film on top of water? help wanted.
- Thread starter danepatrick
- Start date
If you don't get success with the cleaner, try a large plastic container. Just sink it slowly until it gets just below the surface. BTW, I had this problem with stress coat before.
Best regards.
Daniel.
Best regards.
Daniel.
Howdy,
all the replies are great, I personally used the paper towel method before, it worked fine for me. You can prevent that film, which in most cases is caused by bacteria, by creating more surface movement with your filter outlet or a powerhead.
HarleyK
all the replies are great, I personally used the paper towel method before, it worked fine for me. You can prevent that film, which in most cases is caused by bacteria, by creating more surface movement with your filter outlet or a powerhead.
HarleyK
Yep, get a spray bar or lift the filter return just above the water line so that the surface water is churned up a little, this will mix it in to the tank water and it will be taken car of by your filter. I have a corner overflow so I dont get the film but before that I used a canister filter and used to get the film if I didnt have enough surface movement 
PS. anyone used a protein skimmer on a freshwater tank? I read about how they can reduce nitrate accumulation by removing organic waste before it gets to your bio filter - which means less waste converted to nitrates? I know they arent as effective on fresh water but can they still be used or modified to work?
PS. anyone used a protein skimmer on a freshwater tank? I read about how they can reduce nitrate accumulation by removing organic waste before it gets to your bio filter - which means less waste converted to nitrates? I know they arent as effective on fresh water but can they still be used or modified to work?
I read about FW protein skimmers too, I think its not necessary. I have an oily surface too, probally from not have a powerfilter. I just do water changes to get rid of it. I know its from feeding shrimp, it only shows after I feed with shrimp and not feeders.
MarlboroMan said:
I actually did a bit of research yesterday after posting this. You can get protein skimmers for fresh water. Apparently they dont work as well as on salt water due to the foaming ability of the salt water, but they can work, there is a skimmer designed especially for fresh water which apparently works, but its bloody expensive!
http://www.schuran.com/freshwater/abschaeumer_e.html
The main reason they arent used is that its just not worth it, its easier to do regular water changes on freshwater tanks to keep nitrates down then it is to perservere with a skimmer. Marine fish keepers have to either buy their water for water changes or mix their own with salts they have purchased so its a PITA to do weekly changes and so anything to reduce nitrate production and extend water change interval on marine tanks is worth using!
Thats one of the beauties of having a sump system with overflows. It skimms off the surface water continously. The fats from feeding and your pesky hands floats on top and with nothing to skim it off, it just floats there until you remove it or it breaks down.
Protein Skimmers have a much harder time in fresh water because the surface tension of the water is so much different. The bubble size is just so much larger in fresh water and its the surface area of the bubbles that collects the protein waste and helps concentrate it and pushes it up to the top of the skimmer to be collected. If you could find a way to produce lots of very fine bubbles in fresh water then it may work. This would take a very small nozzle and VERY high pressure. Even then the bubble would be very short lived as the air would tend to collapse into large bubbles and quickly loose efficiency.
I think the best method of controlling this is more frequent water changes. Fresh water is MUCH cheaper to prepare than salt and is also easier.
The solution is Dilution
Protein Skimmers have a much harder time in fresh water because the surface tension of the water is so much different. The bubble size is just so much larger in fresh water and its the surface area of the bubbles that collects the protein waste and helps concentrate it and pushes it up to the top of the skimmer to be collected. If you could find a way to produce lots of very fine bubbles in fresh water then it may work. This would take a very small nozzle and VERY high pressure. Even then the bubble would be very short lived as the air would tend to collapse into large bubbles and quickly loose efficiency.
I think the best method of controlling this is more frequent water changes. Fresh water is MUCH cheaper to prepare than salt and is also easier.
The solution is Dilution
