Why does My Aquarium have Foamy Water?

Taking care of aquarium is not an easy job. There are many problems commonly appear in the aquarium. One of which is foamy or cloudy water.

If you have ever seen a foam floating on top of your aquarium water, then you might think where the foam comes from. Foam on aquarium water can be caused by many factors. Some factors are harmless while others can be serious and even deadly.

Regarding to water problem in aquarium, you might also want to see causes of cloudy water in aquarium. You cannot take this problem easily as it might lead to more serious problems.

Let’s see these causes why your aquarium has foamy water.  

Causes of Foamy Water in Aquarium

• Agitation

When liquids are agitated, bubbles will be formed easily. Try shaking any liquid hard, then you will see bubbles on the surface. While you fill or top off the aquarium, it is not commonly to agitate the water enough to cause some foam.

It is still considered as normal. To prevent foam because of agitation, try pouring the water slowly against a clean plate held at an angle so the water will be able to run down the plate and into the tank.

• Soap

Soap gets into an aquarium mostly by the cleaning materials, such as the bucket or scrubbing pads. Make sure that the tool you use to clean up your aquarium is not used to clean anything else.

You can try labelling your aquarium buckets and tell everyone not to use it for any other purposes. A small amount of soap or cleanser will find its way into the aquarium. It will cause the rainbow-tinted bubbles to form.

This foam is kind of threatening as the fish will be likely to die. If this condition occurs, move your fish immediately to another ready tank or if you are not ready, you can use clean bucket.

If you need some tips on cleaning your fish tank or aquarium, you can try these easy ways to clean your fish tanks.

If you soap to clean up your aquarium, the aquarium will need to be drained and everything should be rinsed thoroughly to remove even the last bit of the soap. You can also use filter media and pads that will collect the soap residue.

• Protein

Protein foam is mainly caused by protein-based wastes coating small air bubbles. The protein foam stick together and form a “smelly” foam. This is commonly found in saltwater aquariums, but it can also be seen in freshwater aquariums as well.

If you find protein foam in your aquarium, it might indicate that the aquarium needs good cleaning. You have to make sure the filter in the aquarium is clean and use the gravel vacuum to remove any debris.

The other things you can do are regular water changes, gravel cleaning and filter maintenance. These are effective to prevent protein foam in your aquarium.

Died fish in a protected hiding place behind plants or rocks may be found in your aquarium. The diet fish is also a rich source of protein that will lead to the presence of protein foam.

Protein wastes can also come from decayed plants. So, it is also better to trim some of the dead leaves off your aquatic plants and remove them from it. If your fish keeps dying, then you might want to know the reasons why your fish keeps dying.

• Bubblenest Foam

What is bubblenest foam? Bubblenest foam is the bubblenest a male fish create to attract the female for mating. The male is waiting for the female to swim into the area to begin the mating process.

If this happens, you’d better leave these bubbles undisrupted. Besides, bubblenest your male fish producing indicates that it is healthy and content.

These bubbles clusters on the surface of your aquarium are parts of the beta fish breeding process. Betta fish are territorial fish and the bubblenest the males produce will also be beneficial for protecting the eggs. The eggs will be kept moist and oxygenated within the bubbles.

How to Get Rid of Foamy Water in Your Aquarium?

There are some things you can do to remove or get rid of the foamy water in your aquarium. These are the ways.

• If the cause is protein, then you can clean your aquarium. Make sure you give your aquarium a good cleaning. Replace or clean the filter and remove all the dead plants, leaves, fish or the other debris by using gravel vacuum. Algae can also be one of the problems, so make sure you are knowledgeable of the ways of how how to get rid of algae from aquarium.
• If the foamy water is caused by bubblenest, then you cannot do anything. Just leave the bubblenest undisrupted or else you may stress out the male foam builder.
• If water change is the cause, you can slower down the process of adding water into the aquarium, or simply use an angled plate into the tank.

Aquarium should be kept clean from bubbles or foam as they might be dangerous for your fish. Make sure you pay attention to the cleanliness of your aquarium to maintain your fish life and health. Make sure you also be knowledgeable of these tips on how to keep your fish healthy.