Surface Film Issues

OutKast · 03-18-2004, 09:15 PM

Wow, searching for "surface film" did me no good...

Does having a thin film on the entire surface of my tank cause any issues (other than being unsightly)? I was wondering specifically about air-water gas exchange.

Also, what is a cheap and effective way to eliminate this film? I have a 55g densely planted tank. Only surface movement comes at night; I installed an air pump to agitate the water surface so my fish didn't have to gasp for air in the mornings.

unirdna · 03-18-2004, 09:26 PM

Use the 'and' feature when searching. If you search for 'surface film' it will find all thread with either word. If you search for 'surface and film' it will find thread with both those words.

The concerns you've mentioned have been mentioned before. Here's a recent thread on how to build a surface extractor. I've just been taking a Miller Highlife bottle to my tank once a week. I submerge it just below the water line and it sucks it all off. The cohesive properties of the scum is its downfall :twisted:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6466

Fat Guy · 03-18-2004, 09:31 PM

The surface film is from an lack of surface agitation.

If the film is very thick, it can be harmful to your fish at night depending on how much co2 you are injecting into your tank.

corigan · 03-18-2004, 10:14 PM

I have an eheim surface extractor that fixes this problem for me.

Matt

newmang · 03-19-2004, 02:24 AM

I've heard black mollies are good for removing surface scum

pedietz · 03-19-2004, 04:33 AM

I switched my Fish Food from OSI to PennPlax.

My scum went away.

And here's a positive review for PennPlax fish food. For being the dollar-store name in fish aquarium equipment, the food is actually pretty decent.

The container has this built-in measured dispenser.
Open the container, pour some food into the dispenser, close the container, and slide the dispenser door open. No need to touch it...
and you always feed the same amount.

Ace · 03-19-2004, 04:46 AM

surface skimmer..you can do 1 yourself

Drakken · 03-19-2004, 02:53 PM

$8.50 and two minutes to install...

djlen · 03-19-2004, 05:45 PM

As newmang suggests, a Black Mollie or two will clear up the problem in no time.

Len

OutKast · 03-19-2004, 10:04 PM

You guys are the best

rumples riot · 03-19-2004, 10:52 PM

You do need to keep the scum down, and as suggested either a DIY or commercial manufacture extractor will do the trick.

The problem with not having an extractor is that it will inhibit the gas exchange at the surface, particularly if your tank is at the 3-4 watts per gallon mark. Your tank will look like a bubble bath in a couple of hours and will prevent CO2 out gassing at night. Depending in CO2 levels you could wake up one morning with fish floating on the top of your water.

If you buy or make an extractor you won't need to worry about this problem.

Paul

sanj · 03-20-2004, 05:58 PM

I introduced a few black molleys after reading about their ability to skim the surface and remove the scum on Hoa Nguyen's freshwater planted aquarium site. It did work aswell. Perhaps you can consider them?

djlen · 03-21-2004, 07:29 AM

You know, it's funny. I've used them for a long time and find that the females are so much better at doing the job. One female will do three times the cleaning compared to males. They're just more industrious.

Len

RoseHawke · 07-24-2004, 11:28 AM

Sorry for pulling up this old thread, but I just had to comment on my experience on this. I'd never had any type of surface scum before having always had a HOT type filter and fish only tank. I didn't even know what this stuff was! I thought I had some sort of issue from all the remodeling I'd been doing 'til I started doing some poking around on the forum (when it kept coming back after I would clean it up.) Didn't like the idea of a slurping skimmer but I thought what the heck? I can probably stand a couple more small fish in there. Mollies are worth a shot. I always take this stuff with a grain of salt, so to speak, as it always seems like things that work for other folks won't work for me

. Anyway I took the last two mollies my LFS had (a lyretail and a regular black molly) tossed them in (after acclimating them of course

) and the horrible stuff is gone and hasn't come back. Truly, I am amazed, and very, very pleased. It's always nice when something works as advertised. Just another example of a successful outcome from using some of the wonderful resources of this forum

Overfloater · 07-25-2004, 01:10 AM

I am considering them as well. Did you get males or females? And also how long did it take them to clear it?

