Oily surface scum on new tank - reducing light

[G H Nelson]

Hi
Most aquatic plants are grown emersed, some species are quicker than others to transform into their submerged state!
It's usually a gradual process could be days, weeks just depends on the individual plants in the aquarium.

Rotala rotundifolia is a good example...in its marsh form, it has round leaves..when it morphs its leaves start to grow linear-shaped underwater.
Therefore there is a lot going on within the physical makeup to get to the submerged form.
Hope this helps.
Keep us posted!
hoggie

 

[Bryce]

I get it all my co2 tanks. I don’t know what it comes from or what it is, and frankly don’t care at this point. I see it and just want it gone.I use surface skimmers, Eheim 350s and glass types. They work. I know there’s a lot of ideas of what it is and ways to combat it . My guess it’s a bi product of some sorts from injection co2, but I truly don’t know. My 2 cents .... buy a surface skimmer. It’s 1 less thing to have to worry about.

 

[jaypeecee]

Hi @Dr Mike Oxgreen

I'd like to point you to the following thread, which may be of interest:

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/do-healthy-plants-release-organics.59194/

BTW, after a period of persistence with the Eheim skim350, I cannot recommend it. Other people seem to have been more successful.

I'll also add some other bits'n'pieces but they can wait.

JPC

 

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

A little update...

Since I last posted, I decided it’s time to add some inhabitants. So I bought 7 ember tetras (actually that’s a slight lie - I asked for and paid for 6, and looked over the girl’s shoulder and I thought I counted 7 but kept quiet, and sure enough the lass had miscounted!)

I have also added 3 pygmy cories. If necessary I’ll add a couple more, but they seem to be settling well.

I have reversed my strategy of reducing light intensity, because the HC Cuba is not happy. I have trimmed it a couple of times and may have overdone it a bit, and it’s looking slightly rubbish. I’ve grown it before successfully, so I know I can do it - I reckon it just doesn’t like the lower light intensity.

I am still getting the oily scum, but I’m worrying about it a lot less.

So I have cranked up the light intensity to 70% - i.e. about 70 lumens per litre. To keep the embers happy I’ve thrown in plenty of hornwort, and they’re strutting about nicely. The cories were a bit manic to start with, but they seem a little more settled now - still sticking together like three amigos, but they’re spending some of their time browsing the substrate now.

I have also added a Twinstar M3.

The plants are a mixed bag. As mentioned, the HC Cuba is looking a bit sad, but I’m hoping it’ll recover now I’m throwing some decent light at it. The hairgrass is growing in nicely. The Lilaeopsis N-Z has shed a lot of its emersed leaves but is throwing out masses of runners. The tiny Cryptocoryne wendtii tissue culture is considerably less tiny. The Hottonia palustris seems to be ditching its lower (emersed?) leaves, and the Rotala walichii has quadrupled from its tissue culture form, though it’s not yet producing the lovely feathery foliage that it should - maybe it will in time. The little Anubias has produced a new leaf, but has some algae on its older leaves as well.