Foam like material on the surface

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wmakarem

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
7
Location
Kuwait
I am facing some problems in my freshwater aquarium and I would like your assistant.I purchased a 200 liter aquarium 2 weeks ago. My faquarium consists of 6 Mollie and 3 Labyrinth fish + 2 garbage cleaners. I am experiencing foam like substance on the surface of the aquaium.I emptied half of the tank and refilled it with clean water and cleaned all the filtes (external filter where water passes through activated carbon, ceramic then sponge material).I dis these procedure twice and still after cleaning in a couple of hours I get the foam-like substance on the surface. The temperature of the aquarium is 26 celcieus. I would appreciate your prompt response.Thank you.
 
My betta has been doing this a lot since I got him. It's a good sign. :mrgreen: Have you read up on cycling your tank? If your tank is 2 weeks old you will not want to clean out your filter for a while, it will help the cycling process.
 
Thanks for your fast response.I got worried because the whole surface of the aquarium has a foam-like material(aprox. 100cm * 40 cm).I contacted an aquarium shop, he told me that this is due to excess waste (ammonia) from to much feeding.is it posssibe? I would also like to ask if the filter i'm using is suffcient? Water is pumped out from the tank to an external filter containing 3 chambers.2 of them active carbon and sponge, and the 3ed is white cermaic and sponge. How can i measure how many times is the whole water in the tank cycled?
Thanks for your support.
 
It is indeed very much possible that it is because of ammonia. Read this article on cycling your tank: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
If your tank only has been set up for 2 weeks, then your fish are not going to be happy. I suggest you read that article very well. Also, I would get a test kit if I were you for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Good luck!

Welcome to AA!!!
:wave:
 
Thanks
I'll hopfully get the kit today and check out the resulted.
Thanks again.
 
Hi Guys
I got a test kit, below are the results:
Temperature: 26 C
pH: 7.5
General Hardness (GH): 8 dH
Carbonate Hardness (KH): 3 dH
Ammonia: 0 mg/l
Nitrate: 0.3 mg/l
Carbon Dioxide: 3
Based on the above data, It is not ammonia.
How do I measure if I have excess protein?
Today a labyrinth fish died.It had difficulty swimming(turn on its side), stayed on the surface for a while then went and stayed in the plant.I moved it into another small quarantine tank, but it died. The other 2 labyrinth seem healthy.
Your assistant and input is highly appreciated.
 
Foam material on surface

I took picture of the foam like material on the surface of the qaquaium.Hope it helps in identifying the problem.It is attached.
Thank you
 

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100% sure. When i estableshed the tank, I cleaned all the items with water. I only added a solution to remove the chlorine + white spot solution (a bit). All the water test turned out good. Is it possible that my fish are releasing some sort of chemical to cause this foaming?
My aquarium consists of:
6 Mollies
6 small transparent fish, i don't know the name but I attached a pic of it.
2 Labyrinth
1 rainbow
+ sucking cleaning fish that sticks to the glass with suction on its mouth.
I also have live plants.

Hope yoou can help.
Thanks
 

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Very odd. High phosphates can produce foaming too (sometimes you see it in rivers) but that is a ton of foam. I think I would be changing the water if I where you because that sure looks like some sort of chemical foaming agent.

I don't know of anything that your fish or plants could be releasing that could cause that much foaming. You do have a rather large air stream but that many bubbles is just not normal.

You may want to do an experiment & see if your water normally will froth up that much. Just put your normal tap water (whatever you used in the aquarium) in a pot & put in a bubbler for a bit. If you get foam at that point then it has to have come in with the water. Where is your water from like before it comes out of the tap (well water, surface water, rainfall, etc.)??
 
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