Oil on the surface of my tank

[shabahang]

I have started my tank about 2 months ago and everything looks good as well i do regular water change every 15 days however there is alot of oil looking things on my tank surface please help

 

[Sniperhank]

Oily top of the water is actually the proteins that we try to skim out of the water...just mixed in there with the dust that floats around your house. Increase surface movement by pointing powerheads at the top of the tank and it should go away.

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

It probably is oil. There are fats in the food you feed so naturally there will fats (oil) in the fish waste also. This is entirely normal. What I think is happening is that you aren't skimming any water from the surface of the tank and you dont have much surface agitation. It looks like you have an HOB skimmer which is probably drawing from too low under the surface. I suggest you place a powerhead at the top of the tank to 'stir up' the water and keep tiny droplets of oils suspended in the water, that way your skimmer can skim it out.

 

[shabahang]

I have a spiner for my return pump and mp10 running at 40% should i increase it

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

If you just move your MP10 closer to the top that would probably do it, but it would also draw in a ton of bubbles which you would probably dislike more. I would try a small koralia or Maxijet shooting across the top of the tank. Careful that you arent so high that you create too much splashing.

 

[shabahang]

Ok thank you for the help

 

[konmanos]

OK, I have found that I also had oily residue on my sump tank. The main tank was recently containing oily residue and no matter how much surface agitation.... Still oily.. Today I decided to go a little further than just the weekly water change.. I changed the filter sock and instantly the oily surface was GONE.. I therefore can only recommend that you maintain a strict habit of cleaning your filters and whatever keeps your water clean and I am positive that your oily residue will be a thing of the past.. I have two tanks and I find that the tank I have at work, that does not get looked after as carefully as the one at home is the one that starts to have issues..


Tank - 1 - OFFICE

Aquascape - initial setup March 2014 and then rescape August 2014

CADE Tank 800 x 800 x 600 - 320 litre

Sump filtration - Long noodles, 3 Layers Filter Pads. Carbon

UVIEW sterilizer

CO2 with inline reactor

ADA fertilising

ADA soil setup

RAZOR LED lighting

Twinstar


Tank - 2 - HOME

Juwel 120 litre tank - setup Dec - 2010

Fluval 406, cannister



Inline reactor c02, compressed

LED lighting