Oil on tank water?

[joeyr188]

I have like a oil film on my tank that I have never had I tried using paper towels but it barley helped I cant move the because I’m dealing with ich in my other tank What should I do it doesn’t seem to affect them either

 

[Alice B]

do you own a small shop vac? that or get a siphon going, put the opening just below the water's surface so it will pull in water from the surface. Don't use your good siphon hose to do this. Use an old one, oil may be permanent

 

[GaryE]

It's usually protein. Are you maybe overfeeding or using a new food? Or have you been skipping partial water changes?

 

[joeyr188]

It's usually protein. Are you maybe overfeeding or using a new food? Or have you been skipping partial water changes?

I think it might be overfeeding imma feed them less but what should I do to get the oil out?

 

[joeyr188]

do you own a small shop vac? that or get a siphon going, put the opening just below the water's surface so it will pull in water from the surface. Don't use your good siphon hose to do this. Use an old one, oil may be permanent

I only got one siphon

 

[Alice B]

you may need a new one then.

 

[GaryE]

Water change at about 25% a time, several times over the next few days. It will get less. Don't feed for a few days - they fish will survive that way more easily than they will the polluted water.

 

[joeyr188]

you may need a new one then.

Imma order one in a lil

 

[joeyr188]

Al

Water change at about 25% a time, several times over the next few days. It will get less. Don't feed for a few days - they fish will survive that way more easily than they will the polluted water.

alright thanks for the info

 

[Uberhoust]

Surface water agitation will help the protein scum enter the water where it can be filtered out, I would suggest this more for maintenance rather than for the current situation. Syphon as other people suggested to remove the current scum. I personally wouldn't bother with a new syphon to do this. You can also scoop out the offending scum.

Back in the Dyanflo (60s and 70s) days you could get the protein scum in the filter, sometimes pretty thickly.

 

[Byron]

We are (I hope) asuming this is a protein film, not "oil" as "oil." This is perfectly natural, it is frequent in planted tanks and especially with good floating plants. It is not a problem but it can in time prevent the required gas exchange (oxygen/CO2) if allowed to increase.

You can buy surface skimming units for some canister filters; I had these, but the fish especially otos and nano tetras/rasboras were prone to get caught at night and died before I could free them, so I got rid of the filter attachment skimmers.

The easiest way, tedious though it is, is to invert the water change siphon and hold it just at the surface so it sucks in the surface film with air. This worked. I only had this film in two of 8 or 9 tanks.

 

[joeyr188]

Surface water agitation will help the protein scum enter the water where it can be filtered out, I would suggest this more for maintenance rather than for the current situation. Syphon as other people suggested to remove the current scum. I personally wouldn't bother with a new syphon to do this. You can also scoop out the offending scum.

Back in the Dyanflo (60s and 70s) days you could get the protein scum in the filter, sometimes pretty thickly.

I will try

Water change at about 25% a time, several times over the next few days. It will get less. Don't feed for a few days - they fish will survive that way more easily than they will the polluted water.

will do!