Another beginner question

[skeet9924]

I just bought a new decoration for my vib..A piece of drift wood.. Just curious if I should clean it anyway before putting it in with my Retf ... Also I keep reading RO.. What is that???

[velvety14u]

RO = reverse osmosis (water)

[rivkah]

If you have any concerns about the drift wood, depending upon where you got it. If it is a found piece of wood: put it in a 250 degree over for about an hour or more depending upon size, this low heat will kill off any unwanted things that might still be in the wood (such as spores) and not harm the wood itself. As with anytime one uses an oven, do not leave unattended. Otherwise, if it came from a pet store/rept show: RO (reverse osmosis) water is a purification process which removes certain chemicals and adds certain other chemicals, it is mostly used for saltwater or discus fishkeeping. Some lfs also sell it by the gallon. You can also use distilled water to make sure that you are not adding any unwated chemicals. I would always rinse any new decor that I place in any tank, at the very least to remove any dust. Then I let it dry completely (or place in over, then let it cool down, then a quick rinse) before placing in my vivariums or fish tanks, just to be on the safe side.

[skeet9924]

Thanks for your response.. I just noticed that the piece of wood I put in my terrarium is getting mold on it?? What do I do about this? How do I keep mold from developing in my terrarium?

[ApxWingman]

mold is a natural thing that will happen in your viv. Whenever I get any kind of mold in my tank I just take water and wash it off, wearing a glove. This is something that will continue to happen if your viv has high humidity. It is nothing to worry about and is a natural process and will eventually go away. You can also put springtails into your viv, as they eat mold and waste. This will also help with cleaning up the animals poo.