Is this normal?

[pettygil]

There was a bunch of white stuff in my fish tank, so I stuck my finger in the fish tank and then it looked like black ink. I did a 50 percent water change. but I was wondering does black looking ink, normal? Well that is what it looked like. I'm not saying black ink was in the tank, it just looked like it.
This is for my betta tank, which I have one betta. It is a 6,5 gallon tank.
After water change the Black looking ink, is gone, but there is still some white stuff in the tank.

[Andy Sager]

Close up pictures would help.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

Close up pictures would help.

The water has cleared up. I will take a photo if this happens again. I did a water change, and that helped. Water is clear now. I do not get it, but it is fine, not like before.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by pettygil

The water has cleared up. I will take a photo if this happens again. I did a water change, and that helped. Water is clear now. I do not get it, but it is fine, not like before.

There are things in water that can come out of solution ( i.e. Phosphates) that can look like undissolved calcium or other white substances and algae spores that can be free floating before becoming attached to a surface which is why pics of these things helps figure it all out. There are too many possibilities from a simple explanation in a question. The good news is a water change solved the problem. Most often that is the right solution no matter what it is.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

There are things in water that can come out of solution ( i.e. Phosphates) that can look like undissolved calcium or other white substances and algae spores that can be free floating before becoming attached to a surface which is why pics of these things helps figure it all out. There are too many possibilities from a simple explanation in a question. The good news is a water change solved the problem. Most often that is the right solution no matter what it is.

Here is a photo of my tank. Like I said, it looks a lot better now.

[pettygil]

I do not think my tank is cycled, yet. It's a 6.5 gallon tank. Should I have left the white stuff in the tank? I get 0 Nitrites and 0 Nitrates. I have liquid test kit to check.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by pettygil

I do not think my tank is cycled, yet. It's a 6.5 gallon tank. Should I have left the white stuff in the tank? I get 0 Nitrites and 0 Nitrates. I have liquid test kit to check.

If you had 0 nitrates before the water change, and no live plants that could absorb what's being created, that sounds like no, you haven't cycled the tank yet. What you then need to confirm is that there is ammonia in the tank. If there is, do a water change to bring the ammonia under .25 ppm but not to 0 and add the fritzyme to put the bacteria into the tank so that it can start working. You should then see the ammonia level go back to 0 and your nitrite level raise slightly since the bacteria to convert it to nitrate will already be in the tank. Since it's just the 1 Betta in there, the ammonia level shouldn't be too high unless you are overfeeding.

[pettygil]

The white stuff came back in my tank, here is a photo. I am not going to change water, until someone, replies and tells me what shall I do. This is my 6.5 gallon tank, with one betta. Also the tank is not cycled yet.

[Aiken Drum]

You mean the film on the water surface?

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

You mean the film on the water surface?

yes, the white film is on the surface of the water. I do not see it anywhere else in the tank, just on the top part.

[Aiken Drum]

Look at it from below the surface up at the light. Is there a rainbow like colour to it? Like when petrol (gasoline) mixes with water in a puddle?

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Look at it from below the surface up at the light. Is there a rainbow like colour to it? Like when petrol (gasoline) mixes with water in a puddle?

All I see is white cloudy water. I did not see a rainbow. It's like a bed of white covering the surface. It's like white card board.

[Aiken Drum]

Well. Its a surface scum of some kind. Could be something that is getting in off your hands. Could be fat and protein from your fish food. Could be from aerosols sprayed in the air.

Is your filter running in the photo?

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Well. Its a surface scum of some kind. Could be something that is getting in off your hands. Could be fat and protein from your fish food. Could be from aerosols sprayed in the air.

Is your filter running in the photo?

Yes, the filter is on. I always wash my hands really well, so I doubt it is coming from me. I do not use any hair spray, even I hate the stuff, makes me sneeze.
must be fat, or protein, or surface scum, what ever that is.

[Aiken Drum]

If the filter is on its not causing enough surface agitation. I think ive raised this before. You need the water coming out of the filter to break the surface and cause ripples across the surface.

It should look like this.

https://youtube.com/shorts/TiLF-c1m9jI?feature=share

Surface agitation is needed for a couple of reasons.

1. It promotes gas exchange. With a dead flat surface like that oxygen will get used up, with no gas exchange it wont get replenished. Fish need oxygen in the water or they will suffocate. The bacteria responsible for your cycle needs oxygen to process ammonia into nitrate.

Bettas can breath air directly from the atmosphere by taking gulps at the surface, but its still good have well oxygenated water.

2. Surface agitation breaks up surface skum, dispersing it into the water where your filter can remove it.

Either try and redirect the water coming out of your filter to break the surface more, or raise the filter higher, or lower the water level. Or get an airstone.

To remove the surface scum short term, water change. Instead of syphoning out the water, scoop it out with a jug to remove it from the surface. Longer term you need to up the surface agitation.

Are all your tanks like that? Dead flat surface on them? Can you post a photo of all your tank surfaces with the filter running.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by pettygil

Yes, the filter is on. I always wash my hands really well, so I doubt it is coming from me. I do not use any hair spray, even I hate the stuff, makes me sneeze.
must be fat, or protein, or surface scum, what ever that is.

There's not enough surface breakage to keep any film from forming. Dust in the air or smoke from the kitchen can cause this film as can fats from the food you feed or soap residue on your hands. Then there are the natural bacteria and algae that can form a slick or " biofilm" at the surface when there isn't enough agitation in the water. The possibilities are numerous. If your tank is not covered, I suggest lowering the water level so that there is more surface agitation created by your filter which will keep any slick or film from forming.
The good news is that Bettas are designed naturally to live in low oxygen water but they need to break the surface of the water in order to breathe so any film is not good to have. If more splashing does not solve the film issue, I suggest you get a lid to cover the tank to rule out anything air born. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something to keep anything air born from getting into the tank.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

There's not enough surface breakage to keep any film from forming. Dust in the air or smoke from the kitchen can cause this film as can fats from the food you feed or soap residue on your hands. Then there are the natural bacteria and algae that can form a slick or " biofilm" at the surface when there isn't enough agitation in the water. The possibilities are numerous. If your tank is not covered, I suggest lowering the water level so that there is more surface agitation created by your filter which will keep any slick or film from forming.
The good news is that Bettas are designed naturally to live in low oxygen water but they need to break the surface of the water in order to breathe so any film is not good to have. If more splashing does not solve the film issue, I suggest you get a lid to cover the tank to rule out anything air born. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something to keep anything air born from getting into the tank.

I have a lid for my tank. For the picture I removed the lid. The lid has lights on it. I leave my lights on for about 12 hours a day, is that too much? I do not smoke, so that can't be it. My air is pretty clean, so that can't be it. I will lower the water, see if that helps.

[Aiken Drum]

Id still like to know if no surface agitation is typical of all your tanks. If so we might be getting closer to the cause of these fish deaths you seem to be having.

The corys and bettas are fish that can get O2 by taking a gulp of air at the surface. The fish that are dying are types that cant do this.

Photos of the top of all your tanks please.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Id still like to know if no surface agitation is typical of all your tanks. If so we might be getting closer to the cause of these fish deaths you seem to be having.

The corys and bettas are fish that can get O2 by taking a gulp of air at the surface. The fish that are dying are types that cant do this.

Photos of the top of all your tanks please.

My 20 gallon filter works fine. The water is clear. I found out what was casing the problem. I needed to empty some of my tank water out into a bucket. It was because I wasn't getting enough air filtration. My tank is clearing up. I had the water way too high over the filter. Like i said my other tanks are fine. The water is clear in my other tanks.

[pettygil]

Here is a video of my fish tanks.