03-18-2004, 09:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
OutKast Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 34	Wow, searching for "surface film" did me no good... Does having a thin film on the entire surface of my tank cause any issues (other than being unsightly)? I was wondering specifically about air-water gas exchange. Also, what is a cheap and effective way to eliminate this film? I have a 55g densely planted tank. Only surface movement comes at night; I installed an air pump to agitate the water surface so my fish didn't have to gasp for air in the mornings. __________________ 55g Freshwater Planted - Aqualight 4x65w - Ehiem Classic Canister 2217 - DIY CO2 - 100% Flourite Fauna: 4 Clown Loaches - YoYo Loach - Crenicichla Compressiceps - Firemouth Cichlid - 8 Rummynose Tetras - 6 Cardinal Tetras - Apistogramma Cacatoides - Red-tailed Shark - African Dwarf Frog Cleaning crew: 5 Ottocinclus - Sturisoma Barbatum Flora: Heavy

03-18-2004, 09:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
unirdna Moderator (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,280	Use the 'and' feature when searching. If you search for 'surface film' it will find all thread with either word. If you search for 'surface and film' it will find thread with both those words. The concerns you've mentioned have been mentioned before. Here's a recent thread on how to build a surface extractor. I've just been taking a Miller Highlife bottle to my tank once a week. I submerge it just below the water line and it sucks it all off. The cohesive properties of the scum is its downfall :twisted: http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6466 __________________ Ted ADA 90p - Set up April 2007 - Journal 46g - Terminated March 2007 - Journal

03-18-2004, 09:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
Fat Guy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 794	The surface film is from an lack of surface agitation. If the film is very thick, it can be harmful to your fish at night depending on how much co2 you are injecting into your tank. __________________ Planted 38G: 55W PC GE9325, 55W PC Retrofit 6700K Pressurized 5lb Ecco and Gravel Mix Link to some of my tanks on a different site

03-18-2004, 10:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
corigan Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Woodstock, GA Posts: 683	I have an eheim surface extractor that fixes this problem for me. Matt __________________ Member #6 of the Eheim Pimp Club - 2 Eheim 2213 & 2215 w/ surface extractor, LiquidDoser and Auto Feeder.

03-19-2004, 04:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
Ace Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Penang,Malaysia Posts: 336	surface skimmer..you can do 1 yourself __________________ New Tank! 80 g, Eheim Pro II w Hagen Surface Skimmer, TetraTec IN-1000, JBL Aquabasis and Sand subtrate, 1st 40w Lighting: 40W Marine Glo 2nd 80w Lighting: 2 40W Power Glo 3rd 80w Lighting: 2 40W Aqua Glo Whole set of Azoo fertilizers 3.8 kg Pressurized co2 tank

03-19-2004, 02:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
newmang Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 5	I've heard black mollies are good for removing surface scum

03-19-2004, 04:33 AM	#6 (permalink)
pedietz Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Nebraska Posts: 183	I switched my Fish Food from OSI to PennPlax. My scum went away. And here's a positive review for PennPlax fish food. For being the dollar-store name in fish aquarium equipment, the food is actually pretty decent. The container has this built-in measured dispenser. Open the container, pour some food into the dispenser, close the container, and slide the dispenser door open. No need to touch it... and you always feed the same amount.

03-19-2004, 02:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
Drakken Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 63	$8.50 and two minutes to install...

