I've had my 28 gallon set up for 4 weeks now with 3 zebra danios, 3 mickey platies, 3 catfish and 1 ivory snail with 3 java fern live plants. The ammonia levels have dropped last week to zero but the nitrate level is 2.0 and nitrite is 0.50.
What I am concerned about is the white foamy water at the top of my tank around the filter? What causes this? I have a 30 gallon Aqua Clear filter with the sponge (I changed it three days ago because it was dark brown), carbon bag and biomax bag on top. The filter was dirty but I rinsed it out. I also scrubbed out the inside of the aquarium yesterday with an acryllic sponge (I have a glass aquarium but did not want to scratch it) b/c it had a white film on all 4 sides. Then I did a 20% water change hoping the white foamy water would clear up, but it hasn't yet. What's in the water? Phosphates? Proteins? Bad versus good bacteria? Or did I wipe out the good bacteria colony by changing the sponge media in the power filter? I only syphoned the gravel once three days ago during the 4 weeks of the tank's cycle.
I'm new at this. Help! Foamy water is bad isn't it?
What I am concerned about is the white foamy water at the top of my tank around the filter? What causes this? I have a 30 gallon Aqua Clear filter with the sponge (I changed it three days ago because it was dark brown), carbon bag and biomax bag on top. The filter was dirty but I rinsed it out. I also scrubbed out the inside of the aquarium yesterday with an acryllic sponge (I have a glass aquarium but did not want to scratch it) b/c it had a white film on all 4 sides. Then I did a 20% water change hoping the white foamy water would clear up, but it hasn't yet. What's in the water? Phosphates? Proteins? Bad versus good bacteria? Or did I wipe out the good bacteria colony by changing the sponge media in the power filter? I only syphoned the gravel once three days ago during the 4 weeks of the tank's cycle.
I'm new at this. Help! Foamy water is bad isn't it?