Most problems occur in late spring or autunm when condensation from cold nights fails to evaporate from the plants if the next day is overcast. Damping off in seedlings can be avoided by lightly spraying the potting mix with a copper sulfate solution. Other factors include high soil temperatures, exposed wounds and poor soil-drainage. There are many types of fungi, however only twelve are specifically associated with succulent plants. The treament of these fungi are all similar.
Treatment includes cutting out and destroying all affected tissue.
Wounds should then be treated with a systemic fungicide. Many common Fungi survive in soil for years, so it is best to not take any chances on re-infection, by removing and discarding all of the soil and the container. Unfortunately some fungi have no known treatments and once a plant has collapsed or the stems have started to become soft and rotten it is often too late to save it. Brown, barblike spots that usually develop near the base a stem are a result of past disease damage or poor cultivation. Do not confuse these spots with natural corking on very old plants.