View Full Version : Foamy Water
In the past 2 months I have had my tanks, never has foam out of the filter built up but in the past week, the bubbles don't seem to want to pop. Foam has been slowly building up around the edges of the tanks. What in the world could be causing this?
Wippit Guud
12-04-2002, 6:14 AM
What fish are in the tank? Some fish actually blow nest of bubbles on the surface to prepare for breeding. (most common would be bettas and gouramis). They wouldn't pop because they coat them with saliva to prevent them from popping.
Faramir
12-04-2002, 6:17 AM
How much water do you change how often? How many fish? How big is the tank?
JSchmidt
12-04-2002, 7:49 AM
Some additives or medications (e.g., Melafix) will also cause foaming. If you haven't added anything that might be involved in foaming, you might want to consider upping the water changes and/or adding some carbon to the filter.
Jim
kveeti
12-04-2002, 8:21 AM
Another possibility - Decomposing organic compounds (algae, dead fish, too much food), when mixed with air (from filter or airstones) also causes foam. As JSchmidt said, try increasing water changes.
wetmanNY
12-04-2002, 10:43 AM
Some remedies:
1. Rinse out your filter. Organics are being broken down in there.
2. Before you restart the filter, drag paper towelling across the surface, lifting the front edge as you go to take up lipid/protein film.
3. Cut way down on the flakes.
4. The water changes JSchmidt Senior and the easily amused kveeti mentioned.
5. Hydrogen peroxide, 5 ml per 10 gallons of the common drugstore 3% solution, dribbled into the filter outflow. This oxidizes organics. Don't overdose.
fishfood
12-04-2002, 3:56 PM
I have also seen this when soap has gotten into the tank (although the items listed above are probably more likely reasons.) Just make sure that you are not using a bucket that is used for cleaning for changing water or other aquarium maintenance. Also, check that your hands are dry and clean before reaching into the tank (or better yet, use gloves.) I had a bubbly oil slick in a tank once because of hand lotion.
I have a 10 gallon with 2 red eye tetras, 2 zebra danios, 1 pleco, 1 snail, 4 dwarf frogs. I have a 29 gallon with 2 kenyi cichlids, 1 snegalus bichir, 1 african butterfly fish (yes yes, i know how volatile this tank may become when these things grow bigger). I changed the filter on the 10 gallon a week ago and the 29 gallon is a brand new filter. None of these fish are nest builders. The bubbles from the filter are just not popping! I havent put anything in the water except in the 29 gallon I put some fertilizer for the plants but the 10 gallon foams just like the 29 so I don't think thats it.
wetmanNY
12-04-2002, 9:09 PM
aria da capo: in opera, an aria in which, after a development section, the opening section is repeated.
Faramir
12-05-2002, 4:27 AM
New filters? The tanks will need to recycle. Have you tested for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate?
TnCgal
12-06-2002, 1:47 AM
It is quite possible that this can be a foamy layer of broken down organic matter. In SW fish-keeping there is a peice of equipment just for this reason and it is called a protein skimmer. FW ***********s generally do not utilize such an item, but some tanks do need it, especially with the fish load that you are keeping.
I'm going to move this thread over to the General FW forum since this is not directly a beginner's question ! :)
watch for cycling. i also had an experience with this when one of my tanks was new. increase water change amounts and frequency and you should be fine.
jdheff1982
12-07-2002, 4:07 AM
Yo! I've got a 29 gal that has 2 firemouths and a pleco. At the most, I feed them like 5 to 10 flakes a day and they pick at the bottom for the rest of the time. I did a 30% water change a few days ago and the tank edge still has a small amount of foam to it??What would be a recommended daily or bi-daily water change?? I did put some melafix in the tank the other day because oneof the firemouths has a white pimplish thing underneath his right-side fin. I turned up the heater to 79 d. F. and it has been getting smaller; thinking it could have been a fish lice. Other than the small white pimple, he has been active and eating and being "mister trouble maker" with the other firemouth. Btw, is there a way to tell the difference between a male and a female firemouth when they are about one to one and a half inch in size?? Thanks!!
silvershark: 10 or 20% daily or bi-daily wouldn't be bad to remove various pollutants especially after treating a tank as noted. melafix will cause the bubbles......
for anyone that wants to hop on the wagon and say this is too much, i must remind you that fish live in an environment normally where the water change percentages run into the hundreds of percents. in a fast flowing stream you could get a 100% water change in 5 minutes, in a pond or lake you have a much greater dilution area for toxins and still have massive amounts of new water..........
the only cautions to doing this is 1) if you haven't been doing many changes up until now, you need to know your tank water and tap water is pretty close to avoid ph or other shock. 2) the temperature of the new water needs to be somewhat close. 3) use dechlorinator of course...... other than that i can't think of anything else. ALL fish benefit from fresh clean water, or at least all the ones i know of...........