What is this interesting net?

[Ömer Karaahmet]

I set up a nano aquarium and started seeing tiny snails even though the plants were all sterile. Then Monte Carlo began to turn yellow and melt, Eleocharis sp. 'Mini' yellowed and Riccardia Moss melted. I had to remove all the plants from the aquarium and throw them away. I decided to reinstall it with the dry start method. I glued Riccardia Moss and Bucephalandra. After 3-4 days, as in the last photo I took, nets formed on it and it melted. How do I get out of this cycle? I want to start a healthy Dry Start. How do I sterilize the aquarium without disturbing the hardscape?

1-The first photo is of the first tank I built.
2-The second photo is the melted state before removing the plants in the tank.
3- Other photos are the nets formed on the moss I glued again.

 

[zozo]

That is gray mold. And it's everywhere around us flying around and latently present. It loves cool, moist and air stagnant conditions. This likely means your dry start is too wet and badly ventilated. So it is useless to kill it and if you don't change the climate it will be back again.

If you covered the tank with cling foil then leaf a strip ½ inch wide open at the back panel as a vent.

Having a small Thermo - Hygrometer to monitor air humidity is a nice tool to have when doing a dry start. You'll find them in garden centres or mini versions via eBay etc. Place this in the tank, hang it to the glass with a suction cup and try to keep the humidity around 70% to 80% and spray less water. Then the fungus will eventually reduce and die off completely when it runs out of food supply. Keeping it too moist fungus can grow very prolific and turn into a killer and feed on melted plant leaves and cover healthy leaves and kill them too. By creating a good environment you turn the tables and fungus can become a welcome food supply that aids the dry start. See if you can find a pet shop with a terrarium corner that sells Springtails as food for amphibians. Buy some and put them in the scape, Springtails eat mold and poop goodies for the bacteria and plants. If you can't find springtails then take some moist soil from the garden, park, or forest and sprinkle this over the substrate. Then you most likely get some springtails for free.

Springtails are lovely little harmless creatures that will go away on their own when the tank gets flooded.

 

[Ömer Karaahmet]

Thank you so much. I will do exactly what you say 👊🏻👍🏻 I've removed all the plants inside and wait for it to dry completely, then I'll put the springtails in.