What Is This White Film On The Glass And Tubes When Cycling Is Complet

[Ilyas]

So I was at my friends today and he feels his tank is nearly done cycling. He was going to do a water test later to be sure (wife was picking up kit on her way home). We were both wondering what the white, milky film was all over his glass and air hoses. He has also started to get some brown algae, he was asking me about. I unfortunately had no info for him, as algae really dose not get much chance to grow in my tank as the plecos and snails seem to take of that issue. So what I am asking, on his behalf, what is the white film? Can he scrub of the white film from his glass without destroying the cycle and/or causing some other harm? What is the cause of brown algae, is it a concern? Should he get rid of it or get a pleco in there once the cycling is completed for a week or two?The brown algae is only growing on some of his boulders, flat rocks and the slate. It seems to have come on pretty fast. It is in a 45g tank and has a few African Cichlids in it. He is brand new to the hobby and did not know to not listen to Petland employees. Funny thing is I met him at the store and heard the employee give him terrible info in regards to stocking his tank and I interrupted them and set the record straight (when it comes to the well being of any living being I am not shy to speak up for them). Please advise.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The brown algae is diatoms. http/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

Ammonia plus light = algae. Diatoms are a normal part of the cycle. Ammonia in the tank plus light allows this.


As far as the white stuff, I believe that's dead diatoms, but I couldn't be sure. You can clean it off without affecting the cycle, and it probably would help. If the diatoms are decaying, then they are adding ammonia to the tank. Just be sure to vac up the stuff that you take off the glass, etc.

 

[Ilyas]

He has a pleco in there and I am now thinking back to when my tank was cycling and I had a Pleco. The pleco cleaned the white stuff off the glass then appeared to be ill. He would hide all day and night for a few weeks and his color changed (kinda whitish in the face). Is it possible that it upset the pleco some how?

 

[DreamertK]

Perhaps he just didn't like all the NH3 that was floating around in the tank from the cycling process. Were his gills red as well? Swimming erratically or with more fear/vigor than usual? Those are typical signs of NH3 poisoning.

 

[Ilyas]

He unfortunately has died by jumping out of the tank when we were sleeping. There was an opening in the canopy for an extra filter and he jumped out of there. When I noticed the symptoms I mentioned earlier he would just lay under the drift wood. Before and after the symptoms he would shoot from the bottom of the tank to the top and then right back down again. I dont recall who told me this was typical behaviour for them, but I accepted the info. This is how we assume he got out of the tank. Shot up to the top and did not realize there was no top to run into in that spot. We did not cover at it is a Fluval tank and canopy (45 g bow front) and the light hood pretty much covers it. Sadly we were wrong. He had also stopped algae eating at this time, which is when we discovered that they stop algae eating at a certain size/age and start eating more of the other foods you put in the tank (it was a Sailfin). We got a small common pleco and put it in the same tank. The sailfin started to eat again and be active and seemed happy. He would once and a while swim at a fast pace around the tank but like the shooting to the top of the tank, it was not frequent. Basically thought of it as he wanted to cruz around. We no longer keep this type of pleco as they get too big and dirty, but maybe the info can help someone else that is experiancing this, or I can advise someone that is.

 

[paradiddle]

that common pleco will be too big for a 45G, you should think of rehoming or upsizing

 

[eaglesaquarium]

that common pleco will be too big for a 45G, you should think of rehoming or upsizing

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... We no longer keep this type of pleco as they get too big and dirty, but maybe the info can help someone else that is experiancing this, or I can advise someone that is.

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Taken care of.

 

[DreamertK]

Poor guy.

I would think that he wouldn't eat anything that would be bad for him though, that he'd probably just spit it out. But I cant say for sure what he ate, soo...

 

[Ilyas]

that common pleco will be too big for a 45G, you should think of rehoming or upsizing

I had moved him to the 75 g and today the pleco and our female Convict got rehomed/traded for a Synodontis, now the 75g is a true African rift tank. Just Peacocks and a Frontosia and the Synodontis in the 75 g now. But thank you for the tip non the less. I have now completely cleaned up the mess of being a begginer that listened to the LFS...

 

[eaglesaquarium]

that common pleco will be too big for a 45G, you should think of rehoming or upsizing

I had moved him to the 75 g and today the pleco and our female Convict got rehomed/traded for a Synodontis, now the 75g is a true African rift tank. Just Peacocks and a Frontosia and the Synodontis in the 75 g now. But thank you for the tip non the less. I have now completely cleaned up the mess of being a begginer that listened to the LFS...

You are not alone in that club.

 

[Ilyas]

Poor guy.

I would think that he wouldn't eat anything that would be bad for him though, that he'd probably just spit it out. But I cant say for sure what he ate, soo...

The main thing is we learned from the less. It was heart breaking, but it will never happen again...

Perhaps he just didn't like all the NH3 that was floating around in the tank from the cycling process. Were his gills red as well? Swimming erratically or with more fear/vigor than usual? Those are typical signs of NH3 poisoning.

Van not say for sure. We were total newbies at the time and did not know to look for those things. We in fact thought it was just normal. We are much more aware now and our communities are all well balanced and we do fishless cycling now.