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tedoro
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contamination question
#22462301 - 11/01/15 01:16 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hello...
I am struggling with a contamination problem.
Cubensis in franks monotubs... been doing it for a few years.. somewhat low yields... only getting 1-2 flushes before mold.
So I attempted to learn agar... and wasn't careful enough looking for contamination on the petri dishes. Turns out, I have a fluffy white contamination that now has become dominant in everything I do. It seems to grow faster than the mycelia. I even made spore prints and I grew them out on agar and it looks like the fluff is there as well. I have old LC, tissue samples, old spore syringes... more than 10 agar dishes going, dreaming of something growing without the mold... its not looking good.
Has anyone else run into a contamination that was difficult to separate from the mycelia because on its speed and aggression?
Might need to start all over...
T
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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Funguy24
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22462316 - 11/01/15 01:19 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Did you smell the spawn before adding too bulk? should smell like fresh mushies, silly question but since you went from spores are you sure it isnt mycelium? if its a persistent contam you could clean the room you do agar work in, repaint the walls, clean carpet (or bleach floor), start from fresh spores and try again, the same thing happened to me with black mold.
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hobowizard
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Registered: 04/10/15
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22462329 - 11/01/15 01:21 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Has anyone else run into a contamination that was difficult to separate from the mycelia because on its speed and aggression?

What's the point of this question?
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: hobowizard]
#22462519 - 11/01/15 02:01 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Post pics. The answer to your question is yes, everyone runs into contam issues from time to time. The key is to eliminate the vector and we can't help you do that without actually being able to see what you have going on.
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DrCrumbs
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22462599 - 11/01/15 02:19 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: DrCrumbs]
#22463069 - 11/01/15 04:26 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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My apologies for the poor language skills. On the agar, people often take a sample from the leading edge of growth in an attempt get a clean sample, away from the nasties. I'm finding a cobwebby growth that overtakes the mycelia. Making it impossible for me to get a clean sample.
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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DrCrumbs
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22463287 - 11/01/15 05:17 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Sorry I thought you had seen it after as well.
Can we see pic's?
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Psilosoulful

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Re: contamination question [Re: DrCrumbs]
#22463832 - 11/01/15 07:13 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Pastywhyte said: Post pics.
Quote:
DrCrumbs said: Can we see pic's?
Do I even have to say it?
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tedoro
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Here are two pictures of my petri dishes, and one tissue sample grown out in a ziplock bag (the large, long tissue). I have had success with agar before, with beautiful stringy circular growths, but these petris are all fuzzy. They originate from a tissue sample, then one transfer. I've made more petris from the ziplock sample, as you can see where I grabbed some mycelia.
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22497209 - 11/08/15 06:22 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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That is all weak. Clones that look like that are either full of mold or have no vigor (those transwers look like they are all mold). Either way the end result is trich.
Clone younger more vigorous pins and the culture will be easier to clean up.
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22497215 - 11/08/15 06:23 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Oh wait, those two petris were from direct tissue samples, I can see the chuck in the center.
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22497241 - 11/08/15 06:27 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Dang.... this is all I got now. I got nothing clean anymore. I guess I'm back to ordering a spore syringe online. Has there been a supplier that has been shipping vigorous spores? I was having some bad luck two years ago with dead syringes.
Bummer!!
T
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22497304 - 11/08/15 06:41 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Take prints next time and do more research into proper cloning. Vigor is gained and preserved via good techniques, not from the spores themselves. I bet you cloned an old fruit, clone young fruits instead.
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Machiavelliavore
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22497358 - 11/08/15 06:52 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Just curious, do you feel that young clones end up producing more vigorous, healthier strains, or simply that they are easier to clone since they switch back into normal mycellial growth more easily?
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I spawned some popcorn casings and had double-overlay cause I didn't put enough hydrogen peroxide in my automated aquarium mister. I only got one mushroom so I cut off the head part where the seeds fall from and put it in a jar of LC and sprayed it all over a tin of PF cakes I made with gravel, cardboard, and bisquick in my microwave. I think it will be good cause B+ is so potent. Triggered yet? Only a square would say "a cube is a cube."
No, this does not look right...
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Pastywhyte
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Easier for the most part but even the best genetics won't do well if they get old.
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22497724 - 11/08/15 08:05 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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I have spore prints growing out, but they look contaminated as well~ My last grow was completely overrun with this white fuzz. I took prints, but I wasn't feeling like I could get clean spores. This is the reason for my post... It seems that this fuzz has closed my chances of getting it clean.
The tissue samples were from young mushrooms, but they were visibly inundated with fuzz.
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22594557 - 11/30/15 12:41 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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I need help!! I've had no good clean agar growth for months... I broke down and bought spores online, cleaned everything, and made four agar dishes with the syringe, and it looks the same as my other cobwebby agar dishes! Fuzzy, slow growing and nothing like the ropey fast growing mycelia I've grown on agar in the past.
I guess my sterilization is not up to par.
Here is a photo of one of my newest petri dishes.
Help!!!
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22594627 - 11/30/15 12:58 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Its not the sterilization. Anyway that last plate doesn't look to bad. Make a transfer and see how it recovers.
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22595000 - 11/30/15 02:40 PM (8 years, 2 months ago) |
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Where is the best place for me to read about what I should be looking for. Its my understanding that there are two types of mycelia, ropey and softer looking stuff. I had ropey looking mycelia in the past.
And this is growing so slow. Thats two weeks from when I saw it begin to grow. 70 degrees.
Thanks Pasty for all the help on this. Its grinding my ego to a new low. Maybe I'll get to a better place after this ~
xxx t
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22604516 - 12/02/15 03:02 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22604537 - 12/02/15 03:05 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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I did a transfer of the plate seen above, and it didn't go well. It feels like mold, not mycelia. It disappeared when I scraped it, unlike the mycelia I have done transfers with in the past, which collapsed into a little white thread-like clump.
I'll grow out these two samples I have, but its not looking good.
t
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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bodhisatta 
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22604544 - 12/02/15 03:06 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
tedoro said: Is there anything wrong with using these agar plates?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MKHNJK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00
they're pre-poured. you don't want that. shipping un-colonized un-inoculated agar is pretty dumb. I would say at least 1/4 of the time people order pre-pour dishes they come half cracked, or half contaminated.
pouring agar into a petri dish is by far the easiest thing in all of growing mushrooms besides maybe hydrating a brick of coir.
it would cost less money to buy a packet of agar agar and sterile dishes then it would be to order the pre-pour.
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: bodhisatta]
#22604616 - 12/02/15 03:18 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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That media is meant for bacteria not fungi. Learn to make your own agar, you will see better results. That price is a ripoff as well.
Also don't worry about ropey vs cottony growth. Worry about clean healthy growth. Some of my best performers are cottony (tomentose).
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bodhisatta 
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22604654 - 12/02/15 03:24 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Pastywhyte said: That media is meant for bacteria not fungi. Learn to make your own agar, you will see better results. That price is a ripoff as well.
Also don't worry about ropey vs cottony growth. Worry about clean healthy growth. Some of my best performers are cottony (tomentose).


