Film on water

[Kerryk]

For the past week or so I've been having to drag newspaper over the top of my water to remove what looks almost like an oil slick, I remove almost 90% of it, and over night it almost rebuilds itself. About a month or so ago I treated with TC caps and it took about 2 weeks after treatment (and buckets and buckets of water changes) to clear the tank and get the foamy stuff off the top of the water, and ever since the foamy stuff is gone it's oily. Has anyone ever encountered anything like this before?? Could it have been the medication?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Could be, maybe try putting carbon in your filter for a while to taker the meds out totally. Does your filter break the water surface or do you have an air stone? It's normal to have a film if you don't have anything breaking the surface of the water (and you should really to improve oxygenation and stop such films) but I am not sure about it being oily.

HTH

 

[Kerryk]

I have an aquarclear 150 running in it, the (fresh) carbon has been in there for at least the two weeks and it's got all the other inserts in it (foam and the ammonia upgrade) UNLESS...it's the "new and improved" aquaclear ammonia remover upgrade....hmmmm.
Though it does seem oily...I've dragged my dad over (an old fish keeper from the 70's ) and he's never seen anything like it either. When you take out a bucket of water, and use the algea scraper on the sides of the tank it clings to the glass like oil.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I am not familiar with that filter. Does it break the surface? Carbon had to be changed regularly, especially if you are removing meds. Otherwise they will just leech back into the tank.

 

[Nidge]

Sometimes algae grows on the surface of the water and it looks like a slick.
Do you have an algae problem in the tank normally?

 

[Kerryk]

I think it breaks the surface of the water...it's a power filter that basically sucks water into a tube from inside the tank...and has a little lip shooting water back into the tank.

I took the carbon out while treating (discarded it), and afterwards added a fresh activated carbon. (which has only been in the tank for about 2 weeks ish).

I've never had a huge algae problem the lights are on for about 8 hours a day, there are a couple new plants in it (the only real plants in it), the plants seem to have slowed down the algae...Unless it's dead algae floating that looks oily?

 

[shrimpster97]

all you nees is some airation.

 

[Kerryk]

Power filters give you airation

 

[Da_Oz]

You did wash the carbon first right. I know that sounds like a bash but some people don't and carbon dust floats to the top and looks like oil.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I think it breaks the surface of the water...

Does the surface of the water move and parts come up above the normal level? Like with a bubble stone. Maybe try moving your filter up a bit or add a stone.

 

[Kerryk]

I rinsed out the carbon pretty good, and it gets rinsed every couple weeks with fish tank water. The surface of the water does move and the parts do come up above the normal level. Maybe I'll do a good gravel cleaning and completly rinse out my filter. I can't think of anything else it could be!

 

[MAM]

cheese, those are a type of HOB filter, so yes, they do break up the surface.

i've had this happen before once too and it seemed to have to do with the food i was using at the time.............................

 

[Kerryk]

Hmm...I've been feeding that tank with freeze dried bloodworms, TetraMin, and a half a tab of sinking food for my cats. They've been eatting most of what goes in, but it is a possibility. Do you figure it would it be overfeeding or the brand of food MAM?