Brown film on water surface: need help!!!

[peppermint22]

Hello! I need some advice here:

 

I've got a 29G reef aquarium that has been running for 5 months. It uses a DSB and a protein skimmer for filtration. However, at the end of every 2 weeks, a layer of brown film builds up on the surface of the water, and it is quite difficult to remove water from the surface only. Is there any way to solve this problem?

 

I've read that overflow boxes can do the trick, but my aquarium is already set up and I do not want to tear up the entire system. I've also read about HOB overflow boxes, but these are unavailable where I live. The next best alternative is to utilize a surface skimmer connected to a HOB filter. What do u guys think? Does anybody have any better solutions? Pls help me cos I'm tired of changing water every fortnight.

[cuteios]

peppermint,

 

I added a hob two months ago and it fixed the film problem. You should be able to get one real cheap, just ask your local aquarium store. The one I got is made in china by a company called resun, and it was dirt cheap...i mean I spent less than $10 for the sucker. Now if they are exporting this stuff to places like the phiippines it would be very difficult to believe that you would have a hard time getting one. did you try mail order?

[Jeff D2]

If this is just surface scum you might try this. Get a paper towel, make sure it isnt scented or has any chemicals on it. Lay the paper towel across the top of the water then quickly remove it and toss in the trash, repeat the above untill all the scum is gone. You won't loose much water this way.

 

 

hth

 

Jeff

[peppermint22]

U added a HOB filter or HOB overflow box? In Malaysia, I've seen plenty of cheap HOB filters, but I've never come across any HOB overflow boxes. About paper towels, I think it is a waste of paper, and is rather time consuming, especially if you have a large water surface.

[MrConclusion]

Use a small-diameter hose when making regular water changes, and hold the hose just below the surface so that it sucks in the surface skum as it pulls out the siphon.

 

You will learn the "knack" to this in about 2 minutes. Hold the hose too low, it doesn't pull from the surface... hold it too high, and it pulls too much air and loses the siphon.

 

The smaller the hose, the slower the water flow so you get more surface suction time. Airline hose, 3/16", or 1/4" inner diameter hose works well.

 

Paper towels work too, and the loss of 2 or 3 paper towels per week is nothing compared to all of the other consumer products we all use every day.

[surfy]

Try one or two powerheads pointed at the waters surface to break up the scum, it works for me.

[cuteios]

pep,

 

I added a regular hob, when it breaks the water surface the film gets broken and submerged...what happens after that I don't know. All I know is that it got rid of the film problem on my tank and everything still checks out as far as the readings go.

[peppermint22]

Hey cuteios,

 

What kinda filtration system do u use? What's your livestock? And how often do u change water?

[cuteios]

Peppermint,

 

I don't have any mechanical filtration and rely solely on the biological filtration of my LR. I do have the hob but I don't use filter media that plus the little PH gives me circulation. I only have 2 yellow tail damsel in there with a frag of frogspawn, zoos and a little gsp, and a hermit crab. I do a 5% water change once a week and I've been known to skip that for a two week change of just 10%, depends on whether I'm really busy or not.

 

I really think that having some way of breaking the water surface regularly helps to eliminate the film/scum problem.

[SW20Rida]

What kind of HOB filter do you have? If its anything similar to the Aquaclears, I would highly suggest getting their surface skimmer attachment. You simply hook it up to the intake of the HOB filter and it sucks water from the surface, you can also adjust it so it sucks from either inside the tank or the surface. It worked like a charm for me!