# Please Help!! White mold(?) growing in filter



## PattyH (Feb 5, 2013)

I was feeding my betta (Blu) last night and noticed he was acting funny. Usually, when I turn on the light in the tank, he knows he is going to be fed. He's excited !! But yesterday he was hiding.....and wouldn't come up to feed. I checked the tank (5 gal) and filter and notice white moldy looking stuff growing on the filter (not the replaceable blue one, but the black one, BIO-Fiber). It was growing just above the waterline and where the water spilled over into the tank. I made the "mistake" of trying to pull the black filter out and a lot of the white moldy junk broke loose and went into the tank!! I panicked and got out some of my treated water that I keep ready.... made a "temporary" home in a little one gal bowl..... and moved Blu to the clean bowl. I guess I will need to clean everything and have to start the "cycle" all over again. I just need to know how to clean everything and how to AVOID this happening again.... and do I need to do anything to my betta (Blu). He is swimming around a little (in the one gal bowl) but stays near the bottom of the bowl. But he does seem better than when he was yesterday, in the big (dirty) tank. Basic info....I feed him 2 times a day, 2 pellets. He always eats everything. But once in a while, I give him a tiny bit of frozen brine shrimp for a treat. When I put it in the tank, it breaks up into lots of little pieces and he doesn't always get all of it. I am sure some of it floats to the bottom of the tank. I have had the tank for about 4 months and just now noticed where it says to "rinse" BIO-Filter as needed roll:duh!!) I have tried to do my "homework" to give him (Blu) a safe/healthy home, but I missed that little bit of info...... I do a partial water change once a week and vacuum the tank once a month. Please Help! How to clean the tank?, treat my betta (Blu)?, and most of all... keep it from happening again!! Thank You


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Could the white stuff be calcium deposits? I find white stuff on my heaters. 

When you rinse the bio filter, rinse it in old tank water not in untreated tap water. That will kill off the bacteria. With one betta, it wont get THAT dirty in a month's time. I usually do it once a month or so for the tanks with 1 or 2 bettas but for the 20G with the snails, live plants and 2 clown plecos - i do it almost every water change. (my filter is stuffed with sponge instead of the actual cartridge). I gravel vaccume all tanks every week with 25-50% water changes


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## PattyH (Feb 5, 2013)

*Betta doing better*

Thank you for your help! Blu (my betta) is feeling better, but I still have him in the little one gal bowl. When I came home from work today he had made a small bubble nest!! But I am still concerned because he looks like he may have the beginning of fin rot. I will clean the filter/pump either tonight or tomorrow. I did some research on it yesterday. Do you recommend me using aquarium salt? I am still learning and appreciate any suggestion.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Aquarium salt for the fin rot?? You can use it if he does have fin rot but normally just extra clean water will clear it up and maybe some stress coat to help the fin regrow. If you do use it, its 1 teaspoon per gallon. Try and premix it in a clean milk jug or something, makes sure its disolved before adding it to the tank. And don't use it long term - like more then 2 weeks. It can cause damage to internal organs if used long term or so people claim.


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## PattyH (Feb 5, 2013)

thank you for your reply. I am still very concerned about Blu so I talked to someone at Petsmart. They recommended Bettafix. I came home and did some research on it. Seems to be mixed reviews, but I did learn to be "cautious" with it. He is definitely more active this morning and eating better. I am also doing a 25% water change with each treatment. I better stop writing because I am about to fall asleep while typingggggggg zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

As long as you dont overdose the bettafix and you are aware of what some people claim, you should be OK. You may want to underdose a little just to be safe. Some people claim its a miracle drug, others say it killed the fish. Its the tea tree oil that can harm their breathing organ. IMO its only a problem when people do not follow the directions and either OD the meds OR the fish was gonna die no matter what.


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