Hi,
Just a couple of weeks after purchasing a 25 gallon tank, have been noticing a white fungus like growth on surface of areas which are rubbery in nature. -like at the edges where there's silicone glue, air tubes, rubber suction pads. This comes off easily when cleaned with a sponge but is a nusiance as it grows back again within a week.
Any idea how I can stop this once and for all??
The fishes seem pretty healthy.


GH is 160mg/L,
KH is 80mg/L,
pH is 7.6,
Nitrite, ammonia -negligible
approx temp 80 degree F

Thanks a lot,
Roshan

Is there anything moving the water ?(filter,airpump)
I just noticed that your temp is 80 degrees, thats way to hot for goldfish and will stress them out! Goldfish are happy around 68-70 dregrees .

Yes, there's a power filter.
Think all goldfishes in India have adapted to this tropical climate. Dont see any special coolers in any of the pet stores, not even the professional breeders.

For cleaning the white stuff the pet shop guy advised to put a pleco, but they dont seem to like eating that.

What's the gph (gallons per hour) for your filter? It's
possible the tank may not have enough filtration.

Its approx 185 g/h under gravel type. The water is always crystal clear ...except when I try to rub off the stuff.

I have that stuff on some of the rubber that is used in my Eclipse filter to cut the noise - the rubber gasket that the pump sits on. I clean it off - it just chips and rubs off, but it seems to be hard water deposits reacting with that particular type of rubber. Perhpas a combination of hard water, salt and a certain rubber do it. I do not have it on any other surface or tank. It seems to be non-reactive to anything I have tried on it - and does not contain anything live........

I would just clean it off on a weekly basis - mine only get bad if I wait too many week without wiping it off. It wipes easily before it gets too thick..

IT is similar to the hard mineral deposits you get on hard surfaces elsewhere.

Well, you're lucky its just the gasket. In my case its the entire rubber silicone glue which hold the glass panes together. If its a reaction like you said, then this glue is certainly going to get weak over time and finally result in a leak. Have stopped adding salt during water changes for quite some time now but that didnt make any difference.

Wonder if its due to one of those porcelain/china-clay toys. But if this were the case shouldn't it show a high reading for GH/KH ??
Guess I'll have to remove them and see if ther's any difference.