Bad Skimmer?

[dhav79]

Hey friends,
I have a slight concern with my 29 gal tank. I have greesy film and brown stop floating on top of my water. The tank has been established for over 5 months and I have 4 fishes in there.
When I stick my hand in side the water and take it back out, I get some stuff on my hand. Not all over my hand. I mean, the tank looks clean, its just the surface.
I have a skimmer, I lifted the depository waste cup and it is filling up so that tells me that the skimmer is working. RIght?
Please help, I don't want this issue to harm my fishes.

 

[viet-tin]

Everyone gets that film on top of their water. Just increase your surface agitation. Point a power head or two it wont go away but it will help a bit. What kind of skimmer do you have?

 

[arkey.d]

To skim the surface of your water, you would need a preskimmer for it. It is like a specimen container, but it has slits in it and you place your pump for the skimmer in it.

 

[viet-tin]

Or you can build a sump or refugium or both and have an overflow box surface skim the stuff into an in sump skimmer which is what i will be doing.

 

[dhav79]

Thanks guys....I have aquac romora skimmer. Anyhow, i plan on selling my 29 gal tank and buy a bigger tank.
Keep you guys posted with the updates.

 

[robchuck]

Unless the Remora is used with the pre-skimmer box, the pump powering the skimmer draws water from a few inches below the surface, leaving a lot of gunk still in the tank. Aiming a powerhead at the surface to break up the film is a good way to get that gunk in the water and directed towards the skimmer.