Oily water surface

[Aqualux]

I would try to break the water surface with the return water from the filter and see what happens. So far, I also tried removing the film with a glass but it rebuilds at an incredible speed, it barely takes a night to cover the entire surface again.
I guess I would need some patience now and see how it develops...only time will tell

[Orlando]

Do you feed sinking pellet food?

[Vojs]

Hang on filter with a skimmer, solved this problem in few hours in both of my tanks.

[Aqualux]

Do you feed sinking pellet food?

No, currently I don't use any food of that sort.

Hang on filter with a skimmer, solved this problem in few hours in both of my tanks.

I don't really have the space nor would I like to have a skimmer permanently installed in my tank.

[defdac]

I have noticed I get an uncolored film if I'm about to get a diatom bloom, and an oily/greenish bubbly film if I'm about to get Cyanobacteria.

These booth kind of films usually builds up during the light hours and disappears during the night.

If I do something about them (like pointing the spray bar 45 degrees upwards towards the water surface and optimze circulation and filter throughput) I usually don't get the blooms or they tend to be very small.

[Rudi Giacomini]

Originally Posted by defdac

I have noticed I get an uncolored film if I'm about to get a diatom bloom, and an oily/greenish bubbly film if I'm about to get Cyanobacteria.

These booth kind of films usually builds up during the light hours and disappears during the night.

If I do something about them (like pointing the spray bar 45 degrees upwards towards the water surface and optimze circulation and filter throughput) I usually don't get the blooms or they tend to be very small.

As I pointed before when you use the spray bar you change some enviroment parameters (in your example more oxigene and less CO2) that's why you get some result...another way is to change the filter throughput (for some problems is better to slow flow rather than optimize it).

[defdac]

As I pointed before when you use the spray bar you change some enviroment parameters (in your example more oxigene and less CO2) that's why you get some result...

Ok? I haven't said anything that says anything against this, but thanks? for stating the obvious.. I think.. *confused*

[Shadow]

will air pump help? just an idea (never try it myself), it certainly will mix the water around

[Rudi Giacomini]

Originally Posted by Shadow

will air pump help? just an idea (never try it myself), it certainly will mix the water around

It's useful to mix water but if oily film is too tick, air bubbles, don't breack it but simply cross , slowly, the surface. Not so effective as breacking it with pump flow...

[Aqualux]

I have tried an air pump before. It does break the film, the film is not that thick. But, if the pump is switched off for a few hours the film will rebuild...the air pump, the same as other solutions, doesn't get to the cause of the problem.

[Aqualux]

I finally managed to take some pictures of the surface...I have adjusted the water level as well now to break the surface with the water that returns from the filter. I'll report back if there is any progress.

[John N.]

This is quite an interesting thread.

I thought it was from the fish food, but that was ruled out quickly...My second guess was bacterial (good job Rudi for explaining it).

I think the surface agitation will help until the tank get's "balanced".

-John N.

[Rudi Giacomini]

Hi!
Watching those pictures I think see some kind of algae (on the corner and on pipe). The water in the pictures seems white and dusty. Both thing make me feel I was right and this is a bacterial problem due to umbalanced water.
Water changes and time will resolve it...

[Aqualux]

Hi all,

Just a quick update on the situation: breaking the water surface with the return water from the filter does get rid of the film. However, it will reappear as soon as I raise the water level again and stop breaking the surface...

It still have some issues with plant growth as well, I guess the optimum balance for the tank has not been reached yet.

[djammer]

hi i had this problem about a month ago i simply replaced half of the water in my tank and took out most of the plastic plants that wear coverd in a dark green algae.

all was fine until yesterday when i put the plants into boiling water but did not scrub them.
algae remained.

i returned them to my tank and a day later the oil has returned.

so now i am off to just remove the plants again and then skim the top just for confurmation that the algae is to blame.

i will update in a day or two with my results

[Al G. Begone]

if it's a really small tank, just get some paper towels and lay them across the top and remove when necessary as a temporary measure until you find the root cause.