Strange 'film' On The Surface Of My Tank Water

[spesh]

Noticed it today...

I have an almost oily looking film on the surface of my water, doesnt seem to be having an ill effects apart from looking horrible.

Any idea's? I've tried taking a pic but it looks quite normal in a photo

Water stats etc are all just fine and the fish seem happy enough.

 

[tenohfive]

I've got the same on one of my tanks (bizarrely one of only two of my tanks that has a proper lid) and I've no idea, I'm curious to hear what others say. Noticed it not long after I added bogwood (though I can't say if its related.)

 

[justjon]

Could it be a dust layer?

 

[minxfishy]

It happens, try using some good kitchen towel (you know the one that you can rinse and use again ) lay it on the surface and it will pull up the film.

 

[tenohfive]

What is the film out of interest? I doubt its dust in my lid is reasonably tight.

 

[simonas]

one of my tanks has it funny enough this week after a major clean out I did of it

 

[shelaghfishface]

have you been feeding bloodworm?, it can sometimes be the cause

EDIT .. you jammy git .. when is the oscar arriving??

 

[tenohfive]

Thats a thought, that kind of makes sense.

 

[spesh]

They do get bloodworm, but only occasionally as the barbs seem to gorge the whole lot leaving them very fat (needing pea's!), bloated and the other fish hungry so its a rare treat.

I have started giving them dried tubi sometimes, more for the ropefish than anything else but the fish are mainly fed on frozen tropical mix, daph or mysis.


I dont think its dust, the lid fit is pretty good and the film looks too "oily" to be that. I'm concerned that if it is some sort of oily substance that it'll affect the oxygenation of the water.

The baby O should be arriving in a few weeks, got some extra biomedia in my current filter to get the new tank a nice start when I collect it on Monday. I've rented a van to go collect it from Cardiff lol, it was an ebay buy by accident

 

[kewskills]

A film that looks oil like can be proteins in the water, if you feed a lot of stuff like mussles or fish then this is quite common, this also could be dust but i doubt it, as stated earlier use kitchen roll to lift it off of the top of the water.
If it gets really bad the effect can be that the water has less surface area due to thicker oil on top of it, for gaseous exchange so can become oxygen depleted, but this is a worst case scenario.

 

[orange shark]

being daft as i am, i read the title as film as in a movie and the name called on the surface of my tank water...i was like WHAT

 

[shelaghfishface]

being daft as i am, i read the title as film as in a movie and the name called on the surface of my tank water...i was like WHAT

wow that was some accident.. hmmm wonder if i could get away with that one, my sister lives in barry and when she was up she left her postcode in the ebay search bar,and i always get excited when great tanks come up, then gutted when i see where they are hope it all goes well for you

 

[Dave Ehl]

its no big deal. a water change or a surface skimmer takes care of that easy.