Foamy When Adding Water

[albita]

So, I am cycling a new (old) 20 gallon tank.  I had broken it down previously when I upgraded and have decided to put it to use so that I can quarantine fish for a few weeks from the store before I add them to my larger community tank (whose population was decimated earlier due to the addition of a sick fish).  I haven't had a death in a few weeks now, so am starting to think about building my population back up sometime in the next month or two.  

The 20 gallon tank was cleaned with salt water, rinsed thoroughly, dried...and then filled with new stuff, all well rinsed:  New filter (old pad from my completely health tank), new heater, new gravel, new plastic plants.  Old decoration that was also cleaned with salt water and rinsed thoroughly,
 
When I add water...it bubbles not quite to the level I would call "foam," but then quickly dissipates.  The biowheel filter agitation of the water does not cause foaming...just the partial water changes that I am using to control the nitrite portion of the cycling.  When I remove the water and dump it into the bathtub, it also "foams."  Since I know there has been no soap near any of the stuff in the tank, I'm at a bit of a loss.  Could I have not rinsed the salt off of it well enough?  Could that be causing this?  Or, is it something else?  I haven't had this happen with either of my other 2 tanks.

Thoughts?

 

[BerryAttack]

does sound like soap... use a different container and see if it does the same thing.
 
it could also be in the gravel. did you clean is well..?
salt shouldn't foam, well at least i've never heard of it doing that.
check the stats of your tank.. could hint.
 
it happened to one of my planted tanks. the filter caught the water flow (hang on) and the water swirled.. causing it to foam like if a beta made a nest.. but there was no beta or any fish that would do that.
i would remove it and it went away.

 

[hobby5]

Salt does not make bubbles. I think what you observe is normal. I would only start to worry if the foam stays. Foaming water is usually an indication of high protein load.

 

[albita]

Hmmm...I thought I'd cleaned the gravel well...but it is new to that tank.