Oil?

Hi guys


When my lights went on today i noticed a layer of what seems to be oil:amazed:

I then turn on my internal pump to see if that direct it to the overflow....but nothing

Any idea what this is? Is there oil in frozen brine shrimp? As that was the lost thing i fed them.
1st time i have noticed this.


Thanks

Kendall

 

Probably not oil . . .it might be from the FBS but I suspect it's from you. If you put your hand in your tank recently then oils from your skin might have been washed off into the tank.

Just do water changes. It's nothing major.

TM

 

Just watch that it isn't algae. There is an algae that forms this layer on the surface. Just increase your circulation or turn your air pump up... it should go away that way.

 

It could also be an excess of proteins. I read it somewhere.........
Moving the surface of the water separates it right? I added a power-head just to constantly agitate my surface. I'll upload a pic later.

 

When i get home i will check closely and see if i can get a pic, but highly doubt it.
Maybe with a pic it can be ID'd

Forgot to add, i dont have an air pump in the tank. Never did....good or bad?

 

Well, the air bubbles breaking at the surface helps with the CO2 & O2 exchange at the surface, and it helps a little with water movement. They not an absolute necessity like a filter, but are high up on my lists of needs. (My nano doesn't have one tho...)

 

I have this in one of my tanks but it was the wood.

 

Can't get a clear pic. Still there though, looks like oil. Will do a water change on saturday.

If you have a lot of plants does that not keep the O2 levels high enough to not have an air pump?

 

yes thats the theory.. but if u notice ur fish at the top "gasping" for air, then i think u need a air pump.. otherwise, i havn used a air pump in my tanks for years.. even b4 i had co2 setup..

i read u can use a clean cloth to skim the top clean.. makesure it wasn used for detergents.. i'd use a new cloth. rinse it, let dry, then skim top of tank water..

 

Are all your fish accounted for?sometimes an oily surface is an indication of a dead fish........

 

i see the same thing but its in the filter compartment only

 

Well my return pump does break the surface and no fish swim to the top, only during feeding.

All fish are still there. have only lost 3 fish, 2 jumped out and one in the over flow....oops.

But will see if a cloth helps

 

does your overflow skim the water surface ? You can always just use a bucket to skim the water surface and remove 1 or 2 buckets and then replace the water again.