New tank: no fish water problem

[Blucat]

I set up a new tank on monday. It is a 24 gallon / 90 liter perspex tank with light and filter in the lid. I have no fish. I have installed a heater, added gravel and an artificial rock. I added in water ager. Gradually, a film of tiny particles formed on the surface of the water. Then yesterday (friday) the fifth day the particles are slightly throughout the water. Could the particles be dust or bubblesor something? what should i do?

 

[Menagerie]

[center:6536cfc9fd] Welcome to AA, Blucat! [/center:6536cfc9fd]

Are you currently running the filter?

 

[Blucat]

Yes, the filter is going

 

[Menagerie]

I added in water ager.

Can you describe this?

Is it very dusty where you are?
Do you see air bubbles clinging to the sides of the aquarium?

 

[Blucat]

My house isn't very dusty, but we do have air conditioning vents throughout the whole house. The tank is a curved front one with a cover. There are no bubbles at the sides. sometimes some particles will float up to the surface and pop, but only 20% of them do that

 

[Blucat]

It appears to be a white-ish film, a bit like oil on the surface of the water with many specks in it. when i run my finger along the surface, the film clears where my finger was and returns back to covering the surface of the water again. There is a specks throughout the water, but the specks are spaced quite a bit apart and not dense at all.

 

[Menagerie]

I'm not sure what is in the water ager. I only add dechlorinator to my tanks. Sometimes tanks get an oily film from the food.

 

[Blucat]

Well, the stuff i added is triple action water ager and conditioner. The water still is clear apart from the surface but the litle speacks throughout are noticeable. Should I add in fish, or just some aquatic plants or should i leave it?

 

[Jchillin]

That sounds like phosphate (soap). How did you prepare the tank (cleaning) prior to adding the water?

 

[Blucat]

Im not sure, cause someone else cleaned the tank for me. I'll check when they get back. if soap is the case what can i do to fix it?

 

[Blucat]

Should I wait for this stuff to go away before i put fish or plants in? is it okay just to put plants in?

 

[Menagerie]

If it is soap, the best thing to do is take it apart and rinse, rinse, rinse.

 

[Menagerie]

I would wait until you know if soap has been used. Find out the exact cleaner that was used on the tank. Fresh tanks should not do this.

 

[Jchillin]

If you find that detergents were used, you will have to empty the tank and rinse it out real good (several times) to make sure it's all gone. If not detergent, let us know.

 

[Blucat]

okay, thanks, if it is not soap are there any other reasons? could it be ammonia or something?

 

[Menagerie]

No, ammonia will not do that. Well, if you used ammonia that wasn't plain ammonia to clean the tank, then soap/surfactants would be in the ammonia.

 

[Blucat]

Okay, plain tap water was used to clean the tank

 

[Menagerie]

Hmmmmm. If you fill a glass up with water, does it get a layer?

 

[Blucat]

It was definitly tap water, and it was a brand new chux cloth that was used to clean the tank. could it be something in the tap water?

 

[Menagerie]

Perhaps. Do you drink the tap water?