Surface scum

[Tim Harrison]

Hi have you read this earlier thread on the same subject?

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=19939

 

[Antipofish]

Hope so as it makes the tank look horrible . I did a large water change before.

Get an ice cream tub. hold one edge slightly lower than the water surface and slowly let the scum skim into the tub and remove. It will take about 5 minutes. Keep doing it and at least you are removing whatever it is, which has to be a bonus I get it too, but nowhere near as much when I am running purigen in the tank. It could help you but there's no guarantee.

 

[geaves]

I've been reading through this and the other link, have cleared mine using kitchen roll, but mine was a film, looked like a petrol slick on water sort of a bluey colour.

 

[Antipofish]

I've been reading through this and the other link, have cleared mine using kitchen roll, but mine was a film, looked like a petrol slick on water sort of a bluey colour.

When did you clear it ? Has it had time to come back ? Usually if there is a film, there is a cause. Until you remove the cause it will usually come back. Kitchen roll can work but can also be messy if you are not quick, (or use cheap kitchen roll, lol).

 

[geaves]

I've been reading through this and the other link, have cleared mine using kitchen roll, but mine was a film, looked like a petrol slick on water sort of a bluey colour.

When did you clear it ? Has it had time to come back ? Usually if there is a film, there is a cause. Until you remove the cause it will usually come back. Kitchen roll can work but can also be messy if you are not quick, (or use cheap kitchen roll, lol).

Been about 1.5 days...so I'm still hopeful that it doesn't reappear.

 

[Morgan Freeman]

I've been reading through this and the other link, have cleared mine using kitchen roll, but mine was a film, looked like a petrol slick on water sort of a bluey colour.

When did you clear it ? Has it had time to come back ? Usually if there is a film, there is a cause. Until you remove the cause it will usually come back. Kitchen roll can work but can also be messy if you are not quick, (or use cheap kitchen roll, lol).

The cause isn't necessarily the tank itself however, I get an oily film after water changes. After 48hrs it's gone.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

Can you take a picture of the whole tank so we can see what you've got in there?

 

[Antipofish]

I've been reading through this and the other link, have cleared mine using kitchen roll, but mine was a film, looked like a petrol slick on water sort of a bluey colour.

When did you clear it ? Has it had time to come back ? Usually if there is a film, there is a cause. Until you remove the cause it will usually come back. Kitchen roll can work but can also be messy if you are not quick, (or use cheap kitchen roll, lol).

The cause isn't necessarily the tank itself however, I get an oily film after water changes. After 48hrs it's gone.

Hey MF thats interesting, so do you reckon its in the water but then your filter clears it out?

 

[spookyspike]

Here you go here is what the tank looks like, its only a quick phone snap.

Did a 50% change yesterday, got rid of as much scum as I could - back today with avengense!

 

[Morgan Freeman]

Hey MF thats interesting, so do you reckon its in the water but then your filter clears it out?

I believe so. I rarely make water changes and when I do this oily scum covers around 50% of the tank as soon as I've made the change.

In my last low tech when I was making water changes weekly it would take up 5 days or so to disappear and by then it's almost water change time! Obviously everybody's local water supply is different but for me I've no doubt this type of oily/petrol slick scum comes from my tap water.

 

[Antipofish]

Hey MF thats interesting, so do you reckon its in the water but then your filter clears it out?

I believe so. I rarely make water changes and when I do this oily scum covers around 50% of the tank as soon as I've made the change.

In my last low tech when I was making water changes weekly it would take up 5 days or so to disappear and by then it's almost water change time! Obviously everybody's local water supply is different but for me I've no doubt this type of oily/petrol slick scum comes from my tap water.

Thats a horrid thought ! I guess RO is the only way to overcome that ?

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi
First thing ive noticed is you have both filter heads below the water line, move one up to break the surface.
hoggie

 

[Matt Warner]

In my last low tech when I was making water changes weekly it would take up 5 days or so to disappear and by then it's almost water change time! Obviously everybody's local water supply is different but for me I've no doubt this type of oily/petrol slick scum comes from my tap water.

