Oily Surface & Reflector Caked

[Bluetooth]

Hi Wilder

As you might (or might not) remember, i had an issue with an oily surface and cloudy water, when i removed the cover flaps for a few days the oily surface went away.

Since then i completed my diy reflectors and placed them back. No issues but the oily surface has slowly come back. Water is as before, no issues with stats and plants seem to be doing ok also.

No fish issues either.

Now another worrying thing is that when i removed the flaps to clean the reflectors i found the rear reflector (above a red light for plants) was caked in some kind of chalky substance, and the water that had evaporated onto it was a milky colour, ive removed both flaps again.

After asking a few discus people they said it could be neutson but i dont think it would do the caking thing to my reflectors or would it?

I have fitted my spray bar onto the outlet of my filter however it isnt dissipating the surface film.

No gasping on the fish either.

 

[WILDER]

Could of been hard water stains. The chalky substance.
Do you feed frozen foods, if so do any fish splash the water and its hitting the lid leaving oil substance.
If it not harming the fish I wouldn't worry to much.
Just wipe it off with kitchen paper.

I've had green algae growing on my tank lid.

 

[Big_eyes]

Aye, I've started feeding frozen foods to my fish recently and noticed quite an oily surface.

 

[Bluetooth]

Could of been hard water stains. The chalky substance.
Do you feed frozen foods, if so do any fish splash the water and its hitting the lid leaving oil substance.
If it not harming the fish I wouldn't worry to much.
Just wipe it off with kitchen paper.

I've had green algae growing on my tank lid.

Hey Wilder.

The water int his area is reported to be of medium softness (35mg/l) whatever that means, i did a water hardness test with an out of date tester and i dont think it was right so i cant give you the exact idea of hardness but my discus love the water so dunno.

Regarding frozen foods i treat them more as a treat maybe once a week/twice a week, i mostly feed dry goods, tetra prima and hikari discus bio gold. When i do feed frozen i alternate from beefheart to bloodworm to "discusfood". No idea whats in the packet lol but the discus enjoy it =-)

It wasnt worrying me hugely but now the reflector is all gunged up and such it worries me a bit lol.

Ill get you a picture tonight some time to show you what i mean.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
When I've fed the fish about ten minutes later I run and airstone to clear the water.
I don't have the airstone on all the time as there plenty of aeration with two filters running.
It could be the food that causing the oil.
I get white on my lid it due to the water.
I just rub it off.

 

[Bluetooth]

The water is clear as a bell, and without the covers the oil disappears due to surface agitation i expect.

Plus i have tried to clean the reflector, it wont come off =-)

Guess ill just pull the reflector off and buy some proper ones

 

[WILDER]

ok.
Good luck.