Oily Film

[jts112278]

Hello Everyone-

I'm sure that this topic has been brought up numerous times but i couldn't find any of the threads so here goes. I seem to develop a oily type film on the top of my water after about 24 hours. Is this some form of Ammonia? I would really appreciate any help on this matter.

Thanks!
Mr. Dirty Water

 

[colesea]

Try looking in the plant forum, there should be some threads of this nature in there. You are right though, this discussion has come up numerous times before.

If you do not have any live plants or CO2 injection, the best way to get rid of that oily film, which is probably just dissolved organics in your water, is to simply aggitate the surface of the tank with either a filter outflow, or an airpump/airstone combination. If you have internal powerheads, make sure the powerheads are pointed at the surface so you get some ripple action on the top of your tank, and if you have a spray bar, you'll have to lift the spray bar above the surface of your water. Some people don't use airpumps/airstones simply because of aestic reasons, and I found personally that it spooked my fish, but bubbles that will also aggitiate the surface of your tank will do the same thing.

Even better, get yourself a protien skimmer, espeically if you have a marine salt water tank. That foamy stuff you see blowing around on the beach being kicked up by the waves. The stuff on the surface of your tank is the same thing.  A protien skimmer basically mimics wave action, creates the foam, collects it in a spill cup, and you can dump the spill cup down the drain. This is a most effective way of removing/reducing nitrates.

Dissoloved organics does include ammonia, and everything else that life's chemical processes produce.

As for live plants, I don't know what would really be beneficial in that situation because I know surface aggitiation can mess up water chemistry and pH and whatnot due to the photosynthetic/respiration process used by plants, as well as negating the purpose of CO2 injection by disappating the CO2. Hunt around the plant forum for answers.
~~Colesea

 

[Avalon]

Cole made some good suggestions. Most people agitate the surface of the water via a bubblestone or with the filter return flow. You could drop the water level slightly if you wanted to do it with a power filter.

For planted tanks with CO2, agitating the surface is a no-no because of the exchange (loss) of CO2. In this situation, fish such as mollies and platties will get rid of it, as well as nip at some algae (albeit not very much).

 

[aznpanther98]

here's a lil trick u can probaly try with a planted tank, at night or whenever u turn the lights out of ur tanks run an air pump or if u have a power head use the part that makes bubbles i think it's called venturi or something anyways get one of those air controllors and that way u can shut off the flow when u turn ur lights on it creates surface agitation and provides o2 since plants need o2 at night i do that and don't see a film  on the surface but i do notice a slight build b4 lights out but since i can't see with the top on it's all good   *thumbsupsmiley*