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?
Foamy Water
- Thread starter Zim
- Start date
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.
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
Jim
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.
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.
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.
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.
aria da capo: in opera, an aria in which, after a development section, the opening section is repeated.