Question for my Freshwater friends!

[FishyReef]

I know this isn't really the place to ask freshwater questions, but I'm hoping someone can help out. One of the people I work with recently got a betta fish and has it in an aquarium at home. He came to me today for help because he's gotten a white fuzzy growth all over his substrate and decorations. He said he cleaned the tank a few days ago (just rinsing the filter and decorations with hot water) and that the growth came back again very quickly. He's using distilled water and not using any sorts of chemicals in the tank. All rocks and decorations were purchased new. He wonders if he should just throw the rocks out and buy a new bag of them, but I'm not sure that's where the problem lies. I know nothing about freshwater aquariums so thought I'd see if anyone here can help ID what the white growth is and what he can do to get rid of it.

Thanks!!

 

[little_fish]

its probably a water mold, but what you do about that I have no idea

 

[FishyReef]

Would he get water mold if he's using distilled water? That's the part that baffles me....

Though I suppose if he dumped the fish and water from the LFS into the aquarium to start with he could have introduced spores that way. I'll have to ask if he transfered the fish to aquarium with a net or not.

 

[little_fish]

no idea, i dont know beans about freshwater, what he has just sounds like a water mold.

like this but on the substrate?

 

[FishyReef]

I'll show him the picture and ask!

 

[yote]

Very well could be mold.
Don't matter how perfect the water is,the second you add a fish, you add waste. The waste can produce what your describing.
Had it in my plant tank a week or so after starting it up.Seems to be a lot like diatoms in saltwater,just have to let it run its course.

 

[FishyReef]

Thanks guys! I googled freshwater mold and it sounds like excess food in the tank is one of the primary causes, so I forwarded the info to my boss and he said his daughter has been feeding extra to the fish so that is likely the source. I recommended only feeding as much as the fish can eat in 3min and removing the rest, so he's gonna try that and see if it helps!

 

[Kelz88]

betta honestly dont need much unless your breeding them, a few pellets a day will do. Sigh i miss my crowntails

 

[SarahSmile]

For some reason I thought you were NOT supposed to use distilled in freshwater tanks. I did and had a fish die and the guy at the store told me it is missing stuff that the fish need? So now I just use tap in my freshwater tank and I haven't had a problem since. Thou, it's weird to type that tap water is what I am using for a tank :)

 

[Kelz88]

all the freshies i had over the years ive used tap water for lol. I figured if they couldnt survive tap they weren't worth having. Kinda cruel, but once you hit 400 guppies, you gotta get a lil mean.

 

[FishyReef]

For some reason I thought you were NOT supposed to use distilled in freshwater tanks. I did and had a fish die and the guy at the store told me it is missing stuff that the fish need? So now I just use tap in my freshwater tank and I haven't had a problem since. Thou, it's weird to type that tap water is what I am using for a tank :)

Oh that's interesting! He lives in a town with well water, so maybe his water isn't great. I'll mention this to him and suggest maybe he use regular bottled water instead of distilled. Years ago when I had a betta I always used tap water too.

 

[SarahSmile]

Here is a great article
A Warning About Distilled Water and Betta Fish | Betta Fish Care
Spring water is the way to go, not distilled.

 

[SarahSmile]

Not that it says anything about that fuzzy growth you were talking about, just that distilled is too pure for the bettas and they will lose their color and grow lethargic.

 

[motorcyclereefer]

How do you grow lethargic? :P