oil in water

zman1

Active Member
You wouldn't be asking the question if you had overflows....
So search the WEB for surface skimmer. Google or MSN will both return examples.
 

pbienkiewi

Member
When I started my tank I had film on the top of my water also.. when I got my wet/dry sump it took take care of it.
 

norcal

Member
surface skimmer looks like a good option. thanks for the advice. do most lfs have them, or do you have to order them. im in hawaii and shipping is a bit of a pain!
 

zman1

Active Member
There are a lot of DIY plans out there..... Also, you may be able to adapt one of these (DIY) to work with your filters.
 

pbienkiewi

Member
i bought one.. make one yourself. Alot cheaper..... I will be breaking down 2 freshwater tanks. converting it to one tank and use the other one as a sump/refugium....
 

mudplayerx

Active Member
Pointing your powerheads at the surfaceo f the water will get rid of it, and a protein skimmer is a MUST in this hobby...that is my firm opinion.
 

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Pointing your powerheads at the surfaceo f the water will get rid of it, and a protein skimmer is a MUST in this hobby...that is my firm opinion.
Totally agree.
You can also make a spray bar to push water across the surface.
 

murph

Active Member
Easy there zman...... I was in the hobby and out and 15 years later when back in I couldn't quite remember how to hook up a overflow and surface skimmer. The newbies and the born again newbies need help not sarcasm and some day you will too!!
 

norcal

Member
i have a skimmer. a cpr bakpak hob and its working really well. i pointed a powerhead at the surface and i can already see it is breaking it up. thanks for all the tips all.
 

hot883

Active Member
Ok, so here's a stupid newbie question. If protein skimmers skim/remove things, isn't it killing all the additives that we are required to put in? Why put in additives if the skimmer will just remove them? I have never understood this!!
 

vejomatic

Member
Originally Posted by hot883
Ok, so here's a stupid newbie question. If protein skimmers skim/remove things, isn't it killing all the additives that we are required to put in? Why put in additives if the skimmer will just remove them? I have never understood this!!
I second this sentiment...
 

sillynecco

Member
what additives are you putting in?
IMHO i think that you shouldnt really be putting that many additives in the first place. if you are treating a disease, maybe you should consider a quarantine tank. if you must, and need to treat your tank with something, cut the protein skimmer for a while.
i was treatin my tank with malchilite green and i left the skimmer on, and it seems like it just went right up in that. in fact my spillover tube was clear and now it is blue.
i was told to cut back on the skimmer when putting additives in. just my input though.
 

hot883

Active Member
No, I have a QT! I'm talkin additives for corals etc. like iodine, strodium. What about phytoplankton; wouldn't that get sucked up into it?
 

zman1

Active Member
Originally Posted by Murph
Easy there zman...... I was in the hobby and out and 15 years later when back in I couldn't quite remember how to hook up a overflow and surface skimmer. The newbies and the born again newbies need help not sarcasm and some day you will too!!

Sorry Murph.... That wasn't sarcasm, it was making a basic assumption. that was a setup for the suggestion..... I am sorry if people took it that way, it wasn't intended to belittling to the person that asked the question, but to ward off attacks from others.... Sounds like I failed on both fronts.
 

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by zman1
Sorry Murph.... That wasn't sarcasm, it was making a basic assumption. that was a setup for the suggestion..... I am sorry if people took it that way, it wasn't intended to belittling to the person that asked the question, but to ward off attacks from others.... Sounds like I failed on both fronts.
zman, I didn't take it that way and I don't see how others could have either!
 

zman1

Active Member
Thanks Hot883 --
The other assumption was that the oil most likely is from the fish food. There are a few other items that can be attibuted to oil.
Oil and water don't mix (Exxon Valdes (sp) is a good example of that), surface agitation is most likely pushing the oil slick out to the very edges of the tank and keeping it from floating idle all over the surface. My suggestion was to skim it off the top and let the filter catch and trap it. To each his own....
 

hot883

Active Member
Ok here are my thoughts:
1. why pull out additives/supplements that we add to keep a healthy reef
2. I know PLENTY reef keepers that do not skimm.
3. Some of the cleanest LFS reef tanks in my state do not skimm
4. I have also heard that "Once you see the scum in the cup" your mind will change
5. How much of that scum is my additives?
6. Don't want to look at the skimmer HOB
7. get a fuge and skim from there; been told I don't need a fuge because of my amount of LR and live plants in display.
Bottom line; I'm still not sold and still not convinced and STILL relly not understanding I guess!
 
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