You installed a beautiful aquarium in your house, you have included plants, rocks, stones, and all other things to provide your fishes with a natural atmosphere. You have even installed some charming lights in the aquarium to make it look attractive and eye-catching. After all these efforts, seeing bubbles in your fish tank can be a surprise thinking that why are there bubbles in my fish tank. Even if you have a filter in your fish tank and you clean the tank regularly as well, there are a lot of reasons that can become a cause behind these bubbles.
Before thinking of how to get rid of bubbles in the fish tank, it is important to know the actual cause because it will help you to get the job done in the most efficient way. There are possibilities that these bubbles are only a minor issue but they should be analyzed because they can cause problems or may result in putting the lives of your fishes in danger as well.
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What causes bubbles in my fish tank
Having bubbles in your fish tank is not a stressful thing because they are not harmful to the aquarium environment and what lives within it. But knowing the root cause of these bubbles is necessary because that cause can be harmful to the creatures in the aquarium.
The reason behind that bubbles should be identified and resolved as soon as possible to ensure the good health of your fishes. We have enlisted major reasons behind these bubbles that will surely help you out.
- Clogged Filter Medium
- Soiled or Dirty Filter
- Too Much Protein in Fish Tank
- Soap in Filter
- Hanging Filter
- Broken Filter Components
- Aquarium Plants
Clogged filter medium
Your filter medium can become a cause behind these bubbles. Filters that use sponge or foam as their medium tend to become clogged more often as compared to advanced filtration systems.
These mechanical filters trap the solid waste from entering the filter but they can get old or clogged with time. There is nothing to worry about as you can easily clean the filter medium without a few simple steps. You should clean it very often to have a beautiful aquarium experience.
Soiled or dirty filter
The filter has the job to keep the tank water clean. It traps all the dirt and debris from the water such as fish waste, food remnants, plant matter, etc. This can lead to a huge protein build-up in the machine. When high protein water comes out of the filtration system, it causes the air to stick together and form some bubbles.
The solution to this problem is to simply clean the filter thoroughly. Unassemble the filter and wash all its components including waster tubes and filter media. Before reassembling the components, ensure that there is no debris, dirt, or solid residue left trapped in any of the components.
Too much protein in fish tank
High protein in whole water can lead to bubbles in your fish tank. It not usually happen in freshwater but can occur in saltwater. When water filled with protein enters the filter, it forces the air to fuse together and results in the water getting out from the filter as forthy mass or bubbles.
The only and efficient solution to this issue is removing the protein build and waste materials from the aquarium. You should clean or change the aquarium water on a periodic basis.
Soap in filter
Experienced keepers know the fact that using soap while washing the filter is completely prohibited but new keepers may commit this mistake. If you have mistakenly used soap or soapy water to clean the filter, bubbles will happen in your aquarium.
Using soap or soapy water is prohibited because it will not only cause bubbles in the fish tank but can also cause health issues for the plants and fishes in the aquarium. If this is the cause, simply clean the filter thoroughly with normal water and make sure that there is no soap left behind in it.
Hanging filter
The water cascades downside the aquarium if hanging filters are equipped in your fish tank. Normally it cannot be realized but if the water cascading from the hanging filter is moving at a high speed, there are huge possibilities that you may see bubbles in your fish tank. This is because the water hits on the bottom surface so hard that it creates bubbles.
It can also occur if the filter is high from the water level in the aquarium. It can only be resolved if you reduce the speed of water from the filter system or in the second case, increase the level of water in your fish tank.
Broken filter component
A wrecked component in the filament can also be a cause of this problem and most common is the diaphragm in the air pump and an impeller. A broken component will provide a space for the water to enter the filter system and will definitely result in bubbles as the water will come out from the seam or gap.
You can buy repair kits from the market or the component from a store and replace the broken component in the filter. You can also get it analyzed if it can be repaired instead of being replaced.
Aquarium plants
There is a possibility that you may assume the process of pearling as the bubbles in your fish tank. Plants are living beings and they produce oxygen while they pass through the process of photosynthesis. Most of the time, this oxygen remains to sit in the leaves and look like a pearl on it. If that’s the case, you should not worry as it is the sign of a perfect aquarium with a healthy environment.
The Bottom Line
We can easily conclude from the above-mentioned reasons and causes that not cleaning the aquarium or filter system is the root cause of bubbles in your fish tank. It is highly recommended to take good care of your aquarium and clean the water and filter system on a periodic basis for a better experience.
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