Oily Film

**oblivion** · 30th Jul 2006, 12:46

Hi guys,

i get this oily looking film on my water surface, with some bubbles floating on it as well
funny thing is it only appears in the daytime.
ie i go to work it looks okay, i come back after work n the film will be there
at nite it doesnt appear, before i sleep its fine...wake up its still fine
no idea whats going on here..

wondering if its the co2, cos at night its not on so nothing
daytime it runs on timer 10 hrs a day with the lights
any help on this?

meanwhile im just manually skimming off the stuff from the surface daily and topping up with water

beginning to irritate me, wondering if i shd invest in a surface skimmer, but seems a bit overkill on a small 1.5ft tank.
any surface skimmer suitable for my tank size to recommend? running an eden 501 on it.

using rainbar for the eden, the output is at back of tank facing straight in front to blow the co2 bubbles from the diffusor below it to the front

how do i get rid of this film permanently?
pls advise

**juggler** · 30th Jul 2006, 13:53

Can get a few small guppies, mollies or swordtails to help eat the surface scum.

**|squee|** · 30th Jul 2006, 15:51

It's part and parcel of a planted tank.

ADA deals with it by raising the filter outflow above the water surface so water is splashing. Similarly, tanks that use hang-on filters do not see this problem.

**kemp** · 30th Jul 2006, 20:36

yup. agree with Terence.
In the past, my eden501 flowbar is above my water level, no such problem. But i was told that the splashing and agitation of water surface will result in loss of co2, then i submerged the rainbar beneath the water level, then the oily film started to appear.
Recently i tilted the rainbar outflow to somehow hit the water from beneath water level, and it does help in reducing the oily film

**Cardinal74** · 30th Jul 2006, 21:52

A skimmer which cost around $10 will be able to remove the oily surface effectively.

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 00:58

Originally Posted by juggler

Can get a few small guppies, mollies or swordtails to help eat the surface scum.

Yeah I was told that, but as my tank contains cherries I guess those fishes are not an option. Think they'll have my shrimps for lunch.

I'm keeping the shrimps with a small school of harlequins. Very peaceful so far.

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 01:01

Originally Posted by kemp

yup. agree with Terence.
In the past, my eden501 flowbar is above my water level, no such problem. But i was told that the splashing and agitation of water surface will result in loss of co2, then i submerged the rainbar beneath the water level, then the oily film started to appear.
Recently i tilted the rainbar outflow to somehow hit the water from beneath water level, and it does help in reducing the oily film

can advise on how you tilt the rainbar?
facing towards front 45 degs upwards? or straight up?

and also curious to know before you did that how you deal with the oil film?
i manually skim it off with a small cup daily and top up with water
wondeirng if anyone else does it so diligently like me or any other method

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 01:02

Originally Posted by Cardinal74

A skimmer which cost around $10 will be able to remove the oily surface effectively.

can advise on what brand and model of skimmer you are talking about?
also where can I get it and how does it work?
cos i'm not sure if i'm supposed to connect it to my filter.
using an eden 501

**kemp** · 31st Jul 2006, 08:56

bro, is your flowbar submerged? or above water level?

Originally Posted by lee1224

can advise on how you tilt the rainbar?
facing towards front 45 degs upwards? or straight up?

and also curious to know before you did that how you deal with the oil film?
i manually skim it off with a small cup daily and top up with water
wondeirng if anyone else does it so diligently like me or any other method

**juggler** · 31st Jul 2006, 10:38

Originally Posted by lee1224

Yeah I was told that, but as my tank contains cherries I guess those fishes are not an option. Think they'll have my shrimps for lunch.

I'm keeping the shrimps with a small school of harlequins. Very peaceful so far.

Harlequins may eat the shrimps. My matured Harlequins can gulp down a piece of Tetra Bit and also small bugs I throw in.

I keep my cherry shrimps peacefully with Boraras Maculatus. And lived with the oily film on the surface.

Maybe you can try small male wild guppies or Endlers?

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 16:16

Originally Posted by kemp

bro, is your flowbar submerged? or above water level?

its submerged. at back of tank facing front to blow the co2 bubbles from my diffusor to the front.
diffusor is below the rainbar near bottom of tank

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 16:17

Originally Posted by juggler

Harlequins may eat the shrimps. My matured Harlequins can gulp down a piece of Tetra Bit and also small bugs I throw in.

I keep my cherry shrimps peacefully with Boraras Maculatus. And lived with the oily film on the surface.

Maybe you can try small male wild guppies or Endlers?

hmm... seems that i was mistaken then.
had the impression that harlequins are shrimp safe...

well, my school of harlequins are quite small size now.
some of my biggest shrimps are near 3/4 the harlequin's size.
so i suppose shrimps are safe for some time still.

**kemp** · 31st Jul 2006, 21:54

ok, for what i did was, i tilted my rainbar output somehow to be splurting to the surface of the water, just a bit only, thus my oily film problem have greatly reduced.
why do you want the rainbar to blow the co2 bubble for you?

Originally Posted by lee1224

its submerged. at back of tank facing front to blow the co2 bubbles from my diffusor to the front.
diffusor is below the rainbar near bottom of tank

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 22:11

Originally Posted by kemp

ok, for what i did was, i tilted my rainbar output somehow to be splurting to the surface of the water, just a bit only, thus my oily film problem have greatly reduced.
why do you want the rainbar to blow the co2 bubble for you?

hmm thats a good question.
thought that its good to circulate the co2 bubbles ard the tank so that all the plants will get it haha
pls advise me if i am wrong on this here.
although after a while i do feel that the bublles flying all over not very attractive.

**eddyq** · 31st Jul 2006, 22:29

We have excalty the same set-up, 1.5 ft, Eden 501, cherry shrimp tank. Same oily firm on water surface and actually the shrimps were 'eating' this oily firm, they were clinging 'upside down' near the edge and on driftwood.

Yes, you can tilt the outlet toward the water surface to create an opening for gaseous escape. Or use newspaper to remove this oily stuff by placing it over the water surface.

Think there is no skimmer for 501 at the moment. Also all fishes are a threat to shrimps maybe except ottos.

**r4211z** · 31st Jul 2006, 22:49

i had the same problem once, but i noticed the shrimps feed on the scum, they dissappear rather fast.
One way is to add water in slowly without causing bubbles.

Other than that, i use a piece of tissue to suck up the scum.
3 hill stream loach lives peacefully in my shrimp tank.

R4211z

**oblivion** · 31st Jul 2006, 23:21

yea.. seems like i have to live with the oil film.
tthink i'll try tilting the outlet upwards to see if it helps.
thanks guys.
i only got otos n harlequins inside.
so far so good it seems.
no shrimp casualties as far as i can see.
though cant get a good count as some of them are in hiding whenever im counting

my water surface seems a bit too high n out of reach for my shrimps tho. hmm...

**oblivion** · 1st Aug 2006, 20:41

tried the tilting up method.
seems to have helped somewhat.
less oil film but still quite noticeable
thinking of tilting bigger angle upwards but afraid it'll cuase too much turbulence