White oil like on top of water?????

[blaster]

Hello all,

I just noticed this kinda of white oil on top of my water . When I look at it from the down up I see it. Looks like an oil spill as you see on tv.

What is it????

 

[jks1]

it is most prob organics and stuff floating to the surface. The danger here is it will inhibit oxygen exchange and in extreme cases can change the spectrum of lighting passing through it. You can easily get rid of it with an overflow box or by directing a powerhead at the surface at an angle.

 

[blaster]

I have a Skimmer as well. This should help right.

 

[Joshsmit56001]

What the film is is Dissolved organic compounds. A good skimmer will easily take care of this problem. Also you might try pointing a powerhead at the surface to break it up a bit. HTH

Josh

 

[blaster]

I have already pointed one Power head up. So far one side of the tank is good but the other isn't of course.

This happened because one of my Hippo tang went missing and most likly he is dead. I get seem to find him becuase he is in those rocks somewhere. The Hippo tang is very small so I hope it really doesn't create that much of a problem.

Thanks guys

 

[fishfreek]

Do you have anything skimming water off the surface of the tank? LIke an overflow or a surface skimmer? These will help a great deal since they pull water off the top of the tank surface thus taking the oil slick with the water churning it up in to the regular water coulumn for skimmers that dont take from the top of the water to process.

If you cut back on your feedings this should help reduce the oil slick as the slick is composed as was said of DOC's in the water. Increased surface movment of the water. (strong rippling) will also help. To remove the slick take a cup and skim off the surface of the water. The resulting water taken out will be very dark and you will be able to see the DOC's collecting to the side of the cup.

 

[Doan]

If you don't have a surface skimmer but do perhaps have an Aqua C like me I put the intake on the powerhead facing where the water dumps into the tank out of the skimmer and it pulls stuff from the top down into the tank with the flow of the input right into the skimmer. This helps me Hope it helps you.. ohhh I have to give credit for this trick to Darin at captivereefs.

Doan

 

[blaster]

Thanks for all the useful tips. I don't have a surface skimmer. Never had an idea they even existed. I only have a protein Skimmer.

Also fishfreek mentioned to cut back on feeding. I only feed my fish once ever two days so that should not be the problem.

I also have three Power heads 802 so I still don't know why. Should be enough current to prevent this.

 

[daveNandi]

You can scoop off some of the top layer instead of siphoning the next time you do a water change.

 

[blaster]

I did scoop off some just a couple of days ago. I don't see the problem anymore and my middle power head does a good job moving the water.