Green Film On Suface, What Is It?

[russellbrooke]

evenin all,

I've got a juwel260 running an external filter with a uv, c02 which is heavily planted. Recently (last 2 months or so) i've started getting a green flim on the surface a day or two after a water change. Any ideas what it is?

The water isn't cloudy or green, no real algea issues.

Russ

 

[russellbrooke]

I've taken the spray bar off and I'm just using the nozzle. I've also moved it up so there is much more surface movement. The green film is now gone. Obviously i don't want to keep the surface moving too much so any ideas on what it is before i try putting the spray bar back?

 

[RadaR]

I think alot of planted tanks get this. Just make sure that CO2 and ferts is correct and the plants are growing well. Some fish eat the scum off the water, ie. platies.

 

[nry]

I'd be tempted to pull the leaves off the plant with all that beard looking algae on...off topic but nevermind

 

[russellbrooke]

That picture isn't that good, it's not beard algae, it's the java creating little leaves with roots at the tips. I think that's one way java propagate

 

[nry]

Lol, my mistake

 

[Castellop123]

It looks like your water has become stagnent... I would reattach your spraybar... or you could buy a powerhead...

 

[crazie.eddie]

That's just a build up of protein. It can easily be broken up my surface agitation. I'm curious why you don't want any surface movement? Surface agitation oxygenates the water, which would help out the fish. You can use an air bubble wand connected to a airpump and set it on a timer. Have the airpump go on at night when the lights are out. Since you have a planted tank, then you should know that plants take in CO2 during the day and O2 during the night. Fish need O2 day or night. At least with the pump going on at the night, the water will be oxygenated enough for the plants to take in the O2. Then during the day, you won't see any surface movement.

 

[xing]

That's just a build up of protein. It can easily be broken up my surface agitation. I'm curious why you don't want any surface movement? Surface agitation oxygenates the water, which would help out the fish. You can use an air bubble wand connected to a airpump and set it on a timer. Have the airpump go on at night when the lights are out. Since you have a planted tank, then you should know that plants take in CO2 during the day and O2 during the night. Fish need O2 day or night. At least with the pump going on at the night, the water will be oxygenated enough for the plants to take in the O2. Then during the day, you won't see any surface movement.

I get this scum and asked my lfs how to remove it. I was told surface agitation would break it up but in a planted tank less agitation is better as it causes gas exchange (increases oxygen but lessens the co2 levels) and that as long as the fish weren't gasping everything would be fine - is this correct?

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Eheim have a skimmer box just for this problem.

 

[crazie.eddie]

That's just a build up of protein. It can easily be broken up my surface agitation. I'm curious why you don't want any surface movement? Surface agitation oxygenates the water, which would help out the fish. You can use an air bubble wand connected to a airpump and set it on a timer. Have the airpump go on at night when the lights are out. Since you have a planted tank, then you should know that plants take in CO2 during the day and O2 during the night. Fish need O2 day or night. At least with the pump going on at the night, the water will be oxygenated enough for the plants to take in the O2. Then during the day, you won't see any surface movement.

I get this scum and asked my lfs how to remove it. I was told surface agitation would break it up but in a planted tank less agitation is better as it causes gas exchange (increases oxygen but lessens the co2 levels) and that as long as the fish weren't gasping everything would be fine - is this correct?

If you are injecting CO2 and using an air bubbler, then you would outgas some of the CO2, due to the agitation. Therefore, you would have to increase the CO2. As I mentioned, plants use O2 when the lights are out. So you can use an airpump in the evenings using a timer. Most of the time, the buildup takes a long time to accumulate, so setting the airpump at night would also help out.

Keep in mind, if you have fish in the tank, they are creating CO2 that the plants can use.

Eheim have a skimmer box just for this problem.

I'm not sure how usefull the skimmer would be, since it connects to the intake of your filter. It's not going to be able to pickup the detritus that comes close to it, since the skimmer remains at the surface. A simple air bubbler would be simpler to use and produces the same results.