White Fluffy Matter

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Curious1

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
42
I'm a newbie and so far I'm really enjoying my aquarium. However, I noticed in the gravel what appears to be some strange white puffy matter that almost looks like small cotton balls. I am scared I have some awful disease or fungus in my tank. I just set it up a week ago so I can't imagine what it could be. Any ideas?
 
It could also be food that hasn't been eaten and is moldering in the gravel.

How often do you clean your gravel?
What kind of fish do you have?
 
My guess is some variety of Cyanobacteria. Pics would help with an id.
 
It could also be food that hasn't been eaten and is moldering in the gravel.

How often do you clean your gravel?
What kind of fish do you have?

This sounds right to me too. Uneaten food can look like a tiny cotton ball a couple days later :)
 
This sounds right to me too. Uneaten food can look like a tiny cotton ball a couple days later :)

I have it happen once in awhile with our cichlids. Sometimes they decide they don't want to eat their pellets right then and actually stock pile them behind the driftwood.
 
I tried to take pics but I have white gravel and it wouldn't show up. I tried taking some out and photographing it on a black background and it still didn't come out. I think I MAY have figured out what it is. I have two African Dwarf Frogs and I put pellets in for them. I think it is the pellets. In the center of the white blobs I see what appears to be the pellet. Maybe I shouldn't be using that food?
 
Cut back on the amount that you are feeding. If the frogs are eating some of the food then there is no need to not feed the pellet, if they aren't eating any of it, perhaps try a different kind.

You can always remove the uneaten pellets after a few hours. :)
 
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