Thick Film on water surface

[menwa]

Hey all, I have a thick transparent film on the surface of the water in my tank, I've been cycling it and have noticed a thin film on it that i believe to have been bacteria, but today the surface looked as if it was frosted over, but it is a thick film that covers the surface- If i move tweezers around in it, it kinda makes little shreds of white that stay floating- other than that its just a film..I cant get a good photo of it. Is this telling me my tank is cycled or could this be a form of algea?

 

[joan]

Dust. I'd bet you either a.) don't have an airstone or any type of filter to disturb the surface, or b.) have a fan blowing on the water. This allows dust to settle ontop of the water (go surface tension!!), and create a gunky film. Best remedy: Airstone.

 

[menwa]

Ya kno, its odd because i think you were right about it being dust, but the amount of it that was in there was just unsettling after doing a water change a day before. I dont know where it all came from but i rigged a computer fan above the water and it cleaned it right up- I also made sure to clean the debris out that it formed.. Clean as ever now thanx

 

[menwa]

Eh, seems like i spoke too soon, woke up this morning and it had formed again. Can only think now that its some kind of algae.. anybody know of a surface growing clear/cloudy algae?

 

[joan]

If you have a fan blowing on top of the water, that's going to make the problem worse. You need something disturbing the surface tension of the water, such as an airstone.

 

[jennifer]

Besides dust, a film like that can also be caused by protein in the water. This is a problem if there is uneaten food, or bloodworm liquid, etc, in the tank. You can skim it off with a net or a piece of paper towel. It would be a good idea to test for ammonia.

 

[ian]

I have experience with this film also in my fish tank and my 3 other newt tanks. most of the time caused by protein in the water. It happen more likely with undistrubing water. So, becareful with the overfeeding and do a 50% water change. That is my suggestion.

 

[ali]

I have this problem in my unfiltered betta bowl. However, I found the best solution for my newt tanks is a filter. Although my main tank is heavily planted, I still prefer a filter because I have less to worry about. It cleans up any loose bits of java moss and also keeps the water moving just enough to prevent this yucky film on top. I have a whisper 10i filter for my ten gallon tank (with about 6 gallons of water in it) and it does great. It's fairly cheap and easy to maintain. It also works in as little as two inches of water, so I also hear that it's great for raising young newts.