FOAMING AT THE TANK

[deangelo]

woke up early this morning when i noticed some suds foaming on the top of the water its the first time that i noticed this so i decided to turn of the pwrhead and the suds where still there.I also noticed when i looked up through the water to the light of the tank above that there seems to be what seems like a thin film of some kind, kind of like what u see when u mix a oil and h2o covering the top of the water. i dipped my finger to check it out, it didnt smell like soap and it didnt coat my fingers like oil does..i then drained the tank halfway and the foaming decreased to a level that i normally see in the tank..i suspected at first that it was soap or detergent but wuldnt that kill my fish instantly and the fish are doing fine plus the water doesnt smell like it ..has anyone ever experienced this? or got a clue what this is?

 

[guppy]

It is a protein film , probably a mix of partially broken down organics and bacteria, you may be overfeeding and your filter probably needs rinsing, for now take paper towels or clean cotton cloth and float it on the surface, remove, rinse, and repeat until you have removed it.

 

[deangelo]

thanks guppy, i think ur right..how do i avoid this from happenning again and does this type of water condition harm the fish?

 

[guppy]

keeping up on tank maintainence, increasing biofiltration, and making sure you don't over feed lessen the chance of it coming back. as long as you have adequete surface motion to cause the foam it should not cause a fall in O2 but you might see an increase in nitrates and a high bacterial count in the water, both over time can stress the fish

 

[deangelo]

thanks for the info and the help G..i know when it comes to scientific and tech. stuff that your one of the best if not the best..f u have time u can check out a post of mine about my CK's diet he still hasnt eaten..any help there would be greatly appreciated..THANKS again G..