What is the white fuzzy stuff on my new fish tank???
by Aquaboy on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 | 8 Comments
I have a new fish tank. Not realy new, i used to have fish in it but they all died. I cleaned everyithing really good and let it dry. I wanted to get new fish so i put water in it with the salt and conditioner. I have no fish or plants inside. I put the water in to cycle, turned on the filter. The next morning the water is cloudy and there is white fuzzy stuff all over the decorations. What should i do and what is the fuzzy stuf?? (its a 10 gallon tank)
that fuzzy white stuff is mold. You might wanna get a new fish tank. Thanks
If it’s a 10 gallon you can get those cheaply at Walmart or Petco.My friend just purchased one for around $10. I believe Petsmart is slightly more expensive. But if it’s not on the lid then it’s a better investment for the safety of your fish to get a new tank.
fungus… add more salt and let the whole thing soak with methylene blue and malachite green (or just the cheapest fish antiseptics you can find at wal-mart/the pet store).. after it’s been there for a while empty the whole thing and clean with a saucerful of dishwashing liquid and rinse with HOT water until you can’t smell the soap anymore..
reset the whole thing and let it cycle.
p.s. do NOT use for for cycling. if you’re unaware of this you can cycle it with commercial ammonia or even URINE.. a few drops should do it. look up fishless cycling articles.
The white fuzzy stuff and the stuff clouding the water is bacteria. The tank is not cycled, so you get what is called a “baterial bloom”, where it grows out of control for a short time. It is a normal part of the cycling process. Do not put fish into the tank.
Add a bit more food to the tank every few days to keep the cycling going, or run out and get some pure ammonia instead.
You got started with the wrong water chemistry and a bacterial infection started. If you want you can start over with new water and add a teaspoon of bleach. Let it run for a week or so and the bleach will oxidize out. Or just add a teaspoon of bleach to what you’ve got going. Wait a week before you add a fish. Go to the pet shop and get one fish, like a molly or sword-tail or something and have the pet shop put a tablespoon full of the tank gravel in the bag. On this gravel is the RIGHT kind of bacteria for you new tank. Acclimate and add the fish and gravel in together. There!
Wait a week before the next fish and another week or two for the next. So on and so on.
it could just be fish poo but it may be a dangerous mold. you might want to hurry if you want to save your fish. mine had the same thing and all my fish(10) died the next 2 days later. but there is still 5% chance of fish poo.
i had this when i setup a new tank after a few days it should go like mine did. not sure if my pleco ate it all or something else.
There might be some kind of mold, or dust in the tank. I would recomend cleaning it again, and putting in some extra water conditioner. Most fish can live with a little bacteria in their tank, it is only natural!
I hope this helps!