood and the fish.

Has anyone else had this problem? On a side note, please bear with the state of my plants - I've been without co2 for a couple of weeks and I'm still on the hunt for a new fire extinguisher, so I've got a bit of an algae issue going on and the plants aren't looking their best at the moment.

I've had a couple of bits of mopani do that, to be honest I've never really given it much thought but it's clear it's got you worried with a sick fish.

I've never really looked into why it happens, but I can see why you'd be concerned about a connection with your fish's illness.

Does the bleached area have a silvery colour to it? If so, it's possible that it's just a trapped air bubble around the wood. I've had this happen before, and it's usually not a cause for concern. You might want to try gently moving the wood if you can.

I wouldn't link the mopani wood issue to your sick fish. I've got a substantial amount of mopani in my 180 gallon tank, about 30lbs, and it's been in there for 2 years. The only real downside I've noticed is the tannins still leaching out, which turns my water brown on a weekly basis.

Thanks for the reassurance, I was a bit concerned it might be something more sinister. I've had the mopani wood in for years and it still gives off a bit of colour, turns the water a slightly yellow hue when I'm doing water changes, but it's not a big deal for me.

Stellal, the colour's not silvery, just a bit faded, but I'll keep that in mind for future reference.

I agree with medic23, I don't think there's a connection between the wood and my sick fish either, but it was worth checking out.

Thanks again for all your help, it's much appreciated!