# Clear/White particles in water...



## AcrimoniousArbiter (Dec 20, 2011)

So I have read that betta waste should be brown. I have yet to find any brown particles in the water/gravel when I vacuum and clean.

After every water change, these whitish/clear particles are floating around in my tank. I have attached a picture so you have some idea of what I'm talking about.

Should I be trying to remove all of it, or is it just normal? It settles down after about half an hour and the water is clear...


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

Omg, exact same thing just happened to me!! I have no idea what it is


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

It may be Planaria Worms if you see them wiggling- if that is the case then they are harmless to the fish (some bettas will even eat them)- just keep vacuuming weekly (if your tank doesn't have live plants) to keep it clean.
The other options are slime coating he had sloughed off here and there, or food particles if you feed food other then pellets (and even then sometimes they will expel tiny pieces of pellets when they swallow). Could also be dirt specs that have fallen in your tank from an air vent, or particles in the air (sometimes when you look at sun beams coming into a window you will see dirt/dust particles floating in the air). So far from my experiences with tanks over the almost 2 decades, have yet to have any side effects/illnesses from particles such as that in the tank.

Weekly water changes, and vacuuming will keep the water balance in check and those particles will clean up as you go (and will have more added as time goes on). To me personally, it looks like dust/dirt type... you can help reduce such things going into the tank by covering the top of the tank with seran wrap (punch in some holes- one a little bigger to feed through, and tape on the sides to avoid it from touching the water). I use seran wrap quite a bit on my tanks- not only does it keep the air particles out, it also helps keep their labyrinth organs healthy by the humidity the warm water puts out. It can be a pain to put on, so if you can get someone to help hold down a side while you tape it would be a good idea.

If you do see them moving like tiny worms- check in your filter to make sure they aren't stuck in there and clean it out if you do see them. They happen when you have too much gravel and/or too much food on the bottom.

Don't forget to clean out your filter as well regularly- for carbon replace it monthly, and once a month squeeze out any sponges you have in there in some tank water that you had just removed- don't use fresh tap water as that could destroy bacteria- just use water in the bucket you have removed from the tank.
That will help keep the particles down as well.

Good luck to ya!


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## tahbi (Apr 5, 2010)

This happened to me a few weeks ago. I still have no idea what they are. They look like small white worms that dont move. Today i actually noticed a whole pile right by my heater and i immediately sucked them up with a gravel vaccum. They seem harmless whatever they are. My boyfriend thinks theyre fish poop but im not sure why it would be white.


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## AcrimoniousArbiter (Dec 20, 2011)

Myates said:


> It may be Planaria Worms if you see them wiggling- if that is the case then they are harmless to the fish (some bettas will even eat them)- just keep vacuuming weekly (if your tank doesn't have live plants) to keep it clean.
> The other options are slime coating he had sloughed off here and there, or food particles if you feed food other then pellets (and even then sometimes they will expel tiny pieces of pellets when they swallow). Could also be dirt specs that have fallen in your tank from an air vent, or particles in the air (sometimes when you look at sun beams coming into a window you will see dirt/dust particles floating in the air). So far from my experiences with tanks over the almost 2 decades, have yet to have any side effects/illnesses from particles such as that in the tank.
> 
> Weekly water changes, and vacuuming will keep the water balance in check and those particles will clean up as you go (and will have more added as time goes on). To me personally, it looks like dust/dirt type... you can help reduce such things going into the tank by covering the top of the tank with seran wrap (punch in some holes- one a little bigger to feed through, and tape on the sides to avoid it from touching the water). I use seran wrap quite a bit on my tanks- not only does it keep the air particles out, it also helps keep their labyrinth organs healthy by the humidity the warm water puts out. It can be a pain to put on, so if you can get someone to help hold down a side while you tape it would be a good idea.
> ...


Thanks for the info! Glad to know I shouldn't be too worried about it.


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

So my question is it really better to do 100% water changes like i do and many other people on the forum? Then you never have problem like that and don't have to worry about worms that can affect your betta. 
Also i don't understand even if you vacuum the gravel regularly you still don't get all debris out without 100%?
Also i am wondering if you don't take betta out while you vacuum and all that dirt comes up is it can get them sick?

This forum saying that filters are optional for bettas so why would we all do 100% water changes? Or 50% and 100%?


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

BETTACHKALOVE said:


> So my question is it really better to do 100% water changes like i do and many other people on the forum? Then you never have problem like that and don't have to worry about worms that can affect your betta.
> Also i don't understand even if you vacuum the gravel regularly you still don't get all debris out without 100%?
> Also i am wondering if you don't take betta out while you vacuum and all that dirt comes up is it can get them sick?
> 
> This forum saying that filters are optional for bettas so why would we all do 100% water changes? Or 50% and 100%?


100% water changes are not always a viable option (or sane option, lol) for most people. For example, if you have a 20 Gallon sorority, it would be extremely difficult and laborious to do a 100% water change on it. You'd have to remove all the females, remove all the decorations, take out ALL the gravel. It is simply far too much work and it is much easier to do smaller water changes on a filtered, cycled tank.

*Just because people said filters are "optional" doesn't mean you don't need one. Certain people have preferences and certain sizes of aquariums are useful to have them or not have them. *

The betta won't get sick from random particles coming up from underneath your gravel. They are more likely to ignore it, and there is not really any type of particulate matter that will harm your fish. At least not any I can think of at this moment.


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## BETTACHKALOVE (Nov 22, 2010)

Thank you i do agree and i do understand what you are saying I do understand that if tank is 20 gall then it will be difficult to do 100% water changes. But I think even if you have 20 gall or 10 gall you need to do more than 25% water changes. Some people recommending 25% water changes for 10 gall I think it not enough even if you tank is filtered. 
Sorry I also think if tank under 10 gall or even 10 gall it better to do 50% and 100% water changes. I spoke already to 5 people who really have old bettas (age from 4 - 7 years old) and they do 50% and 100% even with filters . One of the person i talk to has 2 bettas in 10 gall divided tank not filtered. One of the betta 7 years old and he does 1-50% and 1-100% a wk. And i do 100% water changes as well and all my bettas healthy and i don't have any problems. And my bettas i would say not young lol. The oldest about 4 or 4.5 years old.

Sorry it just my opinion. Only because i have good experience with that. I don’t have problems. And I know people who do the same and have old bettas. And It was also discussion on this forum about 100% water changes and I found out that a lot of people do it too


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