HELP weird film!!!!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Mcnomnom

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Feb 6, 2012
Messages
22
Will someone please help me out here!

I am a new fish keeper started my 10gallon tank abut a month ago.
I have 2 male mollies and 2 male guppies. Unforntunatly, i had bought sick fish (unknowingly) until i researched and found out what was wrong with them. One of my mollies had ick and my other molly had ick AND cotton wool. To add to this trouble, right when the fish seemed sick my nitrites spiked like crazy and no matter what i did (add conditioner, water changes, etc) they only went up. Every time i do a waterchange i do and conditioner and dechlorinator. Needless to say i treated for both the ick and the cotton wool both and they are gone now. (yes i took out the carbon filter) I just put the carbon filter back in and tested my levels. My levels are:
Ammonia-0 Nitrite-3 (i know its high but it used to be 10 plus so its better) Nitrate-20 ph- 7 Chlorine and chloramine- 0 Temp.- 80

I thought i was out of the woods but nope. Now in my tank is this slim that is clear. It feels like snot but it is over EVERYTHING. My plants, filter, decoration, tank walls, gravel, everything. Ive done one 15% change and cleaned the whole tank decorations, gravel, walls, everything. Sure enough next day its ALL back. What is this stuff? Some of the slimy stuff grows off in strands some in beads an some flat against the walls, gravel, and plants. I looked at my carbon filter the other night and this slimy stuff was on my filter so much, it completly surpressed one side down like gel would to hair. I scrapped the smily stuff off and am worried. My mollies seem to be eating it so im kinda worried i dont want another illness. None of the fish seem bothered by it but its making my water cloudy and its really gross to the touch. I researched and it could be an algea bloom but im not 100% sure can anyone help me out?
 
The pics aren't showing up, can you try again? And some of your text got cut off too.

Your tank is rather small for mollys, which is probably adding to the issue. They are large messy fish that need a larger tank. What filter do you have on the tank? is the surface of the water agitated by the filter or an air stone?

The tank might also be cycling still; what are your current nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and PH levels?

There's a guide below in my signature called: guide to starting a fw aquarium. The first thing it covers is cycling; you'll want to read the fish-in links particularly well and it has other info that might help too.

If you can fix the pics it migth be easier to help identify what the film is.

[Edit]: Thoutht of a couple more questions for you:

What test kit are you using?

How often are the lights on per day? Is the tank near a window?

Are you vacuuming the gravel/substrate when you do water changes? How often are you doing water changes?

Does the tank have a heater? If so what's the temperature?

Also have you tested your tap water for nitrate, ammonia and nitrite?
 
Last edited:
I have a top fin 10 filter i do have an air stone also. My mollies right now are fairly small. (about 1.5 inches) and i have been cutting back on all the fishes food (forgot to add that) I feed them tropical flakes and have only been feeding the batch of 4 one flake per fish per day. Current levels Ammonia- 0 Nitrite- 3 (yes i know its high but at its peak at one point it was 10 so its a much needed change). Nitrate- 20 ph- 7 and my temp is 80. I cant add pictures right now but i will be able later on in the day. I test my water both up at petsmart and with Mardel Dip Test Strips when i cant go up to petsmart, but want to know. I dont crazy test the water but do when i am concerned. My light is on from 6 am till 4 pm and there is a window in the room, but has shades over so some light gets in but not much and its not directly on the tank. Water changes 10% every week yes gravel vacuuming and with the medication of the tanks i did three 10% changes over one week. The tap water in my area is very low in all those levels so i dont think thats the problem. Where exactly did my text cut off in the last post? And did it cut off in this one?
 
Back
Top Bottom