I think there is a lot of truth in this and have often thought the same myself. I have surface scum sometimes and then it can just go randomly. It seems to come and go for no obvious reason and without changing a thing in the tank. It doesn't bother me that much when I have it anyway as it is harmless.

 

[Antipofish]

Hi
First thing ive noticed is you have both filter heads below the water line, move one up to break the surface.
hoggie

I do mine the same way Hoggie. Spraybar below the surface. And I was told this because to have it breaking the surface causes CO2 loss far more quickly. Is that information still valid ?

 

[spyder]

Hi
First thing ive noticed is you have both filter heads below the water line, move one up to break the surface.
hoggie

I do mine the same way Hoggie. Spraybar below the surface. And I was told this because to have it breaking the surface causes CO2 loss far more quickly. Is that information still valid ?

Yes. You want movement or ripples on the surface but not agitation. Movement without breaking the surface.

In a liquid carbon dosed tank I presume you could get away with more surface agitation as the carbon is not in gas form it won't gas off.

 

[hotweldfire]

Is the light to bright do we think to be just dosing excel? The plants in there are all suitable for low tech I think. The reason I got the azolla, I was hoping it would help break it up (it doesn't, it just gets stuck in the scum) and ailso to defuse some light.

That's interesting. I was getting this really bad but then introduced amazon frogbit and the problem is well and truly gone. Haven't seen it for months but prior to that it looked like the exon valdez had crapped in my tank.

 

[spookyspike]

Hi
First thing ive noticed is you have both filter heads below the water line, move one up to break the surface.
hoggie

Hi hoggie, there is only the one filter, I have had it breaking the surface but the flow from the filter isnt strong enough to break it up. I now just have it rippling the surface. I did try power head and spray bar which did help a bit but not very much.
Its like a white gunge, if I drag my finger through it, it looks like its snowing in the tank and you get a slimmy gunge on my finger.
I dont think there is enough flow in the tank full stop but im waiting on a new filter (JBL CristalProfi e700 External Filter) which is way OTT but you can adjust the flow.
How long will the azolla last in a small pot? I was going to skim off the gunk daily but cant do that with the plants on the surface.

 

[Antipofish]

Hi
First thing ive noticed is you have both filter heads below the water line, move one up to break the surface.
hoggie

Hi hoggie, there is only the one filter, I have had it breaking the surface but the flow from the filter isnt strong enough to break it up. I now just have it rippling the surface. I did try power head and spray bar which did help a bit but not very much.
Its like a white gunge, if I drag my finger through it, it looks like its snowing in the tank and you get a slimmy gunge on my finger.
I dont think there is enough flow in the tank full stop but im waiting on a new filter (JBL CristalProfi e700 External Filter) which is way OTT but you can adjust the flow.
How long will the azolla last in a small pot? I was going to skim off the gunk daily but can do that with the plants on the surface.

Just as an aside, I know JBL say you can adjust the flow, but I still think if you adjust it on the outlet you are creating back pressure on the impellor/pump. As JBL's (at least the new ones I think) have flow controls on both inlet and outlet, you may be well advised to create your flow reduction on the inlet section. Its just my thoughts and if anyone else reads this and can think of a reason why it would not work, please shout out

I have an Eheim electronic and the flow is adjusted electronically. Essentially this must be done by altering the voltage to the pump. Makes you wonder if a cheap £10 rheostat connected to normal filters would do the same job !? Anyone with more electronic knowledge than me care to elaborate ?

Sorry if this is a hijack, but I thought it was relevant to your comment on flow and new filter

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

At 700L an hour be careful your Puffers don't get flushed out of the tank!

 

[spookyspike]

At 700L an hour be careful your Puffers don't get flushed out of the tank!

haha... yeah I know im going to throttle it right back, Im putting my own taps on it to restrict it further if there is still to much current in the tank. To be honest im getting the filter for free so not all that bothered about upsetting the impellor. I may have a mess with this antipofish says.