Mold in pump tubing

[Tim Farrow]

Hi all, 

I'm new to this community and to aquaponics in general.  I have a 10 gallon tank with guppies and a flood and drain system.  I've been growing mostly herbs and small greens.  A friend helped me set up the system about a year ago, but I haven't taken it as seriously as I should have until recently - trying to get things growing and running more smoothly now.

Anyhow, one of the potential problems I have is mold growth in the tubing from the pump.  I have the tubing set up on the side of the grow bed with holes that spray water into the grow bed.  The tube seems to gradually build up mold over time.  I replaced it once, but I'm hoping for another solution besides buying new tubing every few months.  My tank is heated to about 75 F, and I think that may contribute to the mold growth.  

I haven't seen mold on any of the plants, and I don't know for sure that mold in the tubing would directly affect the plants...but it seems to me that mold anywhere in the system is not a good thing.  Should I be worried about the mold build up in the tubing?  If so, any suggestions for how to take care of it?  I've looked into some different options for natural mold inhibitors, but I'm not sure how I could get anything into the tubing to help with the mold.

Any help is much appreciated!

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

If it is brownish that not mold, that is bacteria an it is normal for an AP system. It is bacteria that provides the nutrients to the plants.

[Tim Farrow]

Hmmmm I hope that's the case!  It's a dark brown, even black in some places.  There are also some scattered white spots.

[Tim Farrow]

[Tim Farrow]

[Tim Farrow]

There are two pictures of the stuff growing in my pump tubing.  Can anyone tell if this is mold, or bacteria, or something else?  Should I replace the tubing?

Thanks