cottony(tomentose) turns to ropey(rhizo) and vice versa. it really is more dependent on nutrition, temperature, time. it's not really any indication of performance.
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/usergallery.php/gallery/300678/imgpl/5/imgpp/100/folder/agar
Edited by Trusted cuItivator (12/02/15 03:30 PM)
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: bodhisatta]
#22604938 - 12/02/15 04:14 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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bodhisatta...
That second dish on the right... it has growth that is cottony and a bit greyish, with ropey growth coming out of the top. Whats going on there? Is that all mycelia?
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22604958 - 12/02/15 04:21 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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I was pouring my own agar dishes in a still air box and I found it very awkward. Considering the time and expense of everything else, I just thought I could buy my way out of the part I disliked the most. None of them have grown any contaminants. How are these my pre-poured agar dishes different than the dried agar I purchased and mixed at home? Is there specific mushroom agar? Maybe this is where I'm going wrong.
T
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22604967 - 12/02/15 04:23 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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and are those transferred chunks of agar placed in the new dish upside down to make contact with the new agar?
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22604981 - 12/02/15 04:27 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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Those dishes have the wrong nutrients for fungi. Agar is agar but what you use as nutrient is important. Those plates are luria broth which has no carbs or sugars, which is what fungi primarily need. Also Presterilized shit is notorious for being damaged and/or contamed in shipping.
If you don't like pouring agar then try no pour. It works pretty good IMO.
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22604996 - 12/02/15 04:31 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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Wait, so agar powder is actually a mixture of agar and some level of nutrients? I thought the agar was a low level nutrient.
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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Pastywhyte
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22605013 - 12/02/15 04:35 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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Agar is made from seaweed and has zero nutrients. We then add nutrients to it. MEA = malt extract agar. PDA = Potato dextrose agar. DFA = Dog food agar. Etc.
Many people buy their agar powder with nutrients already mixed in. I personally like to make my own mixes, that allows me to change recipes on the fly which can provide vigor to a lazy culture. It also helps to ward off senscence.
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tedoro
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Re: contamination question [Re: Pastywhyte]
#22605041 - 12/02/15 04:41 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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I am soooo excited! This is what I needed to hear... I bet this is causing my troubles! And now I think these recent plates of mine aren't contaminated.
I think I will move forward with them, and try the no-pour dishes.
Many many thanks.
T
-------------------- -------------------- Deep pour soft agar plates-->bags of WBS-->Low Profile Monos Clean spawn thread | Put a thermometer on your PC
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bodhisatta 
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Re: contamination question [Re: tedoro]
#22605170 - 12/02/15 05:18 PM (8 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
tedoro said: bodhisatta...
That second dish on the right... it has growth that is cottony and a bit greyish, with ropey growth coming out of the top. Whats going on there? Is that all mycelia?
It's all mycelium. Where it turns in the top to ropey just goes to show again that tomentose / rhizo. Doesn't matter. Healthy growth matters.
Quote:
tedoro said: and are those transferred chunks of agar placed in the new dish upside down to make contact with the new agar?
No they land either way I don't make an effort to have them face one way or the other.
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