# oily film on surface?!



## outlook8 (Jun 30, 2003)

since i got my first p a week or two ago, i have developed an oily film on the surface of the water...any i deas what it could be from and how to get rid of it?...my only guess is that the oil is coming from the frozen brine shrimp i have been feeding him...also, there are foamy bubbles piling up by the filter output, which i think is related to the oily stuff...the tank is cycled and all the levels are fine, all that is in it is a piece of driftwood, a few plants(swords mostly), a pleco, and a tiny red belly...any advce would be great, thanks...

chris

o yeah, i thought maybe it was just the water was stagnant at the top or somehing, so i got a powerhead, but it hasn't done anything...


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

Try doing a 30% water change and see if this works.


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## mpdt (Jul 16, 2003)

replace the filter pads in your filter and a water change. Throw in a few low light floating plants that helped mine.


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## a_plus1234 (Jul 26, 2003)

I get an oily film whenever I feed them smelt. Might be what you're feeding them.


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## outlook8 (Jun 30, 2003)

hey, i did a water change when i first noticed it and it didn't really help much...i also cnahged the filter pad and it helped with the bubbles at first, but now they are coming back it seems







...a couple of days a go when i replaced the filter i got rid of the flimy stuff and bubbles by skimming it off the top with a cup...maybe i'll try another water change...


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## Makoa84 (Aug 27, 2003)

i would do a water change and also vac ur gravel. i had the same exact problem and it was caused by feeding my p's frozen blood worms


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## outlook8 (Jun 30, 2003)

Makoa84 said:


> i would do a water change and also vac ur gravel. i had the same exact problem and it was caused by feeding my p's frozen blood worms


 hmmm, maybe it's the bloodworms i have been feeding them then, i dunno...u think a better filter would help, like a penguin 330 or an emperor 400?


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

I agree with outlook - I think you should invest in better filtration. I had the same when I got my first tank: after adding another filter, the problem was solved. Also, keeping the surface in movement helps, as well as regular water changes, and cutting back on the amount of food... Some foods are pretty fatty as well, and can also cause a thin layer on the surface.


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## tweaked (Aug 3, 2003)

agree with the majority. Definately sounds like overfeeding


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## str8up (Sep 20, 2003)

Yeah.....sounds familiar....
I think perhaps you are overfeeding and also...your filteration may be not enough.
Oily slicks are indicative of an assortment of things.
1) over feeding
2) inadequate filteration
3) uneaten food left in the tank)sometimes cant see it under rocks in plants etc...)
4) certain types of food
Depending on the age of your fish...
if they are 6-8 months or older...try feeding every other day for a week.
This should minimize the overfeeding...give the filter a chance to catch up(after doing a thourough cleaning and fresh carbon for sure) and then consider your food choices currently being used. be not to kill the bio bed of your filter...
Be sure to change out 30% of water for at least a couple days and then see where
it is after 4 days.. 
Hope this helps...Later Str8


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## Rhombo (Aug 26, 2003)

I had been having trouble with bubbles in my tank. I am feeding a little bit less. i did a large water change, and i moved my filter to the middle of the back of my tank. 
there are still some bubbles, but it's nothing compared to what it was. I think the filter location maintains an equal rate of filtration to all the water in the tank. I think that if you put a filter in a corner, that the water far away from it doesn't get cycled like it should.


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