[xjessicar9]

So the past few days, I noticed that my fish's bowl had a strange layer on top of the water. The bowl is unfiltered, and I was wondering if that might be why. When I do a water change, I take a small container I have, fill it with tap water, and add these conditioning drops that remove the chlorine from the water, and I noticed this strange layer on the fresh water as well. It was less noticeable in the fresh water, and more noticeable on the bowl water, as pictured below. I tried to just put a paper towel into the fresh water to see if the weird layer would come off, and it did. It was a really light blue color, and it moved like a thin sheet on top of the water. When wiping off the inside of the bowl and removing part of the water, there was this weird dried ring of that layer that was left on the sides, and when I wiped it off it was the same light blue color. What is this? I've attached three pictures below.

In the bowl: http://postimg.org/image/deajm4d0b/
In the fresh water: http://postimg.org/image/cohowosjv/
On the towel, the light blue color: http://postimg.org/image/qr5mxr8kx/

 

[ao]

This is a protein film. it usually forms due to lack of water agitation. placing a paper towel over the water aurface and quickly pulling it off will take care of the problem temporarily.


The natural way I like to fix it is to throw in a bladder snail. they will literally travel upside down and eat the protein film.

I know people say no snails should go in a one gallon. but bladder snails are small and only produce as much ammonia as you feed them. You can minimize their poop output by not overfeeding your betta and throwing in an extra water change during the week.

That blue color almost looks like your gravel is leeching the color into the water :/

 

[Aqua Aurora]

As stated above, water aggregation/flow at the surface fixes it. It also called biofilm and can have an oil slick look to it at certain angles/lighting
Small snails like bladder, pond, and ramshorns work fine in a 1g (you can also use Malaysian trumpet snails (mts) is sand based substrate is in). I would NOT put in mystery, apple, or nerite snails though (they get too big and poop way to much for that size tank). I've watched my small pond, bladder, and ramshorns crawl along the surface upside down eating the biofilam and leaving a small trail behind them where they cut through it, its very cool to see.

 

[xjessicar9]

Ok, thank you, I'm glad it's normal. I will look into getting one of those snails, are they able to live together with a betta fish?
I'll have to see about the gravel, I'm thinking that might not be the case since the blue color was also from the fresh water which hadn't touched the gravel. Thank you guys for the help!!
Also, about the snails, I'm not sure where I found find one. I've looked and called my local pet stores and they don't seem to have any of those. I've found some online, and I'm just doing some research and seeing how they reproduce on their own with certain types, and I don't want to have lots of them!!