White fungal problem

[Redbulldog]

It has only been 3 days since I set up my terrarium, but I already have some fungus growing on my branch.

I bought the branch at the same pet shop as all of my equipment, and the guy is a real reptile specialist so I assumed that the branch would be OK to use without any pre-treatment.

I am keeping the coconut fibre substrate moist to achieve the 50%-75% humidity needed for my 2 Gargoyle Geckos, but this appears to be having a detrimental affect on the branch.

A friend has suggested that because the Gargoyle Geckos are happy at room temperature, the fact that I have no heat mats means that the moisture is not evaporating enough and causing the damp problem. The daytime temperature in my terrarium is about 22c/72f.

I am very surprised to see fungus in such a short time and naturally I want rid of it as soon as possible as I'm not happy with the Geckos being in a mouldy environment.

Is there a treatment I can apply to the branch to prevent the mould growth and do I need to increase the temperature?

Thanks guys.

[Cloudkicker]

Your best bet is to take the branch out and wash it (just water) then let it soak in really hot water for several hours to help kill off mould spores or just replace the branch all together. You shouldn't use any chemicals whatsoever on the branch as the gargoyle will naturally drink off of it and you don't want him to injest anything harmful. I would increase the temperature to 78F during the day and 75F at night. Hopefully this helps,
-Andrew-

[impy]

u can try bakeing it in the oven for 1hr on broil. that should kill just about anything but it will make your house smell for a while

[Redbulldog]

Hi everyone,

A big thanks for all your advice - I took the branch out and boiled it. I replaced the substrate with fresh to make sure there was no contamination left and everything looks fine now.

Cheers,

Mic.