Help Oil Slick

[Derekkaine]

Hello,

I have a recurrent problem with a full surface covering oil slick that appears every 2 days or so on top of the aquarium water.

I have a 10gallon tank with a fluval u2 filter.

It is a planted tank
- Java moss
- 1 broad leafed plant
- and about 8 single stalked plants

Its inhabitants are as follows:
- 2 Juli cory's 1.5cm
- 1 panda cory 1.5cm
- 1 betta 3cm
- 1 ottocinclus 2cm
- 1 black mystery snail

The plants are doing good imo
The fish dont seem to be gasping for air ever

My "Main" concern is how do i stop the oil slick from forming and are my fish in danger if i just leave the slick.

The only other thing i can point out is that for food i use "Wardley Sinking algae pellets" "Nutrafin max flakes" and sometimes i toss in some frozen brine shrimp.

The pellets and max flakes say they have oil in them as a ingredient
is this the primary culprit?

 

[Jarrett]

i use to get the same thing on the top of my 45 gallon tank and i noticed it was from when my hands went into the water or if i didnt clean my net or other materials before putting them in, i got rid of it by installing a power head and directing the flow so it disturbed the whole top of the aquarium that worked for me

 

[Derekkaine]

I never put my hands in the tank and if i do it always when i am doing a water change to adjust the plants if needed but anything else i use a net.

My concern is i know its not from my hands but rather is it just the food?
The nutrafin max has salmon oil and the wardley algae tablets have a oil product in them.

Is this the culprit?

 

[OhNeil1969]

If I see correctly in your picture you really don't have anything agitating the water's surface. If I'm correct the Fluval U2 is an underwater filter. I would add an air stone or HOB filter to create the surface agitation. Surface agitation will aid in oxygen transfer into the water and will clear up that "oil spill." I had an oily build up on the surface of my water a while back when my pumps were left off accidentally. Within seconds of turning the filters back on (I have 2 Penguin 350 HOB's) the oil slick was gone.

 

[Derekkaine]

i have the filter setup on the "B" setting which is the spray bar in the middle, i have a venturi tab i can put on the top spout which will cause alot of surface agitation.

Ill give it a try let you know how it works

 

[Welshy]

Some fish foods can cause the slick I used to get it quite often with tetra biscuit thingys, could be something else but I shouldn't harm the fish you could use kitchen roll lie it flat on the tank and soak up the slick until it's disapeared

 

[dkpate]

My bettas tanks get it too, from the food AND lack of agitation, but I just use a paper towel and drag it across the top.