Very cloudy with film on top?

[OwlnTigger]

Had to evacuate my Convict out of very cloudy water with a whitish film on top. Anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Shane87]

What have you fed them? Anything different? When I feed my fish some foods I get an oily skin on top, could it be this?

 

[OwlnTigger]

What have you fed them? Anything different? When I feed my fish some foods I get an oily skin on top, could it be this?

It has been a nightmare process this month. Fed live fish, introduced illness, treated with antibiotics, stopped feeding live fish, lost the cycle, tank became toxic, added beneficial bacteria and ammonia remover, and now this.

I think I need to break down the whole tank, disinfect, and start over, bit I'm not sure.

 

[Twoteccs]

I wouldn't start the whole tank over I'd just do a big water change

 

[OwlnTigger]

I wouldn't start the whole tank over I'd just do a big water change

Thanks for the advice. I'll try that first.

 

[Shane87]

That's why I never feed feeder fish, if I ever did I would quarantine them for at least a month, and I agree try a big water change like 75% put back treated water ( I use the api one to lower stress ) and on most bottles of BB it recommends dosing daily in some cases or double dosing for the 1st month or so. Are your fish in somewhere they can be kept for a while? Do you have a test kit?

 

[librarygirl]

Could be surface scum (protein film); a lot of tanks have them. It could be from your feeding or from other things. Try some large water changes first and see if that helps. If not, you could look into using a protein/surface skimmer but if it just started then it might just be something related to feeding or the meds, etc and water changes might help.

 

[OwlnTigger]

That's why I never feed feeder fish, if I ever did I would quarantine them for at least a month, and I agree try a big water change like 75% put back treated water ( I use the api one to lower stress ) and on most bottles of BB it recommends dosing daily in some cases or double dosing for the 1st month or so. Are your fish in somewhere they can be kept for a while? Do you have a test kit?

Yes. I have learned a life lesson about fish foods. I am feeding him spirulina-brine and flake right now. He loves both. I also have a container of frozen silversides, but I'm holding off on that since he is only about a five inch fish, and I originally bought those for the 10 in Jack that died last week. I wasn't sure if that was causing the scum. I did a 90% water change because that is what it took to get most of the milky whiteness and foam out. I Primed it, and since the 2 gal was really stressing him out since I almost cooked him last night, I moved him back home. He's very happy now and acting normal aside from a little aggression at being heated up to about 94 degrees accidentally. Poor fish. Learned my lesson about heaters rather quickly too. I plan on daily water changes for the next several weeks until the water gets right. I don't have a hospital tank, but if I did, I'm afraid it would stress him out even worse. He was so hot this morning that one of his eyes that have been popping out is back in his head flat. Hope I didn't blind him. I had been noticing popeye with him since I got him. It seems to come and go. The Maracyn Plus was helping, but I hate to dose the tank at this point. I just kind of feel like I should leave it alone except for water changes. Thoughts?

 

[OwlnTigger]

Could be surface scum (protein film); a lot of tanks have them. It could be from your feeding or from other things. Try some large water changes first and see if that helps. If not, you could look into using a protein/surface skimmer but if it just started then it might just be something related to feeding or the meds, etc and water changes might help.

Thanks for the response. I did a 90% change and he's back in and much happier. I can't believe he has made through all that I have done wrong. Especially hearing him up to about 94 degrees overnight. Sheesh.

 

[Shane87]

If you have a good test kit I would recommend testing everyday and doing a water change only if needed just incase it was partly something to do with cycling, sometimes tanks get thrown into a mini cycle for all sorts of reasons. Apart from that cut down feeding to help with water quality and try not to cook him any more good luck. If you get stuck anymore just post again on this thread and I will help if I can

 

[OwlnTigger]

Thank you so much for the support. I have a test kit coming on Monday. It is the kind with test tubes and several bottles. Here is a picture of Tigger. He is such a silly and sweet fish.