# Water Conditioner Question



## ALS1104 (Aug 11, 2011)

I have a question about Water Conditioner... i have 2 different kinds- Aqueon Betta Bowl Plus and Tetra Aqua Safe. when ive used the Betta Bowl Plus it gets a shiny gleam on the top of the water- almost looks like soap or a oil slick or something... the water is clean and clear and the fish have stayed healthy and happy but the gleam freaks me out. the shine stays even with 50% or 75% water changes. the little girl was moved into the 3gal with new plants and new decorations and was set up with the betta bowl plus and it has the oil slick... i moved the boys and all their plants and stuff into the 10 gal that was set up with the aqua safe and it doesnt have the shine on the water- its completely normal. i cleaned the tanks and everything in them really well with really hot water... i havent used soap on ANYTHING in or around the tanks. both tanks were cycled before adding the fish. new media in both tanks. i tested the water and everything seems normal. i havent ruled everything else out completely but im thinking that its the betta bowl water conditioner... has anyone else had this issue? im kinda freaking out...:shock:


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## Fieldz (Apr 6, 2011)

Just to remember that its recommended to wait 15 minutes before you put the fish back in the aquarium. Other than that, changing the water whenever you think its a bit dirty ( depends on the size and quantity of fish ) and you will be fine. Those Aqua Safe and all water cleaners are made for fish, so they are all good, even though some say Aqua Safe is better and more famous.


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## ALS1104 (Aug 11, 2011)

both tanks cycled all day before the fish were put back in. the tank that i used the aqua safe in is normal- no sheen. the tank where i put the betta bowl plus in has the sheen on the top of the water.


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## Larsa (May 6, 2011)

I have that same problem with aquarium salt  its looks aweful and bettas must hate it!!! I use the tetra bettasafe and im sure it helps make that oily-looking stuff. Even weeks after and doing water changes its still there.


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## ALS1104 (Aug 11, 2011)

heres a picture of it to try to show what im talking about.


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## ALS1104 (Aug 11, 2011)

anyone?


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## flowerslegacy (May 10, 2011)

Hi ALS1104 - I don't use the Tetra products, but I googled BettaSafe. What I found is that it neutralizes harmful tap water chemicals, but it also provides a slime coating. Perhaps this is the "slick" you're seeing on the top of your tank? I know there are a lot of water conditioners on the market, but one preferred product for bettas is Prime by Seachem. The effects are immediate, so you don't have to wait 15 minutes before adding your fish. Plus, it detoxifies ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. I happen to live in an area where ammonia is present in my tap, so I don't use standard water conditioners. Hope this helps!


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

you can look at the water conditioner's ingredients and see if one has something extra that the other doesn't

or test it out with 2 cups of water .. one with aqueon betta bowl plus and one with tetra aqua safe .. with no fish .. and see if it still gives u the same results

i don't think it's the water conditioners .. most likely it's probably the protein that your betta is giving off .. and is settling on the top making it look oily .. some bettas make more of it some less .. i think of it like betta sweat/or betta bo ..

does it feel slimey when u touch it ? if it does then it's just betta slime coat settling on the surface


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## ALS1104 (Aug 11, 2011)

thanks guys! 

flowerslegacy- next time i will get the prime water conditioner!

mistress- im testing it out with the cups to see if it turns oily... i think it is but i cant tell yet so i have to just wait and see. it usually takes it acouple hours to make it really noticeable. its not oily or slimy to the touch but after a few days it will form a film on the top of the tank. even then i cant feel it between my fingers...


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Mistress said:


> i don't think it's the water conditioners .. most likely it's probably the protein that your betta is giving off .. and is settling on the top making it look oily .. some bettas make more of it some less .. i think of it like betta sweat/or betta bo ..


Protein film, likely from the foods.  Our bettas' food is high in protein. Surface agitation tends to keep it broken up.


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## ALS1104 (Aug 11, 2011)

dragonflie said:


> Protein film, likely from the foods.  Our bettas' food is high in protein. Surface agitation tends to keep it broken up.


ok! is it harmful in anyway?


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

it's not harmful .. 

one way that you could get rid of it fast .. if it seems like it's a thicker layer .. without trying to scoop it out with a cup and doing w/c .. is if you take a paper towel (no fragrances or lotions or oils or dyes) .. and gently lay it on the surface and then pick it back up fast .. it'll take away most of the film =) ..


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## Nexangelus (Apr 29, 2011)

I may be a little late on this, but I do have some input....

I had the same thing a while back and couldn't figure out what it was for the life of me. I removed it daily, but it just kept coming back. I wasn't using either of those conditioners though. However, I was using the aquarium salt and I think that may have contributed to the problem.

I found elevating my filter a bit so it made more of a "waterfall" rather than shooting out under the water helped break it up and keep it away, even though there appeared to be adequate water circulation. 

Mistress is right in saying it's not harmful to the fish, but it's definitely unsightly, blocks light and can cause problems if not addressed long term by preventing the exchange of surface gasses and ultimately depleting the amount of oxygen in the water. 

While I can't say definitively what causes this, my assumption is that it is caused by hard water, as it seems to have been a problem in all my tanks in areas with high hardness. Maybe the aquarium salt contributes to that, I can't say, but I do know that "breaking" the water rather than just agitating it will cure the problem. 

It's really not that big of a problem, though. Just don't let it get out of control and monitor your fish regularly to see if he shows signs of oxygen deficiency and you should be fine. Try to remove it, but don't let it stress you out too much, as this stuff can be a real pain in the butt to get rid of. Also, I would highly recommend switching to a better water conditioner such as Prime, just FYI.


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## rockin3 (Jun 15, 2011)

I get that same thing every water change. I use NovAqua plus.


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