Controlling mold in bioactive tanks?

[Scolipede]

I have a bioactive crested gecko tank that has been in operation for over 6 months. I didn't have any problems with mold until my large bromeliad died off and I started to add grapewood branches, which have been collecting mold very quickly, especially given the levels of humidity needed to maintain a crestie tank. My springtails are eating away at it as fast as they can, but they can only do so much. I've read that just removing the mold and putting the branch back won't fix anything long term, the most luck I've had is with completely soaking the spots with water. In some places this has removed all visible mold completely but it's a different story for other spots. Does anybody else have trouble with mold in their bioactives and if so how do you deal with it??

 

[Sentry]

I am having this same issue, though my first bout with mold was seeing some kind of orange fungus growing on mine and after taking the branch out, soaking it in boiling water, scrubbing it down where the fungus was, and then putting it in the oven at 280 for 25 minutes and letting it cool down, mold grew on it within a day. My springtails are all over it but I think they are outmatched by it. I ended up taking the branch out and putting it in a container. I was actually coming on here to see if anyone else had the same problem and how they dealt with it.

 

[Scolipede]

YEAH the best I've done is just spraying the branches down pretty continuously. Soaking the spots with mold with water seems to work okay, it releases all the spores but it kinda drowns the established mold. I've heard you can also use a vacuums to suck up the spores before they're released but I dont wanna go that far yet

 

[rtbaum]

Option 1: Install a computer fan to promote good air circulation, fungi require free moisture for ~12 hr to become established. Do your primary watering first thing in the morning, allowing the moisture to evaporate during the day.

Option 2: Ditch the grapewood, mold is clearly well established and it is unlikely that a few hours of heat treatment will solve the issue. Grape wood is infamous for decaying in a humid environment. Replace with a nice piece of ghostwood, manzanita, or cork. These woods are denser and resist mold growth more readily.

Option 3: Do both!