Strange Slimy Oil

[RnB]

Hey all, so for the past week or so there has been a strange slimy oil on top of the water on Fabio's Tank. I test it using two different test strips and both say ammonia levels are practically nonexistent. But the water is incredibly slimy and oily. He is also housed with two ADF's in a 5 gallon tank.

I have done a 100% and 60% water changes and the water still gets slimy and oily after only a few days. This seems like the ammonia should be peaking but the test strips say otherwise....

any one know what is going on??

I use both Jungle Ammonia Quick Dip and Jungle Quick Dip 5-N-1 Test Strips. Fabio is fed a combination of pellets and freeze dried bloodworms, while the adfs get frozen blood worms daily.

[Kytkattin]

Some people have mentioned that API stress coat/water conditioner will sometimes leave a slimey coat on the surface of the water. I used to have the same problem. Now my tanks have bubblers, so the surface remains agitated and can't form that surface. Or maybe it is the fact that I switched to Prime. Idk.

[Pitluvs]

I get this, I use API Stress Coat too. Everything in my tank is covered with a slimy feeling. I don't like it much.

[Oldfishlady]

Surface scum is usually organic and harmless-a few cause can be from oil on your hands, fish food, in the air...especially if the tank is near the kitchen/cooking from smoke and oils in the air....it can be related to limited water movement/filtration...since it keeps the scum broke up so it isn't noticed, poor husbandry-limited water changes, poor vacuuming, overfeeding and/or leaving uneaten food in the tank, not washing hands before you stick your hands in the tank or feed the fish, oily fish foods, decay/decomp of organic in the tank

A thin layer of surface scum is usually not problematic but a thick layer can cause gas exchange problems

You can use a clean dry paper towel and lay over the top to remove, increase water movement, vacuum, remove uneaten food, wash hands, cover the tank when cooking...etc.......