So what's the best way to deal with surface film? I currently have a TOM surface skimmer for the intake to my canister, but this is awfully bulky in the back of the tank. No matter how little I feed the fish or how clean I try to keep the tank, I still end up with a surface film after a little...

I'm in the middle of a fishless cycle - high nitrites right now... It appeared within a matter of a few hours.