natural tank getting green

[Phoenixphire55]

My natural tank (5gallon tank, potting soil with fluorite clay gravel on top, some cabomba, and a little clump of java moss, + a betta) has been going pretty well for the month that I've had it established. However, every morning I have to skim the surface several times with my fish net to remove a skin of protein (or something) and bubles that accumulates at the surface. I dont have a problem doing this {I chose not to have a filter, so I can deal with the manual labor) but just curious if the skin on top of the water is bad for the plants or the betta. Also, whats causing it?

 

[JessieVB]

Is it possible that the betta is making a bubble nest? I've never seen one since mine hasn't made one, but I use an airstone in the tank so that would destroy the nest if he made one anyway.

 

[Purrbox]

The skin on top of the water is a result of the DOCs building up in the aquarium. Without a filter or other means of aggitating the surface, DOCs film a film on the surface. More frequent water changes will help to reduce it. The bubbles are most likely just the result of your happy betta building a bubble nest.

 

[Phoenixphire55]

What are DOBs? I thought natural tanks only required water changes every month or so. I guess I haven't changed it in about a month anyway so I'll do a water change. Its very likely that the betta is contributing to the bubbles on the surface but I think most of them (there are tons) are coming off of the plants during the day time when they're doing photosynthesis. I have to say natural tanks are really pretty! There's a thin layer of detritus on the bottom and it makes it look just like a little section of a rice patty field like bettas live in naturally .

 

[rich311k]

DOC = dissolved organic compounds. Most of the scum comes from proteins in foods. A DOB is the date you were born on.

 

[Purrbox]

In a natural style aquarium, the guideline is to only do water changes every few months. So if you aren't using a filter or water pump to create a little bit of surface turbulance, then you're going to get more of that film on the water surface. Sounds like you've definately got some happy plants contributing to the bubbles. The film on the water surface would tend to trap them because of the increased surface tension, instead of allowing them to escape out the surface as they would without the film's presense.