Dean fish and Film on top w/smell

[t_larz]

Ok, here it is, my wet/dry smells like dead fish on top, should I add charcoal maybe and where then? I have five damsels to cycle my tank and they are mean, I think that they killed one but now I can't find it. It has been missing for about four days now. I looked all over the tank too. One more, there is a little type of dust or film of something of top of the tank, what could it be? Thanks!
~Lars

 

[purplepuffer]

I would maybe try a few water changes, like 10% each week, to help clean out the film, and dead fish smell. What is your ammonia like?? Sometimes that can give off a bad smell if it is really high.

 

[blacktip]

How long has the tank been set-up? Generally in a new tank situation the film you find on the surface of the water is dust from the sand/crushed coral you added when you orginally set up the tank. If the substrate wasnt throuoghly rinsed the dust floats to the top and creates a film. As for Damsels....yes they are mean S.O.B's and it is common for them to bully the weakest one to death. Generally they will eat the dead fish until there is nothing left, this could be the reson for the missing corpse. The dead fish smell could as be caused by the new substrate if it wasn't washed properly. Bio zorb by aquarium pharm or Chemi-pure by Boyd Enterprises as two great medias then will remove both the smell as well as the discoloration of the water. As for you film on top you should be using a overflow box with your wet dry which will skim the top of the water as long as you throughly rinse out the filter sponge and filter pads this film should be filtered out in a few days. Happy fishkeeping.