Greasy film on top of water? How to remove?

[shaned]

I have a slight greasy film floating on the top of my 75 gal fishtank. It does not appear to be harming anything but it does not go away. Can anyone tell me what might cause this and how to remove it?

Thanks,
Shane

 

[dannybradley]

Drag a ziplock bag or something like it across the surface. It will cling right to it and remove it easily. You can also dip a cup in to remove the surface water. This also works, but is not as affective and takes a lot longer.

The harm it causes is blocking light and reducing gas exchange.

It's a strain of bacteria. The bag trick usually keeps it at bay for awhile. Antibiotics will kill it but may also harm your tank.

 

[fishfiend]

I'm going to assume that you don't have a drilled tank? What kind of skimmer do you use because a lot of them have surface skimming attachments. That will help keep it away. Also just pointing a powerhead towards the surface to keep it moving is recommended.

 

[jaydm93teg]

I have a tank just like this with a hob skimmer that helps but I also have a powerhead on each end of the tank pointing towards the top and that took care of the film and it never came back because te powerheads keep the surface water moving