surface water dirty

Mappelbaum37 · 07/31/2007, 08:01 PM

Ive4 got a 75 gallon saltwater tank. About 2 weeks ago i realized that a dirt substance was completley covering the surface of the tank water. They look like small brown omega one flakes. Not one inch is clear on the top. When i moisten my frozen food by putting a plastic dixie cup in the water all the dirt sticks to the cup and some slides off like a slimy substance.

Please help me! I completly got it out 5 days ago but it all came back!! I beg you to help me- Ive put so much time and effort and MONEY into the tank i dont want my corals and fish starting to die off.

kmf507 · 07/31/2007, 08:41 PM

It sounds like you do not have any water movement on the surface. Do you have any powerheads? Overflow?

Also, do you use RODI water? Tap water can have impurities that can lead to excess algae.

XSiVE · 07/31/2007, 08:43 PM

sounds like you might want to get something that does some surface skimming such as an overflow box into a sump, or even a HOB skimmer/filter with a surface-skimming attachment.

Mappelbaum37 · 07/31/2007, 09:17 PM

ive got 2 koralia fans breaking the water at the top- my situation is a bad one because i dont have a sump and my tank is on my dresser with 2" space until the wall behind it comes... With no sump i needed a 2" in skimmer which the prizm protein skimmer fit right in....its unfortunate i cant get a refugium or anything else

on3ofak1nd · 07/31/2007, 10:20 PM

you have a 75g tank on a dresser? I hope its a sturdy one...

XSiVE · 08/01/2007, 07:39 AM

The prizm HOB skimmer comes with an overflow cup IIRC... that should help.

Wrench · 08/01/2007, 08:07 AM

you need more surface agitation. It will keep the compounds from creating that film on the surface and keep them suspended so they can be filtered out. The added turbulence will help with gas exchange as well for a more stable pH.

RichConley · 08/01/2007, 10:01 AM

He doesnt need more agitation, he needs a surface skimmer for his prizm.

Take the stuff out, dont just mix it back in.

Mappelbaum37 · 08/01/2007, 07:16 PM

first off im kinda new with saltwater so whats a surface skimmer? is it the same as a protein skimmer- Also now that i think about it, can it be alge? I only have 2 corals with T-5 Nova extreme 216 watts so theres not a lot of corals to absorb the light which means more algea... Isnt there a cup that zaps algea out of the water or something?

Aaarrrggg · 08/01/2007, 08:07 PM

I've been experiencing something similar; every couple of weeks I'll get a thin film of slimy stuff on the surface, which foams up in the corners of the tank. I have plenty of surface agitation but it doesn't seem to help. I've started just scooping it out with a damp cloth... seems to get most of it and the rest disappears on itâ€™s own.

No idea what it is, but it seems to look worse than it is because the tank is doing great. I've wondered if its some sort of algae bloom too. The guys at the LFS said they get it too and wonder if it might be oils from the frozen food... but I rinse my food so it doesn't seem likely... mind you I've caught my cleaner shrimp nibbling at the form a few times so who knows! Tagging along!

XSiVE · 08/01/2007, 08:52 PM

ok.. surface skimming:

water from the surface of your tank falls over something such as an overflow box, as it does that, it breaks the surface tension of the water.

((surface tension is something you can observe by filling a glass with water.. you can actually fill it slightly higher than the top of the glass because the water molecules would rather stick to each other than fall over the edge.))

as the surface tension is broken and it cascades over an obstacle, with it it takes the slime that builds up on the surface of the water...

So for the OP with his Prizm HOB skimmer, there is a little cup that comes with it and attaches to the inlet tube.. remove the pointy filter thing on the bottom of the inlet tube, and slide the overflow cup under the tube instead, then adjust it so that the bottom of the teeth on it are just under the water level, it will now break the surface tension and remove a lot of that film buildup.

Mappelbaum37 · 08/02/2007, 07:30 PM

ive been looking along websites and i went to my LFS and the most experienced guy there says theres no other explanation but for it to be the food- Now should i get a surface skimmer or just get a python to finish it off temporarily- My luck it will be back in a matter of no time

lavith · 08/04/2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mappelbaum37
Ive4 got a 75 gallon saltwater tank. About 2 weeks ago i realized that a dirt substance was completley covering the surface of the tank water. They look like small brown omega one flakes. Not one inch is clear on the top. When i moisten my frozen food by putting a plastic dixie cup in the water all the dirt sticks to the cup and some slides off like a slimy substance.

Please help me! I completly got it out 5 days ago but it all came back!! I beg you to help me- Ive put so much time and effort and MONEY into the tank i dont want my corals and fish starting to die off.

