# Weird Film - Help!



## Jhowell (Jul 5, 2009)

Hey guys and gals,

Haven't been too active on here but I have been recently been having a constant problem with this weird film on top of my water..? I have an assortment of plants including some types of swords and bacopa. I do not know if that is what is causing this weird film on top of the water. I also feed my P feeder goldfish (I know some of you look down upon this, but I do not. I have consider the risks of doing so and quarantine the feeders before feeding them to my P) But anyways I was wondering if anyone has had this same problem? I have an EHEIM 2236 canister filter.

Here are the parameters there looks like one of my plants isn't doing so good (turning brown and almost sort of rotting)

pH: 6.5
Nitrate: 2.5
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: 0

Help as soon as possible, I also do water changes with tap water and treat it with Chlor-Out and I also add buffer about once a month. Water changes are done about every 2 weeks.


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## Johnny_Zanni (Nov 8, 2009)

I wouldn't add anymore buffer. The film would be some sort of oil.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

probably just need more surface agitiation... aim your filter outlet a bit more towards the surface and it should go away


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Johnny_Zanni said:


> I wouldn't add anymore buffer. The film would be some sort of oil.


 I agree. What are you feeding? Some fish are oilier then others.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

I have the SAME exact issue in my Tropical tank AND my Mac tank.

I've tried to drag paper towels across the top of the water and its remmoved some but surface agitation didn't work for me.

Also being you have a planted tank you don't want surface agitation. Thats my issue with the top tank.
I cna' tfigure out for the life of me what is causing it.
I am thinking maybe the driftwood being it was nearly 30 inches long and I couldn't boil it...maybe that is the culprit.

If you figure out a way to get rid of it please let me know.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

^^If the tank doesn't have C02 injection, you can have as much surface agitation as you want


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

What are you feeding? Something like salmon (shouldnt be staple food) will make an oil slik on the surface, while shrimp not so much. Point is different fish add different amounts of oil to the water.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Plowboy said:


> ^^If the tank doesn't have C02 injection, you can have as much surface agitation as you want


I thought in general you dont want agitation Especially if you dont have C02??


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

I'm pretty sure it's just because of the CO2 being so volitile/unstable in water. Surface agitation in an injected tank is just like shaking a open pop can.

Unless I'm completely off base, the tank's CO2 concentration should be close to the room's concentration in a well circulated tank. On a tank with little circulation the CO2 concentration will most likely drop thoughout the day because of photosynthesis. With a huge fish load compared to the amount of plants, it could maybe go the other way (I would think that would take one hell of a fish load). Over the night the CO2 concentration should raise because the plants are in respiration, and the fish are also raising it from breathing. I wouldn't think that the tank with stagnant water would have a higher average CO2 concentration than the well circulated tank. It would just bounce up and down everyday.

Gases always go from areas with higher concentrations to areas with lower concentrations. So when they are well circulated the two areas will try to match. Without the circulation the water's concentration will be higher in the morning and lower at night.

But I could be missing something or have a wrong assumption somewhere.


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

If u run a canister filter, grab one of these.-->>skimmer 
They eliminate film.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

i was thinking about getting the skimmer Winkyee suggested for one of my FX5s to fix the same problem after feeding but ended up selling both FX5s and built myself a wet/dry, never had film issue ever since.
from what i've heard that those skimmer works good.


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

The skimmers work very well.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

yes they do...but make noise if not set uo juuuuust right


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