Weird stuff in my fish tank?

Question

There is this strange white substance in the bottom of my beta tank. It looks like a bunch of cotton resting on the gravel. It has gathered mostly around peices of food at the bottom. What is it and how do I get rid of it? How do I prevent it?

Answer 1

Oh good grief..... It's not bacteria, it's fungus growing on the old food. Don't break down the whole tank, that's uncalled for and really, really bad for your fish. Terrible advice. Clean out the tank with a gravel siphon from the pet store. Clean the gravel and remove about 25% of the water while doing so. Do this once a week for a much healthier tank. Preventing theis is the most simple ting. Be careful not to over feed. Feed only as much as the fish will eat in 3-4 minutes once or twice a day. Remove uneaten food promptly with a turkey baster to keep the water and gravel clean, then no more fungus problems!

Best of luck

MM

Answer 2

Probably this is Achyla (see photo: http://www.visualsunlimited.com/images/watermarked/227/227311.jpg ) - the photo shows Achyla growing on a dead insect.

This is a microorganism (once thought to be a fungus, but now classified differently). It's in almost all aquaria and you won't get rid of it. It won't harm your fish directly, but will infect open wounds/sores on the fish.

What you should do is feed less to your fish and vacuum the cottony food from the bottom of the tank (or use a net to scoop it out).

If there's food siting on the bottom of your tank for Achyla to grow on , it's been there for at least two days. Only feed what your fish can eat in about 2 minutes and remove the rest with a net or gravel vacuum.

Answer 3

It sound like mold or fungus caused by excess food. If you have food at the bottom of your tank, resting in your gravel, than you're probably feeding your betta too much. These guys only need 3-4 pellets a day. They have an extremely slow metabolism and don't require nearly as much food as most fish.

Go ahead and do a complete water change in your betta tank. Clean it out with some water and vinegar (75% water, 25% viniegar) and make sure to get the gravel especially clean. Be sure to dechlorinate the fresh water you are putting in.

When you feed your betta, it's a good idea to watch him eat. give him one pellet at a time until you have fed him 3 or 4. By feeding him one pellet at a time, there's less risk of him not seeing one and having it sink to the bottom and grow mold.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Answer 4

It's old food and it can poison the water.
If I were you, I would dump everything. Trash the old rocks, rinse off some new ones and start over. Just don't use soap to clean the tank.
I have an albino cat fish and 2 dwarf African frogs to help eat up the old food that hits the bottom of the tank.

Answer 5

Your over feeding your betta and that stuff is growing on the food he didn't it, this will kill your betta. Clean your tank at once and then only feed him a lil at a time, watxh him eat it and remove food he doesn't eat. Get yourself a Turkey Baster to pick up any food on the bottom in a nice and easy fashion.

Answer 6

It is bacteria. Remove your fish immedialty and clean out your tank. This is poisenous and will kill yoru fish if left there for long. Take out your fish, remove the water, take out all the bottom stuff. Clean your bottom stuff, and put back in the water and your fish,

Answer 7

You need to clean the tank. When owning any type of pet you always have to clean up after them.

Answer 8

time to clean your gravel.. give it a good wash in tank water (do a partial water change while you're at it). You are probably overfeeding your fish...

Answer 9

actually its mold growing around the food
you should immediately replace the water! if you dont your water quality will go down drastically! and cause low DO in yuor tank killing your fish

Answer 10

dude its bacteria clean the tank quick