Foaming in water. I am having a foaming issue. Almost like baking soda. Many variables but. In short. two 100 gallon tanks, 8 goldfish about 6in to 8in each about a pound I think. the other tank has 12 trout that are between 4in and 7in an about .5 pound for the biggest one been there since Dec 20. Just recently started to bubble excessively. I use city water and it seems to be getting worse if add to much at a time. Does anyone know a safe de -colonizer for water that is safe for all beings including a cat which drinks from the pond and trout that I hope to eat.  It could be some kind of reaction with the ammonia from fish waste but the whole system has been running for 3 years and this the first time I have run into this amount or even what seems to be a type of bubble which is almost epervecent. The video is after it has been going but in the morning it is getting to where it covers the half the top of the water. Need a good solution.

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sounds like protein foam. its just part of the process of life in water . ever see foam on the shores of the sea? i think it may mean you are a tad over stocked. if you are going try to fix it try using a filter that has an intake at the surface (proteins congregate there ) but in the end i would imagine its going to crop up over and over until there is balance in your water quality.

the little bubble are probably nitrate gasses from fish waist being broken down in the gravel layer. not a big worry as far as i know. just a sign the gravel layer is filled with shit... litteraly

more importantly what does your water values test at? are you fish healthy or gasping and erratic behaving? 

Sean Pratt

Thanks for the replie Sean. Thanks for the info on surface filtering. It is probably a combination of things including the crazy weather we have had and other changes that I made. I have done it for 3 years and grown each year and this is the first year that I have introduced fingerlings. Its winter with some growth but not the hearty biological growth that warmer weather creates. The ponds are in the greenhouse which although unheated stays 20f above the outside temp. So it never freezes but the green things are limited to Kale some broccoli and clover and some other overwintering plants.  I tested the water and my PH is a solid 7 and my amonia is .25 parts per. and my nitrites are high at 4 part per and my nitrate are on mid side. So ok but defiantly high nitrites. So it sounds like it is just the cycle in a spike. I have to get a good filter to take out Clorine so I can do more fresh water exchange. I will have to get a larger axuilary tank to hold water at temp in another part of the greenhouse.

Thanks again
Mikael

Hi,

If chlorine is the only disinfectant used by your water authority, you can remove it by standing your water for a couple of days in a blue barrel...where the chlorine will simply flash off.  If, however, they use chloramine (increasingly used almost everywhere), it's a bit more complicated.  Use vitamin C tablets (google for the dose rate) and that will break the chlorine/ammonia bond and allow them to dissipate.  Putting an air stone into the blue barrel will expedite the process.   Set yourself up to capture rainwater to use in your top-ups and water replacement.

Cut back on the feeding while the high nitrite levels persist...and mitigate against nitrite toxicity by dosing the system (no more than half a cup) with pure (pool) salt which you'll get cheaply enough at your Lowes or Home Depot store.  Boost your aeration.

Gary

Thanks Gary.

I had one fish die but I am sure it was all ready compromised. I believe I need to get both the rain barrel and float value to top the water off more often, I believe the water levels dropped through evaporation and some spill over.

best
Mikael