Overflow box to accommodate water surface skimming. Without one you always have this kind of problem

07/31/2007, 08:01 PM	#1
Mappelbaum37 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Posts: 886	surface water dirty Ive4 got a 75 gallon saltwater tank. About 2 weeks ago i realized that a dirt substance was completley covering the surface of the tank water. They look like small brown omega one flakes. Not one inch is clear on the top. When i moisten my frozen food by putting a plastic dixie cup in the water all the dirt sticks to the cup and some slides off like a slimy substance. Please help me! I completly got it out 5 days ago but it all came back!! I beg you to help me- Ive put so much time and effort and MONEY into the tank i dont want my corals and fish starting to die off. __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef

07/31/2007, 09:17 PM	#4
Mappelbaum37 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Posts: 886	ive got 2 koralia fans breaking the water at the top- my situation is a bad one because i dont have a sump and my tank is on my dresser with 2" space until the wall behind it comes... With no sump i needed a 2" in skimmer which the prizm protein skimmer fit right in....its unfortunate i cant get a refugium or anything else __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef

07/31/2007, 10:20 PM	#5
on3ofak1nd Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Corning, NY Posts: 278	you have a 75g tank on a dresser? I hope its a sturdy one... __________________ ~Wesley

08/01/2007, 10:01 AM	#8
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	He doesnt need more agitation, he needs a surface skimmer for his prizm. Take the stuff out, dont just mix it back in. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

08/01/2007, 07:16 PM	#9
Mappelbaum37 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Posts: 886	first off im kinda new with saltwater so whats a surface skimmer? is it the same as a protein skimmer- Also now that i think about it, can it be alge? I only have 2 corals with T-5 Nova extreme 216 watts so theres not a lot of corals to absorb the light which means more algea... Isnt there a cup that zaps algea out of the water or something? __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef

07/31/2007, 08:41 PM	#2
kmf507 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 669	It sounds like you do not have any water movement on the surface. Do you have any powerheads? Overflow? Also, do you use RODI water? Tap water can have impurities that can lead to excess algae.

07/31/2007, 08:43 PM	#3
XSiVE Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Waterford, MI Posts: 790	sounds like you might want to get something that does some surface skimming such as an overflow box into a sump, or even a HOB skimmer/filter with a surface-skimming attachment.

08/01/2007, 07:39 AM	#6
XSiVE Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Waterford, MI Posts: 790	The prizm HOB skimmer comes with an overflow cup IIRC... that should help.

08/01/2007, 08:07 AM	#7
Wrench Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,004	you need more surface agitation. It will keep the compounds from creating that film on the surface and keep them suspended so they can be filtered out. The added turbulence will help with gas exchange as well for a more stable pH.

08/01/2007, 08:07 PM	#10
Aaarrrggg Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 866 Blog Entries: 53	I've been experiencing something similar; every couple of weeks I'll get a thin film of slimy stuff on the surface, which foams up in the corners of the tank. I have plenty of surface agitation but it doesn't seem to help. I've started just scooping it out with a damp cloth... seems to get most of it and the rest disappears on itâ€™s own. No idea what it is, but it seems to look worse than it is because the tank is doing great. I've wondered if its some sort of algae bloom too. The guys at the LFS said they get it too and wonder if it might be oils from the frozen food... but I rinse my food so it doesn't seem likely... mind you I've caught my cleaner shrimp nibbling at the form a few times so who knows! Tagging along! __________________ Click on my homepage link to see my new 144g Half Circle Build! Current Tank Info: 144g Half Circle Oceanic (started 11/7/2011)

08/01/2007, 08:52 PM	#11
XSiVE Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Waterford, MI Posts: 790	ok.. surface skimming: water from the surface of your tank falls over something such as an overflow box, as it does that, it breaks the surface tension of the water. ((surface tension is something you can observe by filling a glass with water.. you can actually fill it slightly higher than the top of the glass because the water molecules would rather stick to each other than fall over the edge.)) as the surface tension is broken and it cascades over an obstacle, with it it takes the slime that builds up on the surface of the water... So for the OP with his Prizm HOB skimmer, there is a little cup that comes with it and attaches to the inlet tube.. remove the pointy filter thing on the bottom of the inlet tube, and slide the overflow cup under the tube instead, then adjust it so that the bottom of the teeth on it are just under the water level, it will now break the surface tension and remove a lot of that film buildup.

08/02/2007, 07:30 PM	#12
Mappelbaum37 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Posts: 886	ive been looking along websites and i went to my LFS and the most experienced guy there says theres no other explanation but for it to be the food- Now should i get a surface skimmer or just get a python to finish it off temporarily- My luck it will be back in a matter of no time __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef