Hairy Substrate

[Smokemeakipper]

I've been having a problem for the past two weeks.  There seems to be a wierd white hairy stuff growing on my rocks.  I've tried vaccuming the bottom of the tank several times.  I think I have it all and then a few days later the bottom of my tank is again covered in white furry looking stuff.  
 My fish don't seem any worse for it, but I'm scared that they might start going belly up if I don't get rid of this stuff.  I have a twenty gallon tank with a few decorations, some shells and two filters (one external, one internal).  I have a bottom feeder with one fantail, a small comet, and a black moor.  I feed them flakes, crumbles, a few baby shrimp, and an occational algae disc.  I don't give them more than they can handle at once, but I do like to feed them a variety.
 Is there such a thing as underwater mold?  Please tell me I don't have to remove all my rocks to get rid of this stuff.  Do I deserve to be stoned by the fish police for overcrowding and overfeeding?  I change the water regularly, it's always crystal clear.  My fish seem happy otherwise.  Do they sell mold killer that won't harm the fish?  Please forgive my ignorance.  I'd appreciate any help.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Hairy Substrate

i think its fungus, probably due to overfeeding. do water changes and cut back on your feeding, do you actually see your fish eat the baby shrimp and stuff? how thick is your substrate?

[Smokemeakipper]

Re: Hairy Substrate

Oh yeah I see them.  I love to come home from work and bust out the shrimp.  They love 'em.   Not so much when they were younger, but I've had them a few months.  It's a frenzy.  I sit in front of the tank for a few minutes and watch them munch.  

 I've heard fish can go a few days without food.  Is this true, and how many days is too many.

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: Hairy Substrate

ive heard its actually good to let them go for a day or two without feeding, i dont know how long they can go without food, but my inlaws betta lasted over a week during the rita evacuation and its still alive now.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Hairy Substrate

i have seen a week but i wouldnt cause i dont have the heart to.

i feed light feedings twice a day and occasionally skip a feeding but thats it.

[clw219]

Re: Hairy Substrate

My regular feeding routine is to feed once a day for 5 days, then not feed for two days. Out in nature, there are often times when food is not available. It is normal for fish in their natural habitat to go without food every now and then. They are programed for it and in many cases, I find it has improved the color of my fish. It is even ok for you to only feed every other day or once every three days if you are trying to clear up a problem such as yours. I have read that fish can live up to 30 days without any feeding but I wouldn't ever go more than a week.

[Mzungu]

Re: Hairy Substrate

From what I've heard and experienced, they can go as long as two weeks, maybe more, if your tank is mature. They've got quite a bit to munch on in there. So whenever I go on a vacation, if it's less than a week and a half or so, I just leave them be (all my tanks are planted, so there's a lot of little things living in there  :)  ). But I usually feed mine 6, sometimes 5, sometimes 7, days a week.

As for the white stuff, I'd put my money on fungus from uneaten food. What kind of bottom feeder do you have? And no, you don't deserve to be stoned by the fish police, LOL. But your tank is pretty crowded, if not right now then in the near future. The rule of thumb seems to be at least 20 gallons per goldfish, and they put out a lot of waste. Just keep in mind how small their stomachs are, and make sure that food isn't sinking down to the bottom uneaten. Might mean that you have to feed slower, making sure it's all eaten, so it's good that you enjoy that part!  

[Smokemeakipper]

Re: Hairy Substrate

20 gallons for one fish seems kinda lonely.  It's a wide one so they seem to enjoy swimming from one end to the other.  I have a ten gallon I can transfer one out if it gets too big.

[Mzungu]

Re: Hairy Substrate

20 gallons per fish, so you can always have a larger tank with the capacity for multiple goldfish!  :wink:

[Smokemeakipper]

Re: Hairy Substrate

That's rough on the budget.  They are small for now...c'est la vie.  I'll expand some day.

[daisymac]

Re: Hairy Substrate

I had that problem when I set up my tank. Here is a link to an answer. It's the 8th bullet down.

http://www.aquariumpros.com/faqpro/quality_6.shtml#11042297

Mine went away rather quickly, once I stopped over feeding!

Wouldn't Hairy Substrate be a great name for a band? :musik: