White gravel taking on slightly yellow tinge

[TokyoBetta]

My white gravel is taking on a slightly yellow, almost burnt tinge.

I do weekly water changes, add water additive, wash the rocks in hot water vigorously and strain them with a spaghetti strainer etc before putting them back in, I wipe down the inside of the tank with hot water, all that stuff.

This is the first time they've done this but then again I've only had the tank and my fish for 3 weeks.
Is this just a normal thing? Of course it's impossible to get all the bacteria and naturally occurring organisms out, because we don't use soap. Is this natural and it's just easy to see on white gravel?

It's not all the rocks either, just a few here and there.

This is something I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I had gone with regular dark colored gravel.

[TokyoBetta]

Any ideas guys?

[vaygirl]

It kinda sounds like diatoms. Is it like a rusty color?

[TokyoBetta]

Yes, the gravel is white but here and there some rocks look rusty/burnt.

Is this really bad?

I'm gonna change his water on Sunday afternoon anyway, at that time I'll put the rocks through boiling water.

[vaygirl]

Nah, diatoms are just something that happens. I have a persistant problem with them in my 16 gallon and they just DON'T want to go. Just scrub when you do water changes to try and get rid of them and maybe add a water change in a week? How big is the tank?

[TokyoBetta]

The tank is 5 gallons.
If I didn't have white gravel I dare say I wouldn't have even noticed.
Not using soap and only hot water - well you can only expect a certain level of cleanliness.
After all its a living environment, fish, plants, poop, etc., not a museum exhibit.

But so long as it's not harmful to my fish I'm cool.
I'll just get gravel that doesn't show the algae too much hehe, just for my own sense of neatness.

But just to keep things as clean as possible I think I'll run some boiling water over the gravel and decorations from now on, if I've been washing regularly and this is the result, I don't want this stuff taking over the tank.

[vaygirl]

It can do that. It's a mess. In my cycled 16 the only reason I can think that it's still there (because I check my parameters every week when I change water and they're stable) is phosphates or extra nutrients in the water. So I got stuff for the filter that was supposed to remove phosphates and I cut back on feeding.

Darker gravel will help it not look unsightly. If that's as far as it ever gets with your water changes, don't worry. BUT if you miss a water change or let that stuff get a hold it can cover your plants, your aquarium walls and your decor. And then the cleanup is even more of a pain. Down with diatoms!

[TokyoBetta]

Thanks a lot for your help vaygirl I'll try some boiling water and endeavour to keep it extra clean.
Glad to hear the lil guy isn't in any immediate danger.

Also, I have some dying grass in there, that may be adding to the problem.. need some new.. not-dying grass..
I was hoping it'd bounce back but..

Thanks again! (^^)

[vaygirl]

No problem. :) Good luck!

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

Great information vaygirl! I have the same problem with my tanks if I miss a water change (I clean my 2.5Gs twice a week). It's so annoying and I just noticed it when I got light colored rocks also. It's so weird, I have two tanks that get it a lot.