IS this good or bad? please advise

[Meis]

Hi all,
I was feeding my geckos crickets when i noticed something white on the substrate i put in on saturday. I am unsure if this is good or bad and would like some advice if I should change my substrate again and if this is harmful to my geckos.

good or bad?

thanks all.

[Andrew Gilpin]

it's mold from the wood that is in there.
Coco fiber generally will not mold significantly on it's own... it needs some type of contamination ( poop, wood decaying etc.)
I would suggest pulling the wood out and cleaning it off. Then go buy a can of spray wood sealant ( shellac, varnish, water treatment etc.) and just spray a couple of coats right along the bottom and maybe an inch or two up the branch. Once it dries, let it air out for a day or two and rinse it off, should be good to go. Even an Oil based paint would be more than sufficient. MOST products are completely safe once they are dry and the fumes are out of the air.

[Meis]

Thanks Andrew I will pull it out now and get it cleaned up and sealed. Is it safe to mix in the mold that is there or should I scoop it all out and toss it?

thanks again for your quick response

[Andrew Gilpin]

I'd get whatever you can get out of there easily and just pitch it, a little bit won't be of any harm once it's mixed in with the rest of it. I've had some pretty serious mold situations over the the past few years ( ventilation learning curve).... that is extremely minor in my opinion and will be easily fixed.

[Salzy]

Andrew makes a good suggestion to seal the chunks of wood with something. That would work well. I don't like to do that myself, as it ends up being more work, and I find it to be good to allow the wood and everything to be natural in there. Andrews tip will definitely preserve the contents of your terrarium much longer though.

Here's another thread about molding. You may be interested in what the folks have to say there as well. http://www.forums.repashy.com/showthread.php?t=8758

[Darkice]

Thats a good idea ill have to try that with my large branches.

[ominously]

How do you work that with branches covered in lichens Andrew? I would think the sealant would kill them.

[Andrew Gilpin]

Originally Posted by ominously

How do you work that with branches covered in lichens Andrew? I would think the sealant would kill them.

just treat an inch or two above where the substrate is likely to come in contact with the branch. It won't seal it completely but it will at least preserve it somewhat and make it not mold.

[nycherper]

Are you using a regular screen top? The mold could also be caused by the lack of air flow in the cage.

[Meis]

yes I have a exo terra 18x18x24