I am mortified, theres and oil slick in my tank!

Paser00

I have had this in my tank before, and it is not harmful to the fish. I have no idea why it happens but it does. Make sure the filters are pointed in a way that the ripples flow the entire length of the tank. After a week or two and a few water changes it will be gone. Doing this will not mix it back into the water, rather it will prevent it building up on the surface. The build up is always present in the tank, but if the water is moving it shouldn't build up on the surface.

Massey

Protien skimmers do not work well or at all in fresh water tanks. The skimmer relies on salt water's ability to foam. Fresh water does not foam so the skimmer is almost usless. You may get some skimming in fresh water but not enough to make a $200 purchase for your tank. I also recommend moving the water on the top of the tank more. a salt water tank I had did this in the refugium where the water flow was slower. I added a power head and the problem went away in a few days. Good luck

missfish

Thanks, things are better now, i have a nice clear surface! I feel heaps better about showing people my turtles now i don't have to explain the oil slick while they roll their eyes!

missfish

orb4me

I see the issue has been solved, but i wanted to add something about rocks.

There is a topic here somewhere, but the basic idea is to check the rocks before putting them in the tank if your not buying them from LFS.. Put a few drops of vinegar on the rock, if it bubbles up, the rock is not safe for the tank. Ive tried this twice with pretty rocks I've found, and sure enough, I moved the vinegar around on the rock and after a few minutes, I saw bubbling.

ucrazy51

I've learned that the oil slip is produced by the oils from the various types of food that you're probably feeding. Look at the ingredients and you'll find mention of several oils or oil secreting ingredients. I skim the surface layer using my phython vacuum weekly holding it upside down. You can see the film disappear. I haven't found that it hurts anything, just a little unsightly...

missfish

Yeah, I think the uglyness was the only problem, everything underneath seemed healthy. If anything it probably reduces the amount of gas exchange that occurs. But it is all solved now. Thanks for the input.

mikek996

this happens in my sons betta tank

missfish

Get the surface to move, thats what fixed my problem!