PROTEIN FILM AT WATER SURFACE

[ionas.simion.damian]

HOW DO IGET RID OF IT AND WHY I HAVE IT. CANISTER FILTER . PLANTS . CO2.+ FERTILIZERS.PH 6.6 -, 6.6 TEMP 84 THANKS

[Graham]

How aften are you doing water changes and how much. The film on the surface is justy one aspect of DOC's, which lower water quality

[Discus.Lover]

Do you have any water circulation at the surface?

[GrillMaster]

HOW DO IGET RID OF IT AND WHY I HAVE IT. CANISTER FILTER . PLANTS . CO2.+ FERTILIZERS.PH 6.6 -, 6.6 TEMP 84 THANKS

Point the spray bar towards the surface so that the current is going from one side to the other.

You should have the spray bar at one end, an the intake at the other...

hth
Mark

[phidelt85]

I picked up a surface skimmer attachment for my XP3 made by Hagen for their AC. Root cause, however, is probably due to deteriorating water quality. As Graham stated, what is your WC schedule.

[GrillMaster]

I picked up a surface skimmer attachment for my XP3 made by Hagen for their AC. Root cause, however, is probably due to deteriorating water quality. As Graham stated, what is your WC schedule.

Jose...Dude....Ya dont need a surface skimmer! Its not a water quality issue

I have had a topless tank for years...I have also had the surface scum. Its just protien from the food ya feed that will be filtered as long as you have good surface movement!

Like I said earlier, point the spraybar towards the surface an get the surface flowing towards the intake. It will dissapear in a week!

tc
Mark

[phidelt85]

Yea, but I wanted to suck up some the the crap the gets left behind like FBW casings, and Bn poop. :D It doesn't hurt anything and it also has an intake down lower. :D

[ionas.simion.damian]

THX EVERYBOBY

[Graham]

Actually Mark it is a water quality issue, unless you are feeding an oil coated food, that surface scum is DOC's. It's composed of more than just protein from the food. It's anything that's organic based and dissolved in the water...ie: fats, carbohydrates, protein/amino acids, phosphates, pheromones, fish waste etc.

Breaking up the water's surface doesn't get rid of it either, that just masks the problem.

Ever seen the black crud that comes out of the marine foam fractionator...foul stuff...same thing

Water changes are by far the best way to get rid of it

G

[GrillMaster]

Yer right Graham...DOC's affect water quality thus we do water changes. I worded it wrong in my last statement. The original question was how do you get rid of the protein film on the water surface.

Surface slime can be removed with vigorous surface movement an filtered. WC's will then remove both.

On my topless tank, I did relentless WC's the film always reappeared. I was injecting c02 at the time so water surface movement was minimal. Pointing the spray bar towards the surface to get flow going across the top of the tank took care of the surface film. A small power head will work as well.

A protein skimmer like Jose is using will do the same thing. I just dont want equipment hanging over my tank just for aesthetic purposes.

tc
Mark

[kitfoxdrvr]

I run CO2 into my discus display tank, and I could not get the levels up to 30ppm with the spraybar even rippling the surface. My solution was to run an airstone at night, which:

-Helped with plant and animal depletion of O2 overnight; discus respiration much slower at lights on in the morning,

-Protein and oil film gone

-pH more stable

I cut the air on an hour after lights out and off 30 mins before lights on (same time as CO2 on). Works out great on my 180.

Steve