# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Film on surface



## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Ok, so my tank has taken off in the past few days, but now I have a thick film on the surface. I mean, I've had films on the surface of my tanks before, but they've usually been an oily-like film This stuff starts off looking kinda "oily" but in some parts, especially where there are some floating plants (water sprite) it's formed a thick layer that when stirred, breaks up into little white chucks of film... Anybody have any idea what this film could be? Is it bad for the fish? I mean, you can even squirt water under the film without it breaking... The fish seem to be doing fine, but I'm starting to get concerned about feeding. If I drop food into the tank, it's not getting into the water, but instead stays on top of the film. If anybody has had something similar I'd love to hear of your experiences. Hell, if anybody knows anything about what this could be and whether or not I should be concerned w/ it, please let me know....

On another note, I just added some carbon into my tank (stuck it in a filter media bag and stuck the bag in the water) and I'm wondering how long after being in the tank I can begin to see the algae start do disappear (if indeed the algae growth was due to any iron that may be in the water). I added the carbon to absorb any extra melafix that I had dosed the tank w/ and was also wondering if leaving the carbon in there will pose any problems for the plants, and if so, what's the max amount of time I should leave the carbon in for.

Ok, that's a lot of questions, thanks in advanced for your help!

-ricardo


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## 10GALAQUATIC (Apr 18, 2005)

That's interesting. I got a films on the surface of my tank before but it's not as thick as yours. Do you have any kind of decorations in your tank?(wood), if you do may be it released some kind of oil? I'm not sure about that; however, I think that oily film may be come form somethings inside your tank (substrate, uneaten food, decorations). Try to remove the flim by kitchen paper towel or if it thick just scoop it out and let see that it come back.


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## Erin (Feb 18, 2005)

rick,

Can you post a picture? I have never experienced this myself and would like to see it while we are discussing the issue.

Regards,
Erin


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

10Gal: Yeah, I do have some wood, it could come from that... it's a pain the butt to remove b/c there are so many floating plants, but I'll try the paper towel thing, thanks for the tip!

Erin: I was going to post pics last night, but didn't think of it until I had removed the most of the surface scum. So... when it comes back again, I'll post a pic.

-ricardo


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## javalee (May 8, 2006)

Ricardo, I've got exactly that film! It gets so thick that it starts to look like a layer of wax on the water that breaks up like little sheets of ice when you fool with it. Here's what I think. It has nothing to do with wood, food, plants or any of that. The reason I say so is that I have an oily version of it in my planted tank, but when i took water out of there with my betta to put him in a quarantine bowl, it grew like mad in the plain bowl too. In other words, the first day the bowl looked fine but the next day there were oily islands and the next day there was a thick, waxy seal over the water and my betta was having trouble getting air!

It has to be a biofilm from bacteria. And all my fish tanks and buckets are contaminated with it because no matter how much I scrub, it grows in all water I have now, even when I leave a bucket of fresh tap water sitting out to age.

A paper towel will take the film off great but it just grows back. But you asked about carbon. I have two answers for you based on my experience. First, the oily film in my natural tank disappeared when I put carbon in the filter! Which makes me think that the oil is a byproduct of bacteria, and the carbon removed the byproduct.

Secondly, I had put the carbon in to kill a nasty insidious algae, and it worked. I also did water changes. About a week after water changes and leaving carbon in the filter the algae went from thick, furry and black, to thin and translucent. But my non-rooted plants, like java fern, are starting to look sickly now. I think I removed their nutrients too. I've had carbon in there for too long maybe. It's been a total of 3 weeks I think.

Sorry for the long post, but I was just about to post about that nasty film myself! I think it cuts down on light and it deprives the fish of oxygen so if we can learn something about it, that would be great. BTW, It hasn't grown again in my tap-water water bucket since I bleached it.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

Surface agitation will take care of it. Doesn't take much. I have one of those little HOB filters running on my 5 gallon natural planted tank with no filter media in it and no more film.


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Javalee- Yes! Like a layer of wax! That's the description I was looking for... i just couldn't put my finger on it! Anyway, I tried agitating the surface like Betty suggested, but there are so many floating plants that the film didn't disappear except in the area that was being stirred up by the powerhead. You know what's interesting, since you mention it's in all your tanks and buckets, mine only grows in the 30 gal, and, I just noticed, in my little el natural vase. However, my 10 gal doesn't have any film at all. So, it can't be from the food b/c I don't add food to the vase, not the driftwood, since it's not in the vase... The plants are all the same. Could it come from my our water source? But one of my tanks doesn't have it. So really, the only difference that remains is that the 10g has dwarf gouramis and the others don't. I'll have to see if I can read up on it.... 

-ricardo


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## javalee (May 8, 2006)

My guess is that it is a bacteria that is associated with planted tanks. Maybe it comes in on plants or soil, and it definitely thrives where there's little circulation to break it up. It's in my planted quart jar too. Bacteria are well known for creating biofilms like plaque on teeth for instance, is actually a biofilm. I don't think you can get rid of it in planted tanks once you've got it. BTW, I took the carbon out of my 10g yesterday, thereby reducing flow as well, and the oily appearance is already back today!

Does your one tank that doesn't have it have more flow/trickling action from the filter? 

Oh good luck killing algae. I hope that carbon works for you.


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Actually, the tank that does not have the film, the 10 gal, has no filtration/water circulation at all....

-ricardo


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## javalee (May 8, 2006)

That's interesting. It's planted too? I sure wouldn't cross-contaminate any water from the waxy tanks into the clear one! Has the carbon made any difference yet? I hate this stuff. The mystery continues...


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## javalee (May 8, 2006)

Ricardo, I just found this previous thread about "The Film."








http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/...6048124/m/7211098161


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