Zombie Sphagnum or Algae?

[Chronos]

Just curious if i have a zombie infestation of sphagnum, or, of this is algae. and IF it is algae, is this going to be a problem? I am using a nepenthes potting mix from California Carnivores.

I got these little guys from the Czech Republic. They almost died on me after shipping but seem to be recovering in this enviornment.

Growth is done indoors, in a 10 gallon aquarium, with a LED grow light. This is approx 10 days between image 1 to image 2

ALso i see something growing in image 2. Not sure what that is?

Before

After

 

[SerMuncherIV]

It's algae. You should always sterilize your media before use, particularly with tiny fresh arrivals from TC.

 

[NemJones]

Never once had a problem with algae. It always slowly creeps in
On my seed pots or chilean sphagnum, but it seems to do nothing more than turn
Green. i usually mark this as the halfway point to moss beginning to germinate.

 

[SerMuncherIV]

I just really hate the slimy feel. Reminds me of Jell-O...

 

[Knuckles]

Never once had a problem with algae. It always slowly creeps in
On my seed pots or chilean sphagnum, but it seems to do nothing more than turn
Green. i usually mark this as the halfway point to moss beginning to germinate.

+1

 

[NemJones]

I have a few saltwater aquariums so Im used to that weird slimey feeling,
Although im never petting the sphagnum..

 

[Zath]

I've had algae grow in many pots, and while the algae itself never seems to harm the plants, from observation I do have to believe it contributes to faster decay of the media, causing you to have to re-pot sooner, or risk growing your plants in stranded sludge. Usually low (fresh) air-flow is the culprit for me, though nearly every pot I've ever added ferts to has grown algae regardless. No idea how to combat it other than exposing it to direct sunlight and fresh air.

 

[DragonsEye]

No idea how to combat it other than exposing it to direct sunlight and fresh air.

RD-20 or Physan (same thing just different names), will kill off the algae BUT it will also kill off moss.

 

[Chronos]

Ok. So for the short term (next 6 months) this will probably be more of a visual annoyance than anything else? The Nepenthes were in good shape when i got them in, but their health quickly deteriorated. this is a known to be a tricky species, Nepenthes vieillardii. But since i put them in in thier current condition they are all recovering and growing the cutest tiny pitchers. The plants themselves are about 3cm across.

Ill leave them in there for now, i have been tracking thier growth pretty quickly. I wonder if the algae may have come in from some spores in the 10 gallon aquarium they are in.

I still have most of the potting mix. What is the best way to sterilize?.... im thinking maybe throw all of it in a pressure cooker for an hour or two?

Thank you all for the replies!

 

[SerMuncherIV]

A microwave is suitable, no pressure cooker needed. Although I guess that would be kinda fun...

 

[w03]

One note about sterilization is that it doesn't guarantee no nasties will pop up, even in the short term. Since you've killed everything off in the media, any spores and crud that land on it can grow rampantly without competition.

 

[Radagast]

I buy the high quality dried LFS and I ONLY have problems with algae when I use it to pot up plant species that are meant to sit on a water tray. In my conditions (in my unheated, uninsulated, unfinished basement in zone 5 northeastern USA) the humidity is never above 70-80%, so for me it is likely most related to waterlogged conditions and inadequate drainage.

Whenever I see algae beginning to creep up on the top layer, I use scissors and clip off the effected strands of LFS and replace it with new pieces of moistened LFS. Sure...It's like putting a bandaid on something that needs stitches but at least it improves the aesthetics.