Brown Mold Persisting in my Tank

[marybethw]

Okay so I have one female crown-tail Betta named Xena (my avatar). She is so cute and lively. She lives in a 1 gallon tank, I wish I could get her a 5 gallon but I live in a dorm :( so sorry about that.
But here's the problem, I keep finding mold in her tank, and I clean her 1 gallon once a week, making sure I rinse really well, never using soap or anything. If I see mold on her one little decoration I will scrub it off (sometimes I will boil it in water). I use API safe and easy tank cleaner. (Which is safe for outside and inside cleaning of the tank and has never caused her any problems).
See, I've had to throw away 2 silk plants because the mold overtook them and it was disgusting. And my third silk plant is now getting moldy and it's only a matter of time now before I'll have to replace it (and they can get expensive when you're replacing them all the time). I would say the temperature of her tank is around 78-80, and I don't use a heater because her tank is too small to have one.
The mold never seems to affect Xena whatsoever.. She is always her lively self, swimming around, eating her pellets normally. She's had no diseases (except her ongoing swim bladder which she had when I got her). But I'd really feel a lot better If I could get rid of the mold.
Does anyone know how I can remedy the mold situation? I honestly don't know what's going on. I had a male Betta fish before and he lived for quite a while and there was never mold in his tank and I used the same water conditioner. But I used different type of gravel then.. I don't think that would even make a difference. Oh and I didn't use the API cleaner or Epsom salt in his tank either. Would that cause different water conditions where mold would grow? I could really use some pro help! Thanks so much. :)

[Myates]

Ah.. brown algae.. hate that thing.. usually happens in newer set ups, hard to get rid of, ugly.. bleh.

Nothing will usually remove it other than using algae scrapers and washing it off. It grows in just about any amount of lighting and temp.

To try to knock it out, keep tank away from direct sunlight and don't keep the light on for more than 10-12 hrs a day.
Don't allow uneaten food to stay in the tank for more than an hour.
Weekly water changes.. if no filter 1 50% and 1 100% per week, if filtered than 2 50% per week, one including gravel cleaning.

This usually happens in newly set up tanks (2 - 12 weeks after set up) and won't leave until the tank stabilizes, or if tank is established, figure out what is causing it (light, food, etc) and remedy it.

Hate those diatoms.. have some in a newer tank right now myself and it's a pain having to remove the dividers and such to clean.

[LeoTheLakerBetta]

I also have some in my divided tank; I just rid of it in 2 of my other tanks. It is a big pain. Like Myates said, just keep scrubbing and cleaning. Eventually it will go away once the tank stabilizes.

Oh and try to avoid long treatments of Epsom salt for your betta; in the long run it can be harmful but no worries right now lol.

[marybethw]

Thank you so much! I will do so and try to get rid of it. :) Oh and about the epsom salt, I was using aquarium salt and someone on here told me not to use that long term either.. and to use epsom salt instead :/ how am i supposed to know which to do when I'm being told 2 different things. It's quite frustrating xD

[Eggbert]

Epsom salt draws fluids out from your fish. Its good for sbd from what I've learned on this site, and other internal disease. I do know you shouldnt keep your fish in epsom baths for more than 10 days and you should clean the water %100 every other day..but that's for when your treating your fish. I've never heard of epsom being used without a reason. Aqua salt is different its just table salt, from what I've heard keepers will put low doses in their tanks (like 1/4 tsp/g).
What's your feeding schedule for her and what are you feeding her?

[Myates]

Epsom can be used long term - it isn't harmful to them at all. Yes, you don't want to put them in any salt unless being treated, but of the two salt, Epsom is quite safe and gentle and won't cause them any harm while in long term use, they can be kept safely in Epsom indefinitely.

It's AQ salt that they can't be placed in for longer then 10-14 days in a row.

[marybethw]

Okay so I will keep using epsom salt, I feel like it does help her a little with her swim bladder. And I feed her 2 Tetrabetta pellets a day, one in the morning one at night. (She's really small I can't feed her much more than that). I will skip a day if she's super bloated, and when her swim bladder is really severe some days I feed her peas which I heat up in the microwave and cut up into little pieces. The peas will usually help her a few hours after I feed them to her. And I don't ever let any food sit in her tank unless I know I'm going to clean her tank later that day. I am really good about tank hygiene especially since her tank is small. I always make sure to clean her tank and keep the water fresh in a timely manner every week. I treated her for swim bladder already once and followed directions someone gave me on here.. And it didn't make it go away. I think It's gonna just be something she has to live with and I try to help her as much as I can.

[Eggbert]

Originally Posted by Myates

Epsom can be used long term - it isn't harmful to them at all. Yes, you don't want to put them in any salt unless being treated, but of the two salt, Epsom is quite safe and gentle and won't cause them any harm while in long term use, they can be kept safely in Epsom indefinitely.

It's AQ salt that they can't be placed in for longer then 10-14 days in a row.

Thank you for correcting me!

You may have already said this, but do you treat your water?

Idk if anyone can answer this but is there such thing as chronic sbd?

[Eggbert]

I guess this is a touchy subject but a lot of keepers will say don't feed her a pea, since any vegetable can harm a bettas digestive tract.

[marybethw]

I wouldn't feed her peas if they didn't give her instant relief when she's super bloated and nothing else will help her. I try to not feed her for a day and that doesn't help at all. Then I give her a few bits of pea, and she's better in a couple hours. It's amazing really.. and seeing her so bloated she can barely swim is really upsetting. I do what I can to help her. :/ so yeah I don't know what else to do.