Habitat - Indoor :: bubbles on water

[harleysmom]

Since I hooked up my Fluval 405 in my tank, the water has become very clear. However, on the top layer of the water is a filmy looking slime like when you have a bucketful of water with dishsoap in it after the bubbles die down...and around the filter and thermometer and such are little white bubbles. what could be causing this?

1. i dumped some water conditioner in last week when i changed the water...could it be that?

2. the filter is working well but the intake and outtake cords are a bit loose, like there IS some slack. working on getting a hacksaw to cut the intake tube and stuff but it might be a while. but it works for now.

what could it be from?! i sometimes put my hands in the water to adjust things could it have been from something on my hands?

i just dont know. can take pics if needed. thanks.

[marisa]

New media that wasn't rinsed well enough? Not enough agitation on the surface?

[harleysmom]

okay, thanks. how do i agitate the surface? i have a bubblestone, should i plug that in...or get one of those filters that sit on the side and drop water down, just to agitate the surface a bit more...

perhaps. i thought i washed it well but perhaps not.

i will do a full water change next week cuz i have to empty the tank to move to my new apartment. i hope its nothing dangerous....

[marisa]

Doubt that it's harmful. Can you angle the output so that it moves the surface a little?

[harleysmom]

the output is WAY too long. the tubes are slack as it is, and the output is about 3 inches off the bottom of the tank. i need to cut both tubes, working on it.

some pics u can see the bubbles near the top...

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/gruntsgirl/AUG09042.jpg?t=1251740215

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/gruntsgirl/AUG09043.jpg?t=1251740244

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/gruntsgirl/AUG09045.jpg?t=1251740277[/url]

[BullDog]

Little bubbles like that should really be no problem.
I noticed a bunch of bubbles on both my tanks a week ago, because I hadn't done a partial water change for a long time. Have you checked your nitrate levels recently?

[harleysmom]

no. the pet shop here has PH test strips but none to test for nitrate/ammonia. ugh. i'm trying to find some somewhere. the ph is supposed to be 7-8 though, just so i know, right? i forget.

i will be doing a water change next week, i'll probly do a partial one tomorrow and see if it goes away. what causes nitrate build-up?

[BullDog]

RES are pretty tolerant to PH, and I *think* they're OK in a PH from 6-8 (although I'm not 100% sure).

You could check Wal-mart for tests, I got my ammonia test from there (drop tests though, not test strips). I don't recall seeing nitrate tests last time I was there though, but they were out of half of the stuff

Ammonia is produced in the turtle waste. In a cycled tank, there will be colonies of good bacteria. One type of bacteria turns ammonia into nitrite, and another type that turns nitrite in to nitrate. So in a cycled tank, the ammonia and nitrate gets consumed quickly, but the nitrate does not. Nitrate will continue to increase, if there is nothing to consume it, until you do a partial water change. Plants can absorb nitrate, but we all know how much turtles love to "absorb" plants

[untsmurf]

I use test strips from jungle laboratories corp. They have a website www.junglelabs.com.

It's called Quick Dip: 6 tests in one strip. It's for fresh and salt water and it tests nitrate, nitrite, total hardness, total chlorine, total alkalinity, and pH. It doesn't test ammonia though. I got these at one of the petcosmarts.

[harleysmom]

thanks.

[jozzep]

The film on the top you're talking about is oil, either from the skin of the turtles or the food you're giving him.I think we all have that.
I also have a fluval and i fixed that problem by buying an adapter piece on ebay that takes water from the surface and bottom.
Here it is and it works great.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HAGEN-FLUVAL-SU ... 286.c0.m14

[akaghettoraver]

I use API 5 in 1 Test Strips from www.petsolutions.com.

[blueace23]

i use the API complete Freshwater test Kit. It has 4 vials that you fill up with aquarium water. It tests Ph, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and high PH. It's very accurate and in my opinion i think it's better than the test strips because the amount of drops is different for each chemical to test for each level, so I would suggest getting one of these types of test kits... Also, you will go thru a lot more test strips than you will drops... The kit that i have costs $35.00, but It can test up to 2,000 tests. I got it at Petsmart.

[VeipaCray]

Agreed. A proper test kit is a much better option. Ask any long time serious fish hobbiest - fresh or marine - and they will both tell you dip strips are inaccurate at best. Pinpoint also makes digital meters (the most accurate) for some of the measurements -if you have some extra $$$ to spend. The Hagen Master test kit is also very nice (I found mine for about $50 on ebay). The master test kit is a good option if you have both fish and turts.