Oily Film Between Red Root Floaters!

Dd1880

Member
Aug 6, 2019
41
4
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44
Chicago il
I have these rrf and like them. Wish the roots were red and maybe the tops a lil but not yet. I need to raise the light but every time I do I get algae on the glass and have some hair algae on my JF and Anubis now! They stayed to flower despite what I thought was impossible unless it had high light and lots of fertilzer or being outside! I want to keep them but this oily film in between them is really nasty looking and just makes the tank look dirty which it’s not cause I clean it once a week and almost daily scrub the glass if there’s any algae! Any way to get rid of this film without causing to much surface agitation that would get the tops of the floaters wet and ruin them? Thanks for any help cause I’m almost ready to just trash them cause it does not look nice!

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CarissaT

New Member
Jul 2, 2019
12
3
3
Canada
Not sure how permanent this would be, but you can take a piece of paper towel and put on top then lift up, it will usually stick to the paper towel. May take a few times since you have plants in the way.
 

Dd1880

Member
Aug 6, 2019
41
4
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44
Chicago il
Not sure how permanent this would be, but you can take a piece of paper towel and put on top then lift up, it will usually stick to the paper towel. May take a few times since you have plants in the way.
Yeah I do that already and it takes a lot of time and paper towels everyday and it keeps coming back haha! Was looking for a possible permanent fix! Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Jul 17, 2017
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Ontario
I think the film is organic waste and the bacteria that eat it. Increase water changes, keep on top of removing detritus and old leaves, and add a skimmer. It also helps to wash your hands before putting them in the tank. You can get skimmers that you can add to hang-on-back filters. They make a big difference.
 
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Dd1880

Member
Aug 6, 2019
41
4
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Chicago il
I think the film is organic waste and the bacteria that eat it. Increase water changes, keep on top of removing detritus and old leaves, and add a skimmer. It also helps to wash your hands before putting them in the tank. You can get skimmers that you can add to hang-on-back filters. They make a big difference.
Yeah I was looking at a lot of skimmers lately. Any idea which one would work with my aqueon power 30 HOB? I change the water once a week. And I wash my hands pretty thorough before putting them in. Thank you for the info!
 
Jul 17, 2017
93
125
33
Ontario
I use an Ista skimmer that has an adjustable attachment that accommodates the inflow tube I have. I just brought a piece of the tube with me to my LFS to make sure it would fit. As long as the inflow is cylindrical (as opposed to rectangular like the Marineland ones) it will probably work. I haven't tried any others so I can't comment on how they compare.
 
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Dd1880

Member
Aug 6, 2019
41
4
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44
Chicago il
I use an Ista skimmer that has an adjustable attachment that accommodates the inflow tube I have. I just brought a piece of the tube with me to my LFS to make sure it would fit. As long as the inflow is cylindrical (as opposed to rectangular like the Marineland ones) it will probably work. I haven't tried any others so I can't comment on how they compare.
Thank you for the help! I will try that cause I’m tired of using a paper towel to get rid of it haha!
 
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