Tank help please? Emergency!

[LewiMeeks]

Okay so I recently had a submersible heater explode in my 20 gallon freshwater tank. I vacuumed the gravel to get the debris out and everything. I noticed within a few days that there had developed a film on top of the water and it hadn’t white dots in it. I got the film off and did a water change and cleaned the filter. About four days later it’s right back! What can I do to stop this? It only happened after the heater exploded and I don’t know how to get rid of it! Doesn’t appear to be effecting my tank but thus far all I have are bottom feeders so they don’t go near the top.

 

[ZxC]

Could be protein film, and a coincidence that it started growing after your heater had a moment.

Clean it a few more times and if it keeps coming back but the tank is over-all fine, just live with it or buy an add-on surface skimmer and attach to your filter.

 

[LewiMeeks]

Could be protein film, and a coincidence that it started growing after your heater had a moment.

Clean it a few more times and if it keeps coming back but the tank is over-all fine, just live with it or buy an add-on surface skimmer and attach to your filter.

Thank you for the quick reply! I just don’t understand how Irma would be a problem now when I’ve had this tank up for over a year now with no issue with this prior. Then the heater blew up and within days it had come up?

 

[ZxC]

Thank you for the quick reply! I just don’t understand how Irma would be a problem now when I’ve had this tank up for over a year now with no issue with this prior. Then the heater blew up and within days it had come up?

Could be something in the blowed up heater that bacteria can utilize causing the protein film on the surface. Ideally, adding a cheap surface skimmer to your canister / HOB filter is a good thing anyway. I won't run a tank without one now.

https://www.fluvalaquatics.com/us/product/surface-skimmer/