Water in beta tank

Question
We've had a beta fish in a 12" tall open top glass vase for about two years. We moved six months ago, which might ot might not have anything to do with our situation.

We change his water every week with bottled water that is not chlorinated, and is the same type since before we moved. Right after we moved from a private home into our new garden apartment, we noticed that tiny white flakes appear on the top of the water. This never happened until we moved. We thought it might be something in the air in our new apartment, so we placed a paper towel loosely over the top of the vase, but the flakes still appear. The flakes appear a couple of days after changing the water, which we change every 10 days or so, and other than the flakes, the water quality is crystal clear.

We have glass beads on the bottom of the vase, along with a stalk of a phylodendrum-type plant.

Do you have any idea what is acusing the flakes on the top of the water? We're afraid this is something in the air, but also wonder if it is caused by something in the vase.

Answer
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your letter. Congratulations for being a good care taker of your betta. Most people over feed their fish and that's usually when they write to me.
Your situation is a mystery, but let me ask you what brand of bottled water you use. If it's one of the common types, like Sparklets, Dasani, Arrowhead, or whatever, then I would say it's the water. Most of the bottled water on the market these days is controlled by something similar to the Mafia. (Except they don't kill people as far as I know!)
So, the local bottler in your new area may have a different process for filtration, or the water they use has more minerals, or something like that.
Do an experiment. Use only Evian or another imported brand for a while and see if that helps.
Also, if you don't already, consider using Cycle in your water. It's not a chemical, but friendly bacteria. It conditions the water to make it more like a natural habitat. Follow the directions on the label and store in the fridge between use.
Here is my web page for easy aquarium care:
http://steamboats.com/aquarium.html
Write back if the situation persists.
Nori