What am I doing wrong? This is a newer tank with some live plants in it so I’ve been getting a lot of algae growth- as seen in the photo. I’ve been doing semi-frequent water changes to keep things clear.
I changed the water and then was away for the night- when I came back my tank looked like this. What is this stuff on top of the water? What else can I do to stop algae growth? Is it bad for my fish?
I want Carl to live a long and healthy life, any advice is welcome but please be kind 🙂
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1ofyyug
Posted by charsteffen
4 Comments
Maybe biofilm? Snail time!! 😀
Otherwise I’d put him in a holding tank then deep clean the whole tank. Gravel included. Maybe treat the live plants to squash and bad bugs
I believe it’s an access of calcium buildup. All the snail shells you have are slowly releasing calcium into the water. Remove the shells and try other decorations!
This looks like biofilm, which could decrease gas exchange a bit (important for water oxygen levels). Increasing water surface agitation usually resolved this fast. You can skim it too. Including the info sheet as it may help with other possible questions. Good luck!
https://preview.redd.it/du1izpc23bxf1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6cd11dea4f53cf705861e2d396b5d716a0ead62d
I’m unfortunately not sure about the weird thick film, but I will second what someone else said about the shells altering water chemistry. Other safer and more appropriate decor for a betta tank would be wood, or ideally a lot more plants! The tank as it is now is unfortunately very unenriching. Plants will also compete with algae. How long do you have the lights on, and how old is the tank? What does semi-frequent water changes mean?
As for what to do, up the water changes and get an algae scraper!