Scubista

I have a new 8-gallon Biorb tank with undergravel filter and 3 small Ryukin goldfish. My tank became slightly cloudy today, so I tested the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hardiness, chlroine, alkalinity and pH. All were well within acceptable parameters. I put in some water clarifier (the kind that works by clinging to dirt particles). I also added a half-dose of stress coat.
Within 3 hours, all of my plastic plants have a layer of cobweb-like "fuzz" sticking straight up. Is the water clarifier responsible for this? Is there anything I can do besides cleaning the whole tank?

KyWildFish

Welcome to fishlore!!

How long have you had the tank? The cycle might just be getting started and the cloud you saw was probably whats called a bacteria bloom. The clarifier probably bound to all the proteins on the bacteria and they settled on the plants and died. Its possible the dead bacteria have now started feeding a mold, but I cant be sure without pics.

You mentioned the water reading were fine, what were they? Ammonia and Nitrite are only fine at 0 PPM, and nitrate less than 20. Alkalinity and pH arent a huge concern unless they fluctuate dramatically.

Lastly Ryukin goldfish each need about 10 gallons of water per fish as they grow quite large. The 8 might be overstocked and be causing all your problems. The issue with Goldfish is they produce a large amount of waste and can dirty water very quickly. I have two in a 20 gallon tank and it needs water changes sometimes twice a week.

If your new to the hobby there is a lot to learn, and its fun and frustrating at the same time. Use this forum and the links on the main page to learn as much as you can. The advise found at almost all petstore is bad and they are only in the hobby to make money. This should be your best source of information.

Feel free to send me a message or search the forums for answers. What I cant answer I will find someone or somewhere that can.

Again welcome!

Shawnie

super great advice kywild!! just wanted to welcome scubista to fishlore

bryan87

i also have the white fuss in my 10 gal tank covering my drift wood. how can i get rid of it?

KyWildFish

What I would do is this:

Just brush it off GENTLY in tank water during your next water change. NOTE: DO NOT DO THIS IN THE TANK. If it returns try adding some salt to the tank.

bryan87

will do.

KyWildFish

I should have mentioned never use table salt. Only use salt designed for freshwater tanks. Luckily its dirt cheap.

bryan87

how much for a ten gal tank?

KyWildFish

Should be instructions on the actual salt box. I would gradually add it. I usually estimate the amount, ablout a 1/4 cup for my 29g tank. I dont want a brackish tank but just a little salt is good for almost all fish. I would throw in a couple tablespoons.

prairielilly

You got some really great advice so far on cycling etc.

API Aquarium salt lists the dose as 1 tbsp/5 gallons I believe. It will say on the package of whichever you buy.

I had white fuzzies in my tank too (on driftwood), and I was using salt at the time. I wonder if it might be fungus spores from the tap water or fish food or decor, that bloom/multiply in nice warm aquariums? Just a thought. The fish didn't seem to mind.

Another possibility: the water clarifier you added likely works by flocculation (it will pull all the stuff suspended in the water together, into larger particles). These might have then settled on your decor and look like fuzzy stringy things. An UGF wouldn't be able to remove those, but you should be able to rinse off your decor and skim the water with a net.

bryan87

the white fuss is covering my driftwood. it appeared after i added ammonia detox by kent. that day all four of my fish died! now i am starting over but would like to get rid of the white fuss covering my driftwood before i risk more fish!

KyWildFish

prarielilly Flocculation is an amazing word! You get 3 bonus points for a great scientific adjective!

Its odd that a fungus would grow in a salty environment. Almost all fungi cant grow in salt, thus the addition to our foods (among other things). Probably some salt tolerant strain or something. I have very small fuzzy things you have to more than squint to see on my drift wood.

One option I never thought of would be boiling the wood.

prairielilly

uhh, thanks? (once a science geek, always a science geek...sigh)

Would the fuzzies thing be bacterial do you think? there are salt-resistant bacteria. Kinda curious too, my driftwood had it but now it doesn't. I scrubbed it a few times and it kept coming back. Then it didn't come back (coincided with having no fish and putting a ton of ammonia into the aquarium, don't know if they're related or not). I read a lot of stuff in here about NOT using salt and I actually don't use it any more (to each their own...) but I wonder if now the fuzzies will come back. I never boiled my wood, just soaked it. And I added another piece yesterday....

KyWildFish

Its possible its a slime forming bacteria, but I dont know enough about the different types of bacteria found in a home aquarium. The addition then removal of salt suggests that it was in fact a bacteria as the removal of an inhibitory agent caused its growth then the addition of ammonia killed it. Strange.

bryan87

actually it is fungus growing from food left over. just take it out and boil it and it will go away. you must be over feeding!