Filament on top of water?

[Ryan75]

So here's the story.... I was setting up a new tank, put sand/shells and then added water(with conditioner). So then I put the heater in and then the filter. It was running smoothly and then I did some water changes so I turned off the filter, so after I tried it again it died. So now the water in the tank has been sitting still in the tank since Monday and there is white filament that has formed on the top of the water. The tank doesn't smell at all. Anyone know what it could be?

 

[Burgess]

well what type of filter for one.

 

[Burgess]

Well it could be dust or drywall dust...could be a few thing ....could of had stuff on your hands or even on the shells or even the sand that's why i rinse my hands then and every thing that go's in my aquarium.

 

[knifegill]

It's probably a little bacterial slime. Most water will get that if it sits still. Just get a filter going at it will disappear, most likely.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; I run an air bubbler to break up the layer that forms. It happens if the surface is not aggitated. I had only a HOB power filter in a 55 gallon for a while this year. It did not keep this layer broken up , so I dug an air pump from one of the many boxes of aquarium stuff that has followed me around for 50 years. It did the trick.

 

[Ryan75]

Ok, when I saw it last night I kind of stirredd it around and it all broke up. Will it harm the fish? I am thinking it is bacterial/sand sediment buildup since it's a new tank.

 

[krichardson]

This filter that died,was it one of the Marineland jobs and why were you doing water changes so soon after set up?

 

[Ryan75]

No it wasn't Marineland. I was doing WC's because I put sand as the substrate and was getting it cleared up xD?

 

[krichardson]

Oh okay.I asked about the filter because the Marineland stuff tends to not start up after they have been unplugged for a short while.