A light "film" on my brackish tank...

[Matt Shepherd]

I did a water change for the two puffers in my 10-gallon last Sunday,
and today have noticed a slight film on top of the water. It's a
little hard to describe, but the water is almost imperceptibly cloudy
at the very surface -- I wouldn't notice the cloudiness were it not
for "clear patches" here and there on the surface.

This "film" is easy to break with my finger but re-forms quickly after
I drag a "trail" through it. The puffers seem to be in good health and
good spirits. I didn't do ANYTHING unusual to the tank when I did the
water change (about 50%).

I am putting in about 3/4 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of
water when I do the change, eyeballing it (I change about 1/2 of a
10-gallon tank, so I put in about 4 teaspoons of salt over the course
of the water change).

The puffers are eating blood worms and occasionally bits of red
wriggler (kept for "voiding", well-rinsed and frozen, then thawed).
The filter on the tank seems clean. No weirdness otherwise.

Thoughts/suggestions??

- Matt
www.man-man.org

[Jeff Pratt]

Matt Shepherd wrote:

> I did a water change for the two puffers in my 10-gallon last Sunday,
> and today have noticed a slight film on top of the water. It's a
> little hard to describe, but the water is almost imperceptibly cloudy
> at the very surface -- I wouldn't notice the cloudiness were it not
> for "clear patches" here and there on the surface.
>
> This "film" is easy to break with my finger but re-forms quickly after
> I drag a "trail" through it. The puffers seem to be in good health and
> good spirits. I didn't do ANYTHING unusual to the tank when I did the
> water change (about 50%).
>
> I am putting in about 3/4 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of
> water when I do the change, eyeballing it (I change about 1/2 of a
> 10-gallon tank, so I put in about 4 teaspoons of salt over the course
> of the water change).
>
> The puffers are eating blood worms and occasionally bits of red
> wriggler (kept for "voiding", well-rinsed and frozen, then thawed).
> The filter on the tank seems clean. No weirdness otherwise.
>
> Thoughts/suggestions??
>
> - Matt
> www.man-man.org

I've gotten this film on my tanks before, it seems to be a protein film,
but I've never gone through the steps to positively identify it. Surface
agitation will break it up, or, if you're looking for a calm(er) surface
you could look into building/buying (building may be the only option for a
tank that small) a protein skimmer.

Jeff

[~Vicki ~]

It is protein and normal water changes will not get rid of it because it
floats on top. There is a special filter called a skilter that may take
care of it for you. I keep salt water tanks and the skilter works good
for them but having never kept a brackish water tank I am not sure how
well they will work for that. Check eBay for one so if it don't work
that well, you have not spent too much money.

Vicki

[Monkey4you]

You should use a skimmer but not a actual "Protein skimmer" for SW
tanks the surface skimmer by Eheim.

Have a look under products/acessories here:

www.eheim.com

[NetMax]

"Monkey4you" > wrote in message
om...
> You should use a skimmer but not a actual "Protein skimmer" for SW
> tanks the surface skimmer by Eheim.
>
> Have a look under products/acessories here:
>
> www.eheim.com

AFAIK, a protein layer in a freshwater tank is essentially harmless, so
you could ignore it, or drop a paper towel on the surface and quickly
pull it out if it bothers you. I noticed the new Fluvals now include a
skimmer as well. I haven't had a chance to test one out yet.

NetMax

[TEACHSKIP]

Matt,

That film on the water surface is probably protein. Since you have a brackish
water setup a good solution would be to add a couple of black mollies. They eat
the protein and will clear the surface.

Good luck.

Skip...

[SteveG]

What kind of puffers do you have? It's just that some puffers I've seen are
very aggressive and will anything you add to their tank.


"TEACHSKIP" > wrote in message
...
> Matt,
>
> That film on the water surface is probably protein. Since you have a
brackish
> water setup a good solution would be to add a couple of black mollies.
They eat
> the protein and will clear the surface.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Skip...

[Matt Shepherd]

"SteveG" > wrote in message >...
> What kind of puffers do you have? It's just that some puffers I've seen are
> very aggressive and will anything you add to their tank.
>
>
Absolutely! I have Fig8s and I'm not about to add anything after
seeing the way they shred redworms. The protein haze cleared up after
a week or so all by its lonesome, so now I only have an ailing
crayfish to worry me.

[Monkey4you]

It sounds like your tank is overstocked, one figure eight needs a 20 gal min.

[Matt Shepherd]

(Monkey4you) wrote in message >...
> It sounds like your tank is overstocked, one figure eight needs a 20 gal min.

Really? I hadn't run across that fact yet after doing a bit more
reading up on puffers. They're still very small now -- under 2" each.
Mind you, I've read everything from "keep them in freshwater" to "keep
them in 50% sal****er", so it's a bit hard to know what to take as
gospel.

- Matt

[Dustin The-Wind]

I have kept Puffers & Gobies for about five years. Brackish water? My
tanks are well, ~ they have salt in them ~

Since brackish water has to do with the ebb and flow of the larger body
of sal****er into which the freshwater river is flowing into...who can
say what brackish water "is"?

At one time for a period of about two years I had a 55 gal with:

Two Cory Doras - Salt is deadly to these

Spotted Puffer - Brackish

Figure Eight Puffer - Brackish

Puruivan Puffer - freshwater

Green Scat - Brackish

Bumble Bee Gobies - Brackish

Knight Gobies - Brackish

The Scat killed a Knight Goby and had started on the Puffers. I took him
to the LFS, where the "Fish Lady" knows my tanks. She put the bag I had
him in one of her sal****er tanks and let him out directly in the tank!

The Corys are now in a 29gal planted freshwater tank. The Bumble Bees
are in a 20 gal long freshwater tank {through water changes in an
attempt to get them to breed}

The three Puffers and Knight Goby still share the 55.

..a note on the surface scum..Puffers "LOVE" to body surf!! Even the
Dwarf Puffers in the ten gal. I have Powerheads that are not connected
to any type of filter near top of tank..this "might" take care of the
scum..I just have them there cause the Puffers think it's a ride :-)

[~Vicki ~]

It is good to see ya in here Dustin. Lots of info to learn and your
input is welcomed.

Vicki

I have kept Puffers & Gobies for about five years. Brackish water? My
tanks are well, ~ they have salt in them ~

Visit me on line at http://shamrock4u.250free.com