Problem with film on water surface?

[sauvagii]

Hi,

over the last few weeks I have set up a 24" tank in my spare room, with the intention of moving my dwarf gouramies into it in an attempt to breed.

I have set this tank up essentially bare, with gravel, a small power filter that has been maturing in my main tank for 2 months, heater and light.

On the first attempt, two days after filling there was an opaque film of off-smelling scum on the surface of the water. So I emptied it, cleaned the tank all eqpt and the gravel, and set it up again. The same thing happened again.

Ive now set it up without the gravel, and its happened again, although not quite as bad.

Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this, and how i can rectify it?

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[catman]

Have you tested the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc?

If so can you post some results for us...

Cheers

 

[aquamaniac2003]

It could be some form of algae. Try cleaning the hole system including gravel and any ornaments with mild peroxide.
Make sure you rinse very well afterwords. Replace the filter material with new and try again.
You could even fill the tank with mild peroxide and run the filter without filter material to make sure the interior of the filter is sanitized.

Start as fresh as you can.

 

[StiX]

I'm not entierly sure what is causing it, but I know how to get rid of it, theres 2 ways I know of, 1 is to grag a paper towel over the surface afew times, and the other is to simply point the outflow of ur powerhead or fiter towards the surface

 

[aquamaniac2003]

If there is an organism growing in the water, I fail to see how pointing the powerhead at the surface will remove it. The towel would lift up the top layer, which I believe would keep growing back.
If there is a smell of scum it would point to an algae being pressent. The same thing happens in small out door wimming pools where you forget to use chlorine for a couple of days - stinks like hell.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness - clean, clean, clean

 

[catman]

I had this once when cycling a tank... It went after wards...

Although stix is correct, you can get a scum on the water surface due to lack of agitation, but it doesn't normally smell.

Be really helpful if we had some water parameters to go on....

 

[sauvagii]

Hi, thanks for your help folks. I've not got a water test kit at the moment, but im going to get one today. Ive scrubbed the tank out and all the equipment again and set it up totally bare, with heater and filter, and cleaned all the bits...a local keeper advised me to use vinegar to clean everything and rinse it....its been filled again and so far there is no sign of the film coming back - normally it started by the next morning.

Will keep ya posted,

Cheers