Fuzzy particle thingys in the water

[FlareBettaGuy]

It started with cloudy water. Now, I see little puffy bits of stuff everywhere. Some are tiny, and some are big. Like a centimeter. They are flooding the whole one gallon tank with my betta. No filter. No nothing. Just gravel, plants, and a hidey hole. I cleaned the whole tank out once, which I mentioned in my other post, and it killed out all the beneficial bacteria. But, it also killed the fuzzy stuff. So I had to make a sacrifice. But now it's comming back. They are floating around in the water. They are everywhere, and they look like little tiny dots in the water. Never had this problem before with my last betta. A lot of it is floating on the surface, too. And when I felt the side of the tank, it felt very slippery. I change the water partially everyday like I was told, and added some Tetra Aquasafe, but it looks like the stuff in the water is multiplying at a rate faster than my water changes. In other words, there are still so many, and there are more new ones made every day than the ones I take out during the water changes. So I think that they are steadily increasing in number, and my water changes are just slowing them down a little. And soon, i'm sure something bad is going to happen once there are enough of them. Betta is eating fine, and makes bubblenests, but i'm still worried. I heard that beneficial bacteria can help. How? And how long until they get here and come to the rescue?

 

[Inchworm]

OK, FlareBettaGuy, it's time for you to get a grip!

I've told you what to do on this thread, but you never even posted a reply.

http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?sh...=0&#entry123892


>>>>I heard that beneficial bacteria can help. How? And how long until they get here and come to the rescue?

I explained how to get them in that thread. It appears to me that you like to whine and type more than you like to take care of your fish.

 

[Inchworm]

...It appears to me that you like to whine and type more than you like to take care of your fish.

Ok, FlareBettaGuy, I'm sorry I said mean things to you in the post above. Please accept my apology. )

But things are not right with your tank and I am feeling frustrated that I cannot help you fix it. I'm sure that you're not happy with the situation, either.

Keeping fish should be a pleasure, not a constant fight to keep them alive. I worry that if you lose another fish you will give up. That would be a real shame!

If you would like to pm me, please feel free to do it. Perhaps I can help you better that way.

 

[White Whale]

The fuzzy stuff usually appears a few hours after I feed my guys freeze-dried grubs. The dryness probably flakes off when it hits the water. Could it be that?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Itty Bitty Betta

There are only two ways things can get into the tank--either you put it in there or the fish did.

This means that it is probably either uneaten food or fish waste. Either way it has to come back out or it will ruin the water.

This is one of the reasons that having a larger tank is a good idea. If the tank is big enough to have cory cats, a few of them at the bottom will eat the food and convert it to chemical wastes which feed the beneficial bacteria and help them to prosper. Then it becomes a matter of routinely siphoning out the bottom and replacing some of the water. In other words, the stuff in the water becomes less of a critical situation.

If you have a tiny little tank, however, this uneaten food will spoil and polute the water very quickly. Therefore, it becomes more necessary to monitor what the fish actually eats and 1) feed only enough for him to eat within a few minutes time, and/or 2) remove any leftovers right away.

I sometimes use a length of airline hose as a tiny little siphon when I clean my fry tanks. It might work to clean a small bowl without removing too much water.

 

[MAM]

i personally use a turkey baster to siphon stuff off the gravel in my betta tanks. ...

 

[Inchworm]

That sounds like a good idea, Many A Molly.

I'll get one and give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion.