How to get rid of surface film

CorbetJackson50 · #1 02/16/2007, 05:25 PM

the only filtration i use is a skimmer and uv sterilizer and lots of live rock and refugium tons of chaeto and a DSB. My nitrates are always 0 as well as phosphates but i get a film on the water surface how should i get rid of it.

JTEAGUE · #2 02/16/2007, 05:29 PM

Need more info. Is your tank RR, do you have an overfolw, what kind of circulation do you have. The water movement on the top should be noticeable and a surface skimmer would remove all the surface skim down to your skimmer.

supervdl · #3 02/16/2007, 05:30 PM

Is your skimmer taking the water from top (i.e. with overflow)? How much water movement do you have?

smatter · #4 02/16/2007, 05:32 PM

Buy a Tunze Nano Cleaner, doesn't take up much room and it will skim the film. You can put a bag of carbon or other media inside too.

CorbetJackson50 · #5 02/16/2007, 05:37 PM

i hav a hob fuge and the skimmers pump is at the bottom of the fuge. so tank is not RR. The HOB fuge is actually 40g and is fed with a mini jet powerhead.

alan214 · #6 02/16/2007, 05:43 PM

Also make sure you have a powerhead, etc. pointed so that there is always flow towards the surface. You should be able to visibly detect this flow when you look up at the surface.

JTEAGUE · #7 02/16/2007, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CorbetJackson50
i hav a hob fuge and the skimmers pump is at the bottom of the fuge. so tank is not RR. The HOB fuge is actually 40g and is fed with a mini jet powerhead.

I'm not familiar with that setup but you need circulation on the top to break the water. Obviously you have some type of surface skimmer for the water to get to the fuge. Circulation in the tank (especially the top) will help the surface debris get into the fuge and to the skimmer.

RoGeTa · #8 02/16/2007, 05:44 PM

Before I added an overflow to sump system, I just aimed a Maxi Jet 1200 at the surface, and that took care of the look of the film on almost the whole tank. Of course it is just a 55g...

Wreck Ferret · #9 02/16/2007, 05:57 PM

you need to disrupt the surface of the water, pump is good but better - and i don't know why? is a wooden air block or stone in the corner.

WreckFerret

CorbetJackson50 · #10 02/16/2007, 06:15 PM

i have a seio 620 aiming at the surface which has seemed to help a little bit but not significantly

JTEAGUE · #11 02/16/2007, 06:24 PM

Assuming this is your 90 gal, the Seio 620 would not be enough. I have two Seio 820's in my 75 gal plus two loc-line returns running on a Ocean Runner 3500.

foresteronw · #12 02/16/2007, 06:50 PM

I had two Seio 820's in a 120 and it workd. You don't have to aim them at the surface just make sure there is current toward the top.

pinkneyss · #13 02/17/2007, 12:57 AM

Take a blank sheet of printer paper & lay it flat on the surface of the water, then take it off & throw it away. The oily film will stick to the paper. Keep doing it until it's all gone. The do what everyone else recommended to keep it from coming back.

Navyblue · #14 02/17/2007, 02:30 AM

My overflow and Seio didn't do the trick. In the end I settled for this, I believe I am one of the first who do this, if not the only.

Basically it is a small powerfilter with the bottom removed and hung upside down to work as a pseudo surface skimmer. I wanted to hook a surface skimmer to a canister filter but it was far too clumsy.

antonsemrad · #15 02/17/2007, 12:12 PM

Back before I had an overflow, I would get surface scum too.

Carbon cleaned it out quite effectively.

GQ22 · #16 02/17/2007, 05:07 PM

i would cut down on feeding, and increase water flow.