I had the same problem with my 50g. It started when I began feeding kelp flakes every day. I slowed to every other day and the film went away. It took about a week to clear up. I have since switched to the kelp sheets and have had no problems since. I salso feed mysis, brine, oyster eggs and phyto and never had a problem with those.
Oily surface water
- Thread starter bobbyblank
- Start date
Justin74
New member
I dont have an analysis to back up anything I say, only eye witness accounts 
I too rinse mysid shrimp because they are incredibly oily. While I believe Matt is right that it is nutrients that we are rinsing off, IMO it is only excess from some shrimp being broken either in the packing process or usually when you chip a chunk off to thaw. In doing so youve split several shrimp open to leave there innards thawing with the rest. However I dont believe that by rinsing 3-4 times leaves you with a rice cake either 
All the nutritional goodies are within the flesh, and digestional track of the shrimp.
I rinse soley to feed my coral and fish, not the water column. Although this is kind of defeated when I use a powerhead and some mysis get swept in there and blown into dust clouds across the tank. I accept this as my way of feeding all my filter feeders and lps, but feel it would be highly excessive if I didnt rinse.
Looking back when I didnt rinse and just dropped cubes or whatever else, I had copious amounts of hair, and cyano. I mean thick fleshy matts of it. Then changing that, and later reading Anthony Calfo's experiences(which are seemingly endless), he too warned of using the packing water as it is pure micro algae fuel. Refelcting on my own experiences and previous trials and frustrations with algae I couldnt help but agree. Now any of you that have seen my tank will see various micro algaes, but IMO rinsing makes the difference in a manageable patch and a full fledged algae farm.
-Justin
I too rinse mysid shrimp because they are incredibly oily. While I believe Matt is right that it is nutrients that we are rinsing off, IMO it is only excess from some shrimp being broken either in the packing process or usually when you chip a chunk off to thaw. In doing so youve split several shrimp open to leave there innards thawing with the rest. However I dont believe that by rinsing 3-4 times leaves you with a rice cake either All the nutritional goodies are within the flesh, and digestional track of the shrimp. I rinse soley to feed my coral and fish, not the water column. Although this is kind of defeated when I use a powerhead and some mysis get swept in there and blown into dust clouds across the tank. I accept this as my way of feeding all my filter feeders and lps, but feel it would be highly excessive if I didnt rinse.
Looking back when I didnt rinse and just dropped cubes or whatever else, I had copious amounts of hair, and cyano. I mean thick fleshy matts of it. Then changing that, and later reading Anthony Calfo's experiences(which are seemingly endless), he too warned of using the packing water as it is pure micro algae fuel. Refelcting on my own experiences and previous trials and frustrations with algae I couldnt help but agree. Now any of you that have seen my tank will see various micro algaes, but IMO rinsing makes the difference in a manageable patch and a full fledged algae farm.
-Justin
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10767294#post10767294 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Justin74
I dont have an analysis to back up anything I say, only eye witness accounts
I rinse soley to feed my coral and fish, not the water column. Although this is kind of defeated when I use a powerhead and some mysis get swept in there and blown into dust clouds across the tank. I accept this as my way of feeding all my filter feeders and lps, but feel it would be highly excessive if I didnt rinse.
Looking back when I didnt rinse and just dropped cubes or whatever else, I had copious amounts of hair, and cyano. I mean thick fleshy matts of it. Then changing that, and later reading Anthony Calfo's experiences(which are seemingly endless), he too warned of using the packing water as it is pure micro algae fuel. Refelcting on my own experiences and previous trials and frustrations with algae I couldnt help but agree. Now any of you that have seen my tank will see various micro algaes, but IMO rinsing makes the difference in a manageable patch and a full fledged algae farm.
-Justin
My own experience suggests the same. We have breeding seahorses, cardinalfish, angelfish, anthias, chromis, and wrasses that eat pretty much only rinsed mysid shrimp and cyclops.
bobbyblank
New member
Im running a 35g display, 20g sump. Mag7 return, Aquaclear 304 powerheads. I just made an DIY acyrlic surface skimmer for my bakpak, figured it might help.
bobbyblank
New member
My father came an barrowed mine. He should return it tomarrow and i will. Hopefully my DIY surface skimmer will take care of it all tonight.
dots
Premium Member
Didn't read it all so bear with me, and if I remember correctly you just added the