NEED URGENT HELP IDENTIFYING Brown and White Algae/Fungus

[RunningWithScissors]

Recently I've set up a new aquarium and have been cycling with fish food. Some weird stuff has been been forming on the driftwood and on the food. There seems to be two types, but I'm not sure if the brown one is just the white stuff that picked up pigment off the wood. In any case I nee o know if it will harm plants or fish and how I can get rid of it UGRENTLY.  I've attached some pictures below

Thanks in advance!

First Picture: White stuff on food

Second Pic: Some brown stuff swiped off on my finger

Third Pic: Brown stuff on driftwood

Fourth Pic: White stuff on driftwood

Fifth Pic: More white stuff on food (with black sand on it)

[Shilo]

Nothing to worry about and perfectly natural.  Remember you are building a complete & self contained ecosystem in your tank, and every ecosystem needs fungi to break down waste and algae to power it.

The stuff on the food is just natural fungi whose spores are always in any air or water.  Its currently breaking down the food into ammonia and nutrients that the good bacteria you want in your system will feed on.  Once the cycle is finished just syphon up any remaining bits before adding fish, until then don't worry about it.  You will never get rid of fungi in the tank since  the spores are floating around in the air and it won't hurt your fish unless they are extremely stressed or injured.

If the brown stuff from the wood is powdery when you scrap it off in the water then its just Diatoms (a form of algae).  Diatoms have a shell made of the silica that is dissolving from the sand and rocks in the tank.  They hit all new tanks and will last until all the dissolved silica is used up, water changes help but will still take a few months before the population is small enough to not matter.  You should see my tank at the moment!  Have to scrub the rocks and wood every week followed by a major water change to keep it under control.  But its only temporary.

 White stuff on the wood is also normal in a new tank.  It too will disappear soon.

[RunningWithScissors]

Wow, awesome! I was really worried about it being harmful. The brown stuff isn't powdery though. Hopefully it's just a type of alage. Thanks so much for putting my mind at rest!

Edited December 11, 2015 by RunningWithScissors

[alexyay]

Totally safe, and totally normal  I'd siphon most of it out (specifically the food fungus, the driftwood fungus is fine) once the fish are placed, but that's also because the food may still be breaking down and putting nutrients into the tank. 

[RunningWithScissors]

Ok, thats what I thought. Thanks so much!