Subject: RE: Fusarium in aquarium airstone

From: [email-masked] ("David Brayford ", IMI)
Date: 2 May 1996 01:08:02 -0700

Hi David
Some fusaria do crop up quite commonly in freshwater aquatic situations, 
ranging from aquaria to industrial plant products and cooling fluids.   The 
two most common species in this context are probably F. solani and F. 
oxysporum, both of which can act as opportunistic pathogens of humans, as 
well as infecting fish and other aquatic animals.  Without seeing it, I 
can't say which species you might have encountered, but if it has large 
macroconidia and orange mucoid colonies it doesn't sound like either solani 
or oxysporum.  It could be any one of a whole bunch of other species. 
 Personally I don't find fusaria disgusting ( I earn my living from them!) 
but I would recommend that you do try to get rid of it since it could indeed 
pose a threat to your fish from infection and possibly toxin production.
Happy fishing,
Dave Brayford, IMI
[email-masked]

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From: BIOSCI-REQUEST
To: mycology
Subject: Fusarium in aquarium airstone
Date: 02 May 1996 3:17

I just noticed last week to my disgust some fungus growing underwater on
the aquarium airstone. I took it to my lab and grew it and it was a
Fusarium. I am not familiar with species identification, and I don't have
carnation leaf agar available, but on malt agar it is an orange mucoid
colony with thin white fluff, and abundant numbers of large macroconidia.
Anyway, I am worried since Fusarium has a toxic reputation that it will
have hurt my fish. Is this an unusual Fusarium habitat? Just wanted to
share thisinformation to anybody interested.

David