[Karebear13]

I noticed that the water has become covered in a oil substance at the top of the tank... and its nasty. Its rather thick. I don't know what it can be from. I have a few pics. What I have in the tank:

-Heater
-hornwort
-IAL

I really hope its not the heater. How can I tell what its coming from.
I also Realized when I did a 50% change this week a piece of hair was tangled in the plants so it could be from that? but I'm not sure cause I took it out and the water still got oily after the 50% water change

Here are the pics... someone is quite nosey too as soon as he saw the camera he came up to the top to pose

 

[Laki]

Thanks for the pics, I'm positive now that's only floating food protein. It happens to most tanks without a surface disrupter. It comes off easily by breaking the surface very gently with a cup. Or you can remove it with a paper towel. But as long as you feed good food, the proteins will keep coming back!

 

[Karebear13]

Oh that is interesting. Im glad its that and not a malfunctioning heater or something...

I like your avatar btw very pretty

 

[Ajones108]

Doing more frequent water changes will also reduce the amount of protein in the water.

 

[Sena Hansler]

yuck! :lol: yeah I get it too in stagnant water tanks/containers. It usually appears more in areas of tanks with little to no movement, and it ends up like a sludge that makes a bit of a barrier.... There are protein skimmers, which are pretty darn useful

 

[Laki]

When I had turtles I got a 55g tank with fluval power filter, decorations and a protein skimmer for like 120$ and I threw the protein skimmer out bc I didn't know what it wa for!!! I do frequent enough water changes that it's only on my water for a day or two.

Thanks! That pic came out so well, I love it. It's on my screen background too and up close all the details are crystal clear! (regular old digi cam)

 

[Sena Hansler]

love that blue on your fish too.. =D

 

[Karebear13]

On mine? Or on Laki's?
LOL

 

[Sena Hansler]

Yours :lol: although Laki's is purty too :3

 

[Karebear13]

LOL thanks! I still can't believe he went from

This to That. I thought I was gonna lose him back then

 

[Sena Hansler]

awww what a pretty whi....blue? huh. :lol: I would have freaked out xD "oh my gosh he's going to die!!"

 

[Karebear13]

haha I know he was so pale he looked white but now that he is super healthy he is a nice vibrant blue

 

[finnfinnfriend]

I get that oily stuff too but it appears like hours after a water change so I don't even bother with it. It doesn't seem to hurt my fish...

 

[Laki]

Wow what a change in his color!! He's so pretty! Dragonscale?

 

[Karebear13]

Thanks! Yes from what others have told me he is dragon

 

[Sena Hansler]

bleh they had "metallic bettas" for sale in a PJ'S PETS in west edmonton mall. 1 the correct term is dragonscale, 2 they weren't, and 3 they were halfmoons :lol: :roll: and 25.00. the other bettas were sick and dying/dead. but the two fancy ones were cared for. The one boy had awesome finnage...but meh.

 

[Luimeril]

i get that oily crud, too. don't pay it much mind.

but, in some of my tanks, it's accompanied by... something. that looks like white dust. it's very annoying, hard to remove from the tanks, and just makes it look gross. :I

 

[Sena Hansler]

agreed :/ I think I had that in one tank. It was a nuisance!!

 

[gbose]

Karebear,

I have trouble with oily water and surface scum sometimes. I deal with it with a general tank cleanup (making sure not to disrupt bacteria in the filter)

Good luck

GBose

 

[Karebear13]

Okay great thanks! Yeah I figure if its the food I just got to do water changes to get rid of it and its not harming him so I'm not worried!