White fuzzy stuff

[Koda]

So I was looking at my 5 gallon tank with Kinu the CT and noticed this weird white fuzzy stuff stuck to the suction cups of my heater. Does anyone know what it could be? How did I get it? And how do I get rid of it (preferably without throwing out my driftwood and plants)? The suction cups are the only place I see it, and I'm not sure how long it's been there (the heater is hidden behind bunch of wisteria and I don't often look at it even while doing water changes).

This tank is pretty heavily planted with wisteria, anubias, frogbit, java moss, a marimo ball, and aponogeton. It is filtered and has some bamboo in the filter. Until recently it had been getting a 50% water change every 3 days, but for about 2 weeks now I've been doing a 60% change once a week (last water change was Sunday). Do I need to go back to twice a week?

For now I'm just going to remove the suction cups, rinse them off, and let them sit out for a day. Also, so far there seems to be nothing wrong with Kinu, but will it harm him? Thursday, I'll be heading out of town for 4 days so I hope he won't be needing any special care while he's in my step mom's hands.
Attachment 65746

[NyaNyanNaa]

Heater snot, most likely. Its really disgusting and it happens with some heaters and smells like rotten eggs. Or maybe even fungus, is that a bit of green I see in there mixed with the white or is that a plant?..

[Koda]

The green is probably the reflection of a plant. I don't see green there when looking at it in person.

[NyaNyanNaa]

Ah alright.

If your fish starts reacting to it in an odd way or going to the bottom of the tank and just not acting like himself, and if the white fuzzy stuff starts to grow on your plants and the fish its self you're dealing with fungus but go ahead and clean off the heater and see what that does, but remember to keep a close eye on your fish, plants and the heater itself to make sure it doesn't grow back.

[labloverl]

I haven't had it grow like that on the suction cups, but I have that heater and white slimey stuffs grows in those rubber ends. Every time I touch it, the white stuff flakes off. I've been told it's a calcium build up, and is harmless. Your's may be something else, but just clean it off and see what happens. If it's what I have, it always comes back, but has never harmed the fish.

[Silverfang]

odds are heater snot, or some sort of protein build up. I'd unplug the heater, wait 15 or 30 minutes and remove it. Examine it for cracks or breaks, and clean off the suction cups. Scalding water or even just paper towel.

[LionCalie]

I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I don't believe it is harmful. I have the same heater and suction cups. They get that same white slime. I haven't noticed the slime on any of my other heaters and their suction cups. Very strange.

[Koda]

Thanks guys. It seems like I'm always noticing things going wrong in my tanks just before I go out of town....I suspect the little fishes are sabotaging their homes to keep me here.

[whiskandbowl]

I have it too and was worried it was somthing harmful (my tank is still cycling)
Guess I'll just wash it off