Greyish/Silver Film on surface of water

[PunkRock050]

I have a wierd film on the top of the water in my 55 gal African tank. Water parameters are normal. Any ideas?

 

[smb]

Can you explain in more detail what the film looks like with filtration specs?

It might be from something you've fed lately. Have you fed something different lately?

 

[PunkRock050]

Its kind of a hazy grey colored film. Its relatively thin, but seems to want to hold bubbles on top of it. Im running 2-Penguin 330 power filters with no extra media in them so far. Should I try some charcoal?

I have been feeding them the usualy Cichlid pellets, which have never done this before. The newest thing I have fed them would be frozen blood worms, but I dont see how that would cause a film. It doesnt do it in m 30 gal.

 

[smb]

The 2 Penguin 330's are great filters and the filtration is most definately not the problem. IMO, no I wouldn't add carbon. Do you have filter floss/wool in all the compartments?

How often do you do water changes/gravel cleanings?

Charcoal wouldn't help.imo, but the fact that you said " but seems to want to hold bubbles on top of it" makes me think that there are too many nutrients in the tank and you might need to change the water more often.

If you have good husbandry skills don't go off on me here tho. I'm not trying to say you don't know what you're doing or whatever one might think when I say this.

I'm just trying to help and IME, when you get a gathering of bubbles it means too much nutrients in the water, so if I'm wrong, just let me know and we'll keep trying to troubleshoot from there.

 

[KnuckleHead]

What type of lighting do you use? Long ago I had a tank that used incandescent lighting and had this problem constantly. It went away when I upgraded to flouro lighting. This may or may not be the problem just a suggestion.

 

[Lateral Line]

Cut a sheet of newspaper the size of the tank, lay it on the surface wait a few seconds then peel it off. Does the film come away with the papaer? If yes, does it come back over a period of time, (i.e. is this a one off, or do we have an ongoing problem to solve here)?

 

[teknikz]

i think it might be oil thats come from the frozen bloodworms.........thats what mine did anyway

Tek