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I have bubbles around the edge of my 10 gal tank with 2 Cherry Barbs and an albino cory. They are pretty thick and along the top of the water, on the edge where the 3 fish stay. There is nothing in the tank to make bubbles. The water running from the canister hardley makes any water movement at all. I siphoned off the top of the water and the bubbles remained intact. They didnt pop when touched but rather clinged to what touched them.

Whats up with this? I have never really kept fish that werent livebearers. I know cherry barbs arent bubble nest builders but this is almost what this looks like. It looks like bubbles from a male betta.

i had a peice of wood that made the bubbles from my airstone stay on the surface of the water, only other thing i can think of is detergent bubbles

OH TOLEEDY!

A fake piece of wood that is ceramic like and plastic plants are the only decor in the tank. I dont see how the fake wood could do it. As far as detergent, I know no detergent or soap has ever been in the tank. I took it out of the box, brand new and rinsed it with tap water. If soap residue was left on my hands, it would have to be have minimul. I did water changes several times and it is still there.

Have you used any medications, especially Melafix or Pimafix? Bubbles from those medications are normal, so much so in fact, that Racso coined the term "Melabubbles."

Other than that, I'm not really sure what it could be. Maybe one of your cherry barbs decided he was a betta.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

no. nothing is in the tank

Ladie

The answer is rather simple I believe.

The bubbles are trapping proteins and other solids in the
water column. the bubbles don't pop as easily as the have
a lower surface tention. If you look at the surface of
your water(it may be very thin and hard to see) but you
will probably see a slightly opaquish layer on the water,
sometimes it looks oily. More than likely your water isn't
soft, and so fre proteins and organic compounds
conglomerate together forming the thin film. If you get the bubbles and rub them between your fingers you will see that they feel "soapy"

There is no cause to worry about it as it is just part of
the hobby. The easiest methods to get rid of it, are:
a) increase surface agitation
b) soften up the water OR
c) manual removal (lay a paper towel on the surface and
pull it off, the layer stick to the paper towel and Voila
it is gone)

HTH,
Megil.

Last edited by Megil Tel'Zeke at 09-Nov-2005 15:58

Last edited by Megil Tel'Zeke at 09-Nov-2005 15:59

Yes! I do have that film. I wondered what it was also. I dont have a hard/soft water test kit but I do know my ph from my tap is only 7.0. Ill test tonight for an updated ph on the tank. I dont want the film there. Did the paper towel thing and it came right back.

I had this problem too.
It appeared one day on my 10g tank, created a
6 inch thick wall of bubbles on the surface,
and then one day just disappeared!
Weird.
Anyway, just a suggestion, but albino corys grow
too large for a 10g tank, and need to be kept in groups
of 6.


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Yes, I know that about cories. My cherry barbs werent eating so I got the cory to clean the tank bottom of excess food I couldnt net out. A school of them and my cherries (which I have 4 cherries now)would have been to much for the tank. As far as getting to big for the tank, my LFS will switch the cory and my pleco out for a smaller one when they start getting size to them. Right now, my cory is barely and inch long.

Anyway, about the bubbles and film...I added an air stone and within a couple of hours both were gone, No film, no bubbles.

Last edited by ladiejl at 10-Nov-2005 01:40