White Stuff - Planted Tank "Cycling"

[Dougg]

I need some help. I am new to the hobby and setting up my first tank, and there is white fuzzy fungus/algae looking stuff growing on top of my heater. I am nine days into a plant only cycle process (no fish or fish food). The only thing I've done is add some all in one fert (AC "Easy Green") to jump start plant growth. Light is provided by the entry level light that is part of the cover (Aqueon 20gl kit) running 5-6hrs/day. Water parameters are all well within healthy limits, with no measurable ammonia, nitrites or nitrates as expected with a plant only cycling. The only change of potential significance was the addition of a pothos rooted start (not a cutting) two days ago from my potted plant. I was very careful to rinse off the entire start several times but I didn't treat it with any kind of hydrogen peroxide solution so I'm worried I may have introduced some kind of fungus.
 

What is this stuff? Is it a sign of too much fert given the newness of my plants? Is it an expected development for a plant only cycling (bio film, etc)? Will it pass on it's own? Does it pose a risk to my tank or the cycling process? And what, if needed, should I do to to treat or remove it? Thanks.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Dougg

[Cory]

I'd probably just unplug it for 20 mins, then rinse at the sink for a bit, sometimes plastic can do some weird stuff under water when new.

[Dougg]

Wonderful response - beats all of the doom driven scenarios running around my head. TYVM!  I'll post a follow up in a few days. And TY also for the inspiration and information you have put out into the world via your YT vids. If not for some late night random YT algorithmic quirk I would never have made the decision to try my hand at fish keeping. I was drawn to planted tanks because of those vids.

On an unrelated note, is it common to start buying multiple kinds of fish food before even having fish? I'm at four and eyeing the repasi. And I'm already thinking about more tanks.

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

It's common @Dougg but make sure you do yourself a favor and also start a fishy first aid kit. Medications, QT, floating breeders, aquarium salt. You'll be glad to have it. 

[RadMax8]

Looks like it could be a little fungus, but honestly I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Rinse it off like Cory suggested and it should help. It’s VERY common when you get a new tank set up or add new wood to get some fungus growth. Typically, it goes away quickly or it provides a nice snack for your fish! 

Out of curiosity, how do you plan on starting your cycle? Without adding anything to create ammonia, you’ll likely be waiting forever to get any sort of bacterial colony rolling in there. I like to buy some pure ammonia, dose it to a certain level, and let the magic happen. That way I know how much ammonia I have and can calculate how much nitrite and then nitrate I should get. You can also add some bacterial colonies via a supplement which you can get from AC.

I don’t mean to tell you you’re doing it all wrong, just throwing my $0.02 so you can get to enjoying your tank quicker!