Help...

[ucffan]

I have a 40 gallon, octogon freshwater tank, the tank itself is about 12 years old and it has been active the whole time.

I recently had a large pleco die and 2 large tinfoil bars die as well. I really didn;t think anything of it, I have had them all for a long time and they made numours tank moves with me.

I cycle my water monthly and change my whisper filter at least monthly of not more, if needed. We just recently got the cold weather and the tank temperature dropped. I live in FL, and have no heater, never had. I have other fish in tank doing well (Giant Danios, Siccorstails, tinfoil bars, etc).

When I did my last water cycle, I notice some white "cobweb" like looking stuff clinging to bottom gravel, rocks and even my fake plants. In my 12 years I have never seen this, not sure what it is????

I was doing some reseach online and found this forum. I read a previous post that mentioned potentially diatoms???? Not sure what that was or is and on the previous post it mentioned I can whip plants and rocks clean and cycle gravel a few time to clean this up?

Since I cleaned tank I added another pleco as well as a few other small community fish.

Can you confirm this might be diatoms? Any other ideas? Fish seem to be well and water tested well.

If another water cycle is in store, are they any concerns due to the fact I just did one last week?

Thanks in advance for your insight and assistance.

Happy Holidays!

Jason

 

[neilanh]

Welcome to AA!

Doesn't sound like diatoms. If it's a white cobwebbish type thing it sounds like a fungus, although I'm not sure where you would've gotten it from.

Doing another water change won't hurt. It's not uncommon to do large water changes every week in FW tanks.

 

[mattrox]

You don't have to completely change the filter. Rinse out the cartriges in the water you have taken out of the tank and replace them. If you are using carbon you need to change them, or replace it with a sponge which you can just rinse.

Were you able to remove the white stuff in your last partial water change.

 

[ucffan]

Thanks for the insight, everyone...

Yes I am using carbon filters and put in new carbon in with a new filter each month.


It does look for like a fungas, like mentioned above.

Yes, when I did the partial water change last week, it did clear up some of the "fungas" and now it is back on the gravel, rocks and plants.

Any idea what this "fungas" is or might be? Anything I can add to the water to get rid of it or to clear the tank up in addition to doing the change?

Thanks again