Surface Water is now Wasted

[beth]

Ok, I know we have discussed this problem before on here, but I do not recall ever coming up with a viable solution.
2 wks ago I put my hands in the tank to remove a PH strainer on a PH located at the bottom of the tank. Of course, no matter how carefully I did this, I ended up bumping the rock structure, and things shifted around a bit. In the process of readjusting the rock structure, I suppose things got stirred up and now I have the infamous waste slick at the top of my tank...some, I believe, is carrying tiny bits of sand particles.
Is there a solution to this, or am I now stuck with this disguisting view at the top of my tank? I already know that surface agitation will dispell this somewhat. Any other good suggestions? Will a skimmer with a surface skimmer help? What!??

 

[predator]

Anything that will break the top of the water will help(power head hitting the top of the water). I had a problem much like the one you are describing and at the time I was using a back pack skimmer. I had to adjust the hight of the overflow so it would do more of the surface rather than whats underneath. Then I drug paper towels across the top of the water and the problem was gone. I know it sounds a little screwy with the paper towels( I was a little hesitant myself). But it worked like a champ.

 

[broomer5]

Beth,
I had this happen a lot before going with external overflow with surface skimming.
Without surface skimming - such as directing a powerhead at the surface - it will indeed get some or most of the slick to go away. Problem is it does not go away - just goes back into the tank water - as I'm sure you aleady know.
So this does not remove the waste - just more pleasing to the eye, and should improve gas exchange to some degree.
But this will allow your protein skimmer to work on removing these wastes once they are back into solution sort of speak.
Prior to my current set up, I had a small 15 high tank I was fiddling around with. It had the worst surface scum I thought I had ever seen. This was just a temporary fix - but it worked pretty darn good.
Take an El Cheapo hang on the back powerfilter, like an Eheim Liberty - and make your own surface skimmer. All you need to do is get a small open top plastic box ( I used a Tubberware container that looked pretty hoakie ) and cut some small slits in the top, all the way around it. Sort of like teeth you see on the internal box of an overflow.
Place this toothed box under the vertical inlet of the the little cheap filter inlet tube, so the tank's surface water must run through and over these teeth, and then get sucked up into the filter. Fasten the box to the filters inlet tube any way you see fit. I just used some platic wire ties.
The scum will be filtered out by the small mechanical filter element and it is GONE. No longer in the tank at all.
Then after a few hours - just take the contraption off and it's out of site. Rinse out the filter element a little and you're ready to run it again anytime you get the surface scum.
If I had taken my time, I'm sure I could have made one that was more permanent, and a little more professional looking - but I was only concerned with a temporary fix. Like I said, I was just fiddling around with this small tank.
Or you could get a surface skimmer for your protein skimmer if it's a hang on type.
I dunno - worked really good for me - and didn't cost all that much.

 

[javajoe]

This is kind of a low-tech solution, but from time to time i use a simple fish net and just skim it like you would a swimming pool. works great, free, and no DIY project!

 

[drummerboy]

I did the same thing that boomer did, except I went to home depot and got the acrylic sheets they sell. I used the scoring blade to cut them to the size of my ehiem liberty, then I glued them together with aquarium silicone. Looks a little better, but if you're just going to use it every once in a while the tupperware container is a great idea. It's worked great for me so far though.

 

[beth]

Thanks guys for all of your help. Broomer, I went ahead & ordered the Remora Pro along with its new surface skimmer. I was going to get this skimmer anyway, so now is as good as any other time. Funny, their surface skimmer looks exactly like the DIY you described which you rigged up! LOL
I gotta find me a husband who loves tanks and diy projects!

 

[krusk]

Beth
lol <img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" />

 

[beth]

Yeah, I did get the Mag. I wouldn't put a rio in my tank...lol. The surface skimmer apparently doubles as the box needed by the Mag.
I also did a water change today...only 2 gals, but I took the surface water. This seems to have improved the "slick" considerably.

 

[mlm]

Does anyone of a generic surface skimmer for a prizim skimmer.