# Film on top of water



## BJRuttenberg (Sep 25, 2005)

I have a lipid like film on the surface of my water. Is this from not doing water changes enough? How does something like this occur? 

29 gal. Planted
3 Bleeding Hearts
1 Black Ghost Knife
1 German Blue Ram
1 Clown Loach
4 SAEs
1 Otocinclus 

PH 6.5
KH 3.5-4


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## Dewmazz (Sep 6, 2005)

It is natural, and nothing to worry about. It is merely a film of dissolved organics and it means that there is probably not enough surface agitation. Surface skimmers work quite well and have adapters to be placed on many powerfilters and canister filters. Mollys are also great scum-eaters. Or, if your filter has a spraybar, move it closer to the water's surface. I used to have that problem, but I purchased a surface skimmer. Now my water surface looks like glass.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

DJ, welcome to APC  

Ditto to what Dewmazz said.


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## b2au (Nov 16, 2005)

i bought a surface extractor for my eheim.

easy attachment to the intake side to also make more surface movement.


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## skinns (Apr 8, 2004)

I had the same problem back in March. Since then I bought 3 mollys and within a couple of days, the surface was a clear as glass.


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## modernhamlet (Aug 9, 2005)

How do you deal with this problem when you're injecting co2? I thought it was imperative to limit surface agitation...


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## Dewmazz (Sep 6, 2005)

The water isn't churned up, just the current doesn't allow the oily film to settle, and the skimmer sucks water off the surface. Here's an old post on the same topic:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=9428&highlight=film+water


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## Gumby (Aug 1, 2005)

2 Black Mollies in my 125gal tank keep my surface crystal clear


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