white specks

[ecclinton]

I have a 30 gallon FWT with 2 Fan Tails, 2 cory cats, 2 loaches, 5 Platties. Tank is clear (yes even with the Gold fish) Anyhow I am am noticing white specs floating in the water. I do have aquarium sand in the bottom of the tank with gravel but it does, I thought maybe it was sand, but it does not look like sand and the sand is mostly under the gravel.

Any Ideas?

 

[calfishguy]

Not sure about the white specks but your tank is severly overstocked. You are fully stock with only the 2 goldfish.

edit: welcome to the forum ecclinton

 

[ecclinton]

They are all small fish, tank is not over stocked.

 

[calfishguy]

Yes but they will grow. 1 goldfish needs 20 gallons then for each additional goldfish another 10 gallons. Unless you plan on giving away your goldfish when they get a bit bigger your tank will become severly overstocked.

you should always stock a tank with the full length of the fish in mind not their current size.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Welcome to AA!
What's your filtration and water change schedule like? Do you think it's possibly micro bubbles?

As said, your tank is overstocked. It might be ok for now but in the very near future your going to have to move out all the other fish to a new tank and leave the Goldies in the 30g. The rule of stocking fancy goldfish is 20g for the first and 10g for each after that. Expect them to reach 8-12 inches.

 

[ecclinton]

I have planned ahead and I have other tanks to go into. I have 2 tanks at my offices a 30 gallon and a 55 gallon, and have been doing fish since I was a kid, I am now in my late 40s. Fish are not the issue, the white specs are.

I have not had the issue before and have not seen anyone in any forums talk about them.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

It could be anything. Micro bubbles, food, substrate, fish waste, etc. Have your tried
Polishing pads or floss in your filter? What kind of filter do you have? HOB?

Great you've got the tanks under control. Many don't.

 

[calfishguy]

Are the specs floating up and down in the water or just going up to the surface.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I'm finding this interesting. I've always seen little specs floating in my tank. Not sure if they are micro bubbles or bits of sand. I've seen them since I started my tank at the end of march. Just figured it was normal. Mumma.of.two - Could you go into a little more detail of polishing pads and filter floss? It might benefit the OP as well as myself.

 

[ecclinton]

They are throughout the water, which is why I thought it was sand but it does not look like sand up close. They are small.


using a Whisper 30 filter system currently, but it is to noisy so I am going to change it out soon. The intake does not go all the way to the bottom and I can not see any signsof it picking up any sand. Other than white specks everything is fine with the water. Fish do not seem to be affected by them.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Polishing pads or floss would help remove small particles and trap any small bubbles. If it is small bubbles you can place a piece of pollyfill in the top if the outtake over the flow of water and a little into the surface of the water in the tank (if that makes sense). It will help trap any micro bubbles forming in the filter.
I think you'll find an upgrade in filtration will help. A rule I like to follow is at least 3 times the tanks volume an hour must be filtered in a tropical fish tank and 10x an hour in goldfish and cichlid tanks (because they are far messier).