Soapy Bubbles On Surface Water

[Porky p]

Hi guys,

I have very recently started a 120ltr fishless cycle adding ammonia to start cycle! I do not have any filter media from an established aquarium so I understand its going to take longer!
Anyway the tank has been set up for nearly a week, I had problems with cloudy water so I let that all setting prior to adding ammonia! I have taken my ammonia reading to 4ppm and left it since (no change) however this has only been one day since I added and if I'm correct it can take a few days to go down yet! I have a 600 lph hang on filter and a fluval 400 internal filter also! So I think this is more than adequate for my tank!
However I am getting soapy bubbles on the surface of the water and it may be nothing but I wasted to check with people who would know! Is this normal or do you think I may have somehow got soap or a soapy substance in my aquarium! I haven't used any soap to my knowledge and my ammonia doesn't contain anything it shouldn't!

Cheers
Josh

 

[Tuxyu3]

The ammonia may contain some kind of perfume or similar things. Shake the ammonia bottle, if it goes bubbly like you would expect soap water to then you will probably have to buy some plain household ammonia (no additives) and if it just gets a few bubbles that dissapear quickly like you would expect with normal water it is probably something else. Would also be great if there is an ingredients list on the ammonia you can post.

 

[Porky p]

Weirdly it doesn't have an ingredients list which along with shaking it prior to buying it told me it was pure ammonia and water? It doesn't bubble at all when you shake it so I can't see why this would cause it to in the aquarium! It's called 'knock out'.
I'm thinking the bubbles could just be caused by both filters creating the air bubbles! I don't know if or how to post a pic otherwise I would!

 

[Mort75]

my tank got lots of those little soapy bubbles when i was cycleing my tank. I got them within minutes of adding some API quick start. needless to say it got tossed in the trash as fast as it made the bubbles. Did you by chance add anything to your tank besides ammonia that could have caused this?

 

[Porky p]

I added a bacterial solution a while ago but I have done a 75% water change since then! The bubbles are only there when my fluval filter output is half above the water line. I do that to create aeration whilst cycling. When I put it under they go away

 

[Tuxyu3]

If your filter is above the water line or breaking the water surface in any way i would image you should be able to tell by turning the filter off for a couple of minutes to see if the bubbles go, that is if you cannot just tell from observation.

 

[Porky p]

Yes it is and when I put the filter under the bubbles go, does this mean they are simply air bubbles and I have nothing to worry about?

 

[Tuxyu3]

If the bubbles disappear when the filter is stopped i am willing to say this is the most like scenario, you should be ok.

PS. Make sure you have everything plugged back in! Don't want to restart your cycle now do we?

 

[Porky p]

No we sure dont

Thanks by the way! Appreciated