White Growth On Gravel and Ornaments

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hello Chris,

I have a ten gallon tank that has been set up for about seven weeks. I had to downsize from a twenty-five gallon tank due to getting new carpeting. I transferred the water and filter from the larger tank to preserve as much of the established tank as possible. The tank contains three fish. Two Cory Cats and one Black Tetra.

I went through a period of high ammonia which seems to have subsided. At last check the PH was around 7.5. I would prefer to keep it at 7.0 but haven't been able to get it there yet.

I do weekly 10% water changes and clean the inside glass surface once a week as well.

This week I am seeing a wispy, milky white substance growing on the gravel and ornaments and there are a few strands on the glass surface.

What is this substance and how can I get rid of it?

Regards,

Tom Rammel
Answer -
Hi Tom;

It sounds like decaying excess food or waste. Saprolegnia fungus attacks it as it rots. Looks kind of like angel hair or strings of cotton. Vacuum the gravel to remove it while making a 25% water change every week. Feed less food and see how it goes. It should go away as it's food source is removed.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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Hi Chris,

Thank you for the quick reply. I have a few followup questions for you.

Will changing 25% of my water weekly hurt the tank's cycle?

What about the PH? What would you recommend to keep a constant neutral PH?

Also, I get concerned when stirring up any of the sediment in the tank. Is it safe for the fish to be swimming though and breathing all that debris? Should I remove the fish until the debris settles? I have thought about using a tank divider to and cleaning half the tank at a time.

Lastly, when I downsized from the 25 gallon to the 10 gallon tank I continued using my AquaClear 200 filter. Is that too much filter for a ten gallon tank? What would you recommend as the best filter for 10 gallon setup? I prefer the AquaClear line for ease of media changes. Are canister filters too much for a small tank?

Regards,

Tom Rammel  

Answer
Hi Tom;

Water changes don't hurt the cycle at all. They are a necessary part of keeping the tank and fish healthy. Without water changes, nitrates build up and the pH slowly drops. This makes your fish weak and they become sick easily. Nitrate is the end result of the biological filtration that goes on in your tank. Partial water changes is the only safe way to lower it and keep it at acceptable levels for the fish in aquariums. Live plants consume it too. Tanks that are packed with lush leafy plants have naturally low nitrate levels. This is what happens out in nature. We can't always duplicate this process in our home aquariums. That's why water changes and gravel vacuuming is so important.

If there is a lot of stuff floating around the tank when you vacuum the gravel, you are overfeeding. There should be a little bit, but not so much that it is hard to see things in the tank. Cut back on feeding and do the gravel vacuumings weekly and you will notice a dramatic decrease in waste. I have cleaned my tanks this way for many years and it does not hurt the fish. Removing the fish is more stressful to them. You could divide it for a few minutes if that makes you feel better. That shouldn't stress them out too much.

Don't bother with the pH. Trying to change it is more stressful than letting the fish get used to what they have already become accustomed to. Partial water changes every week will keep it stable.

The Aquaclear 200 is just fine for your tank as long as the fish are okay with the flow. Turn the flow adjuster down if they are being buffeted around the tank too much. It is made for tanks up to 50 gallons. I wouldn't change it. Hagen Aquaclear are very good filters. I have a very old Marineland Penguin 160 on my 10 gallon. I've been using it for over 10 years. They are rated for use on 50 gallons too. Works out just fine.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins