Scummy Water

[Andie]

I was adding a few milliliters of fresh water to the fry tank today (their first fresh water! Such big guys; I'm so proud of them ) and I noticed a sort of colourful scum over the top of the water; you know how puddles look when they have oil on them? Sort of like that, only not as colourful (and not, I assume, really engine oil!) I've seen this before in my other tanks and it's never bothered the bigger bettas, but I was wondering if it might be harder for the fry to handle, and, if so, what I should do about it.

 

[wuvmybetta]

That should go away as you increase aeration. The question is- what is it? Do you assume that it's protein scum? I've never seen it colorful before. Is it something from your hands?

ETA~ Also, it shouldn't bother them now, but as they approach three-four weeks and they begin breaking the water surface for air- it is extremely important that there is no thick scum on the surface or they won't be able to break it.

 

[Andie]

I checked again, and I think the colour was actually from my shirt as I leaned over the tank ) Silly me. But the scum, yeah, I think it might be just protein. The little guys wouldn't be able to stand me switching on the filter right now (two are triumphantly flaunting their swimming skills, one is admiring himself in the glass just like his daddy does, and the other two I can see are flopping jealously around trying to figure it out) but I'll turn it on in about three weeks for sure. Hopefully that will break it up enough for them to breathe