Fish Tank Aeration

[mteverett]

I am not sure you can have too much aeration, but I agree with the others both 1. if the bubbles are staying on top that is a sign that there might be something in the water and 2. the HOB is probably all the airation you need, your bubbler is just gravy.

Common candidates for things in the water causing foam to stick around are: soap and equivalents (even in unbelievably and unobservably tiny amounts these can make a lot of bubbles when coupled with enough aeration), or bacterial scum on the surface (common in all fish tanks even very healthy ones). The best thing for either of those is a water change. IF it is bacterial scum try to do your water change by scooping out mostly the surface water; i.e. shallow little scoops along the surface with a small container that you can empty into a larger one if you need a reservoir to accumulate your little scoops before disposal.

I added aquarium salt would it cause this?

 

[mteverett]

Hey, MT.

Extra aeration isn't harmful, but I agree that it isn't necessary. Most aeration comes from surface agitation, not from bubbles in the water, so an HOB gives you plenty. If you like the look of the bubbles, though, they don't hurt anything. The only possible problem is if you have fish (bettas, gouramis, lots of others) who don't like much water movement. But I don't think that will be a problem for mollies.

I agree that you need to get your nitrite under control; keep doing big water changes until your tank finishes cycling (nitrites and ammonia zero). I'm a bit worried about that foam, too. Are the bubbles popping almost immediately, but spreading out like that because there are just so many? Or are they lasting several seconds like soap bubbles? A quick video would help us figure out what's happening there.

Am i able to attach a video here? Not sure how. Also this is definitely new, i’ve never had this much foaming.. it was much less since today. I added nutrafin cycle overtop of the bubbler maybe that is causing it?

 

[Back in the fold]

@mteverett I don't think the added salt you use is a problem unless it is building up. I use 4 teaspoons API Aquarium salt per ten gallons of water in my tanks. My change water is the same so the proportion stays constant. If you add salted water to replace evaporation then the salinity level will get stronger. This added salt is a practice that was once very common and almost standard procedure amongst old time aquarists. I decided to do it for various reasons and I am very pleased with the increased vigor and health of my fish. It has not affected my plants at this level and it has also eradicated planaria that were plaguing me.

 

[Sgooosh]

Am i able to attach a video here? Not sure how. Also this is definitely new, i’ve never had this much foaming.. it was much less since today. I added nutrafin cycle overtop of the bubbler maybe that is causing it?

post a youtube video and do it

 

[Sgooosh]

@mteverett I don't think the added salt you use is a problem unless it is building up. I use 4 teaspoons API Aquarium salt per ten gallons of water in my tanks. My change water is the same so the proportion stays constant. If you add salted water to replace evaporation then the salinity level will get stronger. This added salt is a practice that was once very common and almost standard procedure amongst old time aquarists. I decided to do it for various reasons and I am very pleased with the increased vigor and health of my fish. It has not affected my plants at this level and it has also eradicated planaria that were plaguing me.

maybe salt is? because the sea is foamy?

 

[Colin_T]

The foam on the surface is not from salt or aeration. It's usually caused by plant fertiliser, medication or protein in the water.

 

[Back in the fold]

The foam on the surface is not from salt or aeration. It's usually caused by plant fertiliser, medication or protein in the water.

@Colin_T beat me to it. Marine fish keepers use a gizmo called a protein skimmer to get rid of that foam. I'm not sure about the why of it but perhaps Colin could explain it.

 

[ArmchairAquariest]

I added aquarium salt would it cause this?

On its own, no it shouldn't. But, if there is a lot of protein and/or fats in the water column they can mix with the salts to form surfactant-like solution which can foam in the presence of a lot of aeration (and you do have a lot of aeration). So that might be what happened IMHO. You may just have a magically high combination of: aeration, salts, and Protein+Fat in the water column sufficient to produce foam. If this is the case lessening any or all three of these things should reduce foaming. A water change, especially with surface scooping, would reduce the Protein+Fat so that might be all you need, but if you also add slightly less salt and/or slightly less aeration that could push it down further. I don't think all the foam will go away, but you can probably reduce it a lot.

 

[Colin_T]

@Colin_T beat me to it. Marine fish keepers use a gizmo called a protein skimmer to get rid of that foam. I'm not sure about the why of it but perhaps Colin could explain it.

Protein skimmers only work in salt water tanks and do not work in fresh water. They produce very fine air bubbles that get mixed with water. The air/ water mixture causes proteins to come out of the water and mix with the foam that floats and moves up a tube into a collection cup so it is out of the aquarium water. Less protein means the water stays cleaner for longer.

The fine bubbles are only produced in salt water and the bubbles cannot be made fine enough in fresh water.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Protein skimmers only work in salt water tanks and do not work in fresh water. They produce very fine air bubbles that get mixed with water. The air/ water mixture causes proteins to come out of the water and mix with the foam that floats and moves up a tube into a collection cup so it is out of the aquarium water. Less protein means the water stays cleaner for longer.

The fine bubbles are only produced in salt water and the bubbles cannot be made fine enough in fresh water.

Well, maybe that explains why I've never observed protein skimmers to do anything at all. I always thought I just wasn't using them right. ha ha Some canister filters have a little auxiliary intake that is supposed to float on the surface and suck down foam and film. I've never had any luck with those either--IME they're very finicky and they don't do what they're supposed to.

 

[Colin_T]

Some canister filters have a little auxiliary intake that is supposed to float on the surface and suck down foam and film. I've never had any luck with those either--IME they're very finicky and they don't do what they're supposed to.

They are surface skimmers and are designed to remove the oily film that forms on the water surface. The ones for power filters aren't that good, but if you have a trickle filter, they normally take water from a surface skimmer and these do work well.