Surface scum

[Mattant1984]

So I have quite a large tank (6x2x2) and have pretty good flow at both ends of the tank which creates good movement at the surface however I still get some light scum / film type stuff in the middle.

I have tried using extra wavemakers etc however it ends up being too much flow for the plants and smaller fish.

So main question, is the surface film bad for the tank or is it just unsightly??

Many thanks

 

[plantnoobdude]

Mainly just an aesthetic issue, but if there’s too much of it, it May affect gas exchange. may I suggest an air stone or surface skimmer?

 

[Mattant1984]

Mainly just an aesthetic issue, but if there’s too much of it, it May affect gas exchange. may I suggest an air stone or surface skimmer?

Thanks for the help, what surface skimmers would you recommend??

 

[MichaelJ]

Hi @Mattant1994 There was a recent thread on this topic with a couple of product recommendations.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Nikmon]

I have a cheap one off amazon about £12 if i remember right. Does a banging job.but Iv seen a few vidoes on the new oase ones they look really good aswell

 

[Ghettofarmulous]

All ponds solutions. 3 years going strong

 

[plantnoobdude]

All ponds solutions. 3 years going strong

Same here!

 

[Libba]

I have some bladder snails that love to float to the surface and feed on the surface scum. They look so ridiculous riding around on the current. I don't even know how they get down once they've had enough.

 

[Hanuman]

I have some bladder snails that love to float to the surface and feed on the surface scum. They look so ridiculous riding around on the current. I don't even know how they get down once they've had enough.

They release oxygen and so they sink 🙂

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have some bladder snails that love to float to the surface and feed on the surface scum.

It has a name, "pedal feeding" and actually works just like a surface skimmer. This is for the Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata):

...... The apple snail Pomacea canaliculata stabilizes itself just below the air–water interface and manipulates its foot such that it forms a cone-shaped funnel into which an inhalant current is generated, thereby drawing food particles into the funnel to be ingested. We measured the velocity of this feeding current and tracked the trajectories of food particles around and on the snail. Our experiments indicated that the particles were collected via the free surface flow generated by the snail’s undulating foot. ......

<https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsif.2020.0139>

cheers Darrel

 

[Oldguy]

It has a name, "pedal feeding" and actually works just like a surface skimmer.

Interesting Sums in the link. Just like to watch them in my bucket ponds.

 

[CMooner]

Eheim 350 skimmer. I’ve run 5 for many years, they’re tough. The only thing that wears out is the sponge.