white gelatinous fungus growing on nymphaea lilly bulb

[tws]

greetings...

i'm new to aquatic plants and caring for shrimp and wonder if anyone has been confronted with this problem - if it is a problem.

this is a nymphaea lilly bulb that i got from walmart. it has been in my bowl fountain for about three weeks... when i first got it it had filiments protruding from the blub. now it has this white gelatinous stuff growing on it...



all the test i've done on my bowl fountain are in the safe parameters; ammonia, ph, nitrite and nitrate. i've got two filters, a sub gravel filter with an aquaclear power head and a ecco 2232 canister filter with media.

my tank has been stabilized for quite a while and a month ago i added 5 algae shrimp... they climbed all over this nymphaea bulb when it first went in the tank... eventually all but one died...

however, the sole survivor seems to be happy and healthy.

i'd like to establish a small shrimp colony - probably cherry shrimp. my tank is about 10 to 12 gallons. but i am Leary of introducing any other shrimp until and if i can determine if this bulb is hazardous. or if i'm unaware of some other toxin or hazard.

it says on the package that it will grow 3 to 5 inches in just 20 days... so far after three weeks nothing appears to be happening except this fungus.

here is my bowl fountain...



thanks for any advice...


tws

[Mustafa]

There are various factors that can cause shrimp death in a newly established aquatic environment, so it's hard to say if the bulb had anything to do with it. I personally doubt it. You will have to do some digging in this forum into various reasons why shrimp die and then apply that knowledge to your situation.