03-19-2004, 05:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
djlen Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Somerdale, New Jersey USA Posts: 216	As newmang suggests, a Black Mollie or two will clear up the problem in no time. Len __________________ HAVE DISCS - WILL TRAVEL www.aquariumboard.com

03-19-2004, 10:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
OutKast Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 34	You guys are the best __________________ 55g Freshwater Planted - Aqualight 4x65w - Ehiem Classic Canister 2217 - DIY CO2 - 100% Flourite Fauna: 4 Clown Loaches - YoYo Loach - Crenicichla Compressiceps - Firemouth Cichlid - 8 Rummynose Tetras - 6 Cardinal Tetras - Apistogramma Cacatoides - Red-tailed Shark - African Dwarf Frog Cleaning crew: 5 Ottocinclus - Sturisoma Barbatum Flora: Heavy

03-19-2004, 10:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
rumples riot Eheim Pimp Member # 3 (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2003 Location: Blackwood South Australia Posts: 644	You do need to keep the scum down, and as suggested either a DIY or commercial manufacture extractor will do the trick. The problem with not having an extractor is that it will inhibit the gas exchange at the surface, particularly if your tank is at the 3-4 watts per gallon mark. Your tank will look like a bubble bath in a couple of hours and will prevent CO2 out gassing at night. Depending in CO2 levels you could wake up one morning with fish floating on the top of your water. If you buy or make an extractor you won't need to worry about this problem. Paul __________________ Eheim Pimp Club member #3: Scribe to the Eheim Pimp Club 90 gallon, CO2 dupla injection, Dupla substrate heating, Dupla Laterite with iron stone substrate, Aquastarlight future 3 x 150 metal Halides, Eheim 2026 pro2's and heavily planted with Discus

03-20-2004, 05:58 PM	#12 (permalink)
sanj Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Coventry, UK Posts: 170	I introduced a few black molleys after reading about their ability to skim the surface and remove the scum on Hoa Nguyen's freshwater planted aquarium site. It did work aswell. Perhaps you can consider them? __________________ 96"x24"x24", 432W T5, Co2. Asian/Australian themed

03-21-2004, 07:29 AM	#13 (permalink)
djlen Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Somerdale, New Jersey USA Posts: 216	You know, it's funny. I've used them for a long time and find that the females are so much better at doing the job. One female will do three times the cleaning compared to males. They're just more industrious. Len __________________ HAVE DISCS - WILL TRAVEL www.aquariumboard.com

07-24-2004, 11:28 AM	#14 (permalink)
RoseHawke Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Central Alabama Posts: 1,879	Sorry for pulling up this old thread, but I just had to comment on my experience on this. I'd never had any type of surface scum before having always had a HOT type filter and fish only tank. I didn't even know what this stuff was! I thought I had some sort of issue from all the remodeling I'd been doing 'til I started doing some poking around on the forum (when it kept coming back after I would clean it up.) Didn't like the idea of a slurping skimmer but I thought what the heck? I can probably stand a couple more small fish in there. Mollies are worth a shot. I always take this stuff with a grain of salt, so to speak, as it always seems like things that work for other folks won't work for me . Anyway I took the last two mollies my LFS had (a lyretail and a regular black molly) tossed them in (after acclimating them of course ) and the horrible stuff is gone and hasn't come back. Truly, I am amazed, and very, very pleased. It's always nice when something works as advertised. Just another example of a successful outcome from using some of the wonderful resources of this forum __________________ Sláinte! Cindy 55 gallon - Hi-Res — 2wpg CF lighting; pressurized CO2; 18 watt Turbo-twist UVS; Eheim Pro II 2028; eco-complete; 2 Pearl Gouramis; 7 Harlequin Rasboras; 3 Otocinclus catfish 10 gallon — lo-tech; 1.8 wpg DIY CF light; no CO2; Aquaclear mini; Schultz substrate; java fern; java moss; 7 Neon Tetras; 1 flame dwarf gourami

07-25-2004, 01:10 AM	#15 (permalink)
Overfloater Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (46/100%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,440	I am considering them as well. Did you get males or females? And also how long did it take them to clear it? __________________ Robert Los Dios De Verde ARAOK stop the kindness Last edited by Overfloater; 07-25-2004 at 04:17 PM.

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