White Substance

[wally6346]

I've got a recently set up tank, lightly planted (far more on its way) and its been running ok...my only problem that i discovered today is that the water has a light thick white substance coating the top....its an open top tank, with just one guppy in...the tank holds about 5 gallons and I used water from my 14g tank to help the bacteria mature.

I am using one nutrafin co2 kit and a heater and a fluval one filter. any help would be much appreciated.
as you can see by the pictures, i created some bubbles on the water which even they get stuck in this substance!

 

[nry]

I had something similar on my first tank last year: for whatever reason it has now gone.....I now have a second tank and it has the same thing....hoping it will also go after a while aswell. I wonder if it releated to maturity of the tank, I have no idea why it came or went! I use some kitchen roll to remove it: lay the paper on the water surface for a second and then quickly lift it out. Repeat over the whole surface area.

 

[wally6346]

that seems to have taken most of it off thanks....now my other tank seems to have the same....strange!!! would it be anything to do with turning the heating on around the house...as in going from a cold to warm environment quite quickly?

 

[JamesC]

It forms because of lack of surface agitation. I get it on my shrimp tank and just run an airstone every now and again which seems to clear it. I believe it is a bacteria film.

James

 

[wally6346]

It forms because of lack of surface agitation. I get it on my shrimp tank and just run an airstone every now and again which seems to clear it. I believe it is a bacteria film.

James

Is it harmful at all? its strange that both tanks happened today!

 

[JamesC]

Is it harmful at all? its strange that both tanks happened today!

Not that I'm aware of. Shrimps tend to be pretty fussy things and they don't seem to mind it, and the've been in that tank for a year now.

James

 

[wally6346]

Is it harmful at all? its strange that both tanks happened today!

Not that I'm aware of. Shrimps tend to be pretty fussy things and they don't seem to mind it, and the've been in that tank for a year now.

James

ok, thanks for the help, puts my mind at ease a little!