# Surface skimming pipes



## Jimmy Dale (14 Jan 2013)

Hi All, 

   I am considering using some form of surface skimmer to clear up organic films on my tank. Currently I have a false back wall with a wier which skims the surface nicely but I am hoping to invest in a proper braceless optiwhite tank soon. I have always found surface films to be a problem on tanks without much surface agitation.

I have seen a few pipes claiming to offer surface skimming services such as this one 

 Aquarium Lily Pipe water surface skimmer remove oil film planted tank 12/16mm | eBay

or this one

 Aquarium Stainless Steel Inflow & Outflow Surface Skimmer Pipes DC09-02 | eBay

does anyone here have any experience of using these or similar pipes?
Do they work?
Do they sound like a cappuccino maker?

Any advice gladly received. 

Jimmy


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## LondonDragon (14 Jan 2013)

Surface organic films are plants crying for help, if you maintain a healthy tank there is no need to use a surface skimmer. First get the balance of your CO2, ferts and flow for the lights you have and then worry about that later (i.e. you won't need to).


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## Jimmy Dale (14 Jan 2013)

Don't laugh - I am growing under a 28w LED street light. It's incredibly bright and sufficient to grow a reasonably convincing glosso carpet. The tank is 50l and I have my CO2 running 8hrs/day on a solenoid and approx 4 bubbles every 3 seconds. The CO checker is just on the yellower side of green. I am dosing using EI or rather, blindly following the Nutrient company's fert calculator. My H.Pinnatifida seems to be suffering in this tank suggesting potassium deficiency and yet if given a chance, a film can build up in my tank in less than 12 hours. Is this due to excessive doising? Too much iron?


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## Iain Sutherland (14 Jan 2013)

LondonDragon said:


> Surface organic films are plants crying for help, if you maintain a healthy tank there is no need to use a surface skimmer. First get the balance of your CO2, ferts and flow for the lights you have and then worry about that later (i.e. you won't need to).


 
Hmmm, im on the fence with this (at the moment) but ready to be proven wrong. While im sure poor plant health is a contributing factor or even the sole factor in some tanks i have suffered from surface film on my optiwhite since day one, i struggled getting everything right at the beginning and suffered some algae along with heavy film but im sure my plant health is good now yet the film persists even after trying daily WC for a week several times . Interestingly now im winding the light period and intensity down ready for my holiday it re-appears far quicker after WC??? I would like to try some different dosing systems to see what if any effect it has?? There are also plenty of dried foods that make it far worse along with over feeding.
Anyway just my thoughts at the moment, but like most things in this hobby that i thought i understood, i hope to prove myself wrong with my next couple of tanks and more experience...


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## ceg4048 (14 Jan 2013)

Jimmy Dale said:


> Don't laugh - I am growing under a 28w LED street light. It's incredibly bright and sufficient to grow a reasonably convincing glosso carpet.


 I would laugh if it were not so tragic.

Glosso carpets do not require incredibly bright light. They require incredibly high CO2. You do not have enough CO2/flow or distribution. I never use a skimmer and I never have surface scum. Skimming your surface will only mask the problem and weeks or months later you will have serious problems which you will be unable to troubleshoot because you skimmed the evidence away. Dollars to doughnuts that you have poor CO2.

Cheers,


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## Iain Sutherland (14 Jan 2013)

I would add that as clive says co2 and flow is always the first suspect and usually the right one.....  which i guess kinda makes my last post mute. 



ceg4048 said:


> I never use a skimmer and I never have surface scum


the force is not so strong in the young ones, learn we must


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## Jimmy Dale (14 Jan 2013)

Sounds like CO2 is the first one to address then, thanks for the comments. Although there is a good turnover in my tank, the movement of the Blyxa does show that there is clearly an area of strong flow and then some areas with apparently very little. I'll address this first and then see about my LED street light later...


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## pepedopolous (22 Jan 2013)

Surface scum is a right pain! I think my plants are healthy and I don't overfeed but recently the scum has been terrible. When any fish take food from the surface they leave little indents in the scum! If I break up the scum manually, little white pieces float all around the tank.

I have plenty of surface rippling from the filter outlet so I think that I'll have to try a surface skimmer such as the little Eheim one.


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## LondonDragon (22 Jan 2013)

Have a look here, fresh out of the press: Ehiem micro skimmer 350 review. | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## ian_m (23 Jan 2013)

Air on during the night killed my surface scum when I had it.


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## Jimmy Dale (26 Jan 2013)

Cheers for the link to the micro skimmer review, looks like a useful piece of kit.


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