Is this normal?

[ncgamerguy]

I am a newbie of sorts at fish keeping but try to do as much research as I can. I just cant seem to be able to answer one question.
I set up my 55g tank about 2 months ago and did a fishless cycle. When it was done went and got my fish. I have 1 pleco and 5mollies right now. Since I got them I've noticed alot of "fish waste" on the bottom. I do weekly water changes and cleaning but within a couple day its back to like I never cleaned it. Is this normal, am I maybe over feeding them, or could it be something else?

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[dalto]

If it is food then you could be overfeeding or feeding the wrong thing. If it is fish waste it could be a flow issue where there is nothing to pull it up off the substrate and get it to the filter.

What is your substrate and filtration?

 

[Nedly]

I would guess that the substrate is too deep, there is over feeding, or the filtration is not efficient.. Do you use shrimp pellets?

 

[Masha]

It really depends on what you mean by "a lot".

I do a light gravel vacuum once a week, and I notice a fair amount of "mulm" coming up with the water. Enough to lightly coat the bottom of the bucket I use for water changes in a thin film. Some fish seem to poop more than others, plecos are one of those with a big reputation for producing lots of waste So it might be perfectly normal.

It might be a good idea to test the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels, which will also give you an idea if you are over-feeding.

 

[ncgamerguy]

I use fish flakes twice a day and only enough they eat within a minute or 2. And an algae wafer once a day. My filter is a Tetra Whisper and I have small white gravel

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[Nedly]

I do not know a lot about the wafers, but I know some of those foods can make a wicked mess. When I feed any pellets I usually break single pellets into smaller pieces for my fish because they wont eat it all and then it just mucks up the tank.

I know with pellets the container says to specifically vacuum up what food they do not eat. ...

I had someone watch over my tank for a few days once and they thought pellets were the regular food for all of the fish. Needles to say, by the time I got back I ended up doing back to back water changes for days to get the ammonia levels down and the tank clean.....

 

[ncgamerguy]

Well the mess I'm talking about is long and thin.almost string like. But only about 1/2 in long, but there is just a lot and they seem to be mostly in the middle of the tank.

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[Nedly]

It could be from the Pleco. Those things get huge, and I would not even suggest having one in a 55 size tank. Even so some say it is ok, after some years that Pleco could get 1-2 feet in size....

 

[dalto]

In addition to the information from the above posters I would say that gravel does have to be vacuumed fairly regularly or it gets filled with detritus. It is hard to say without seeing it if what you are describing is normal or excessive.

 

[dalto]

Well the mess I'm talking about is long and thin.almost string like. But only about 1/2 in long, but there is just a lot and they seem to be mostly in the middle of the tank.

That sounds like fish waste. You just need to vacuum it up. The alternative would be put increase the current on the bottom to blow it up into the water column where your filter might be able to grab it.

 

[ncgamerguy]

Cool thanks for the advice. I'll try and get a power head or something to help water flow This weekend. I'll keep you updated

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[Noviceafter2yea]

That sounds like fish waste. You just need to vacuum it up. The alternative would be put increase the current on the bottom to blow it up into the water column where your filter might be able to grab it.

How do you do that? With an air stone?

 

[Nedly]

How do you do that? With an air stone?

There are tools just for making current. Another option would be a specific filter placement along with decor placement. Keeping a shallow substrate or getting sand will help with the same effect.

 

[ncgamerguy]

I took pictures of my tank and a close up of what I'm talking about they look longer in the photo but that is because they seem to bunch together.

And before anyone says it yes the tank is a little bare and dim. My light went out yesterday so I'm using the light from my 10g. And the water lilies I had planted in the middle seem to have died a week ago. (It's been a busy and rough week. All will be fixed tomorrow)

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[Nedly]

Looks like fish doo to me! Nice set up!

 

[ncgamerguy]

Thanks. Like I said I plan on adding more plants to it, so when I'm done it'll look better

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[Eggheadfish]

I have a lot of fish waste between water changes too and since I have super white sand it drives me crazy. So I get a turkey baster and clean up every other day. I'm sure the other suggestion if improving water flow would be a good solution too!