# Surface scum on low tech



## Rob P (19 Feb 2014)

Not happy  lol

I've never had issues with surface scum until running a high tech tank, and that's taken care of nicelty with eheim skim 

However, my low tech mini m that has been running two weeks now has a pretty visible layer of surface scum and i don't know why.

It's been running two weeks now, had daily 50% water changes for week 1, and every other day 50% for the last week.

It's approx 20 litres with 1 x 8w T5 on for 5 hours filtered by Eden 501. Substrate is florabase, there's quite a few plants in that appear to be growing well. Surface has a decent covering of salvinia natans to help limit lighting. Every time I do water change I put a small squirt of my EI macro in (0.5mm when doing daily WC, 1mm this last week).

I put 5 red cherry shrimp in last Sunday.

Any ideas what's causing this and how to get rid (i can't fit an skim unit in lol).

Thanks!
Rob


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## Alastair (19 Feb 2014)

Doesnt the 501 come with a spray bar or outlet.  Raise it slightly so its disturbing the surface. Good for co2 and good for the shrimp and will rid the tank of any surface scum


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## Rob P (19 Feb 2014)

Alastair said:


> Doesnt the 501 come with a spray bar or outlet


 
Yeh it comes with both Al, i was trying to avoid using the spray bar as if i decide to go with a betta the flow will be too much i'd imagine so i was using the other outlet it comes with. Unfortunately it doesn't create much disturbance on the surface as it's difficult to lift up whilst remaining safe and secure! lol

You can see here... ADA Mini M (Low Tech) - Planted, sort of... | Page 2 | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Do you think moving the surface more will solve the problem?


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## roadmaster (19 Feb 2014)

I have seen this on my newly set up low tech tank's and contribute it to possibly plant's respiring protein's,enzymes, until the plant mass get's good foothold growth wise,mass increases, for it seem's to disappear after my tank's are more mature (month's), but this is only speculation.
Have also seen this when new biomedia,substrate, was not washed very well, but as the biomedia became more mature, and healthy bacterial colony was present both here,and substrate,other hard surfaces as well,the surface scum went away .
In the interim,, I pointed spray bar's or koralia's at the surface, and this seemed to break it up fairly well.


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## Edvet (19 Feb 2014)

Maybe a skimmer could help, I've seen some on this forum,even with DIY modifications, for Nano's too.
For instance Hagen has one, so has Eheim


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## Rob P (19 Feb 2014)

Ok guys, thanks for the replies. Whilst it's shrimp only in there i'll get the spraybar on for a bit more movement up top


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## Alastair (19 Feb 2014)

Hi rob. Yes I definitely think moving the water surface more will help it. I still get it occasionally when my tanks had a change and the water level is higher than usual the lily pipe doesnt pull the water down. I think theres always a slight film or oil look to some degree on every tank.


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## faizal (19 Feb 2014)

Hi Rob,..yeah mine has it too on & off. Like Alastair mentioned there when the surface is disturbed it goes off pretty quickly. My tank uses a hang on back & when the water splashes down a little,...the scum disappears.


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## tim (19 Feb 2014)

I've switched to a spraybar on my 12 ltr clears it up in no time mate. You can make the holes bigger to ease the flow when you add your betta.


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## Rob P (19 Feb 2014)

Good suggestion thanks Tim


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## Rob P (20 Feb 2014)

Popped the spraybar on last night, seems to have worked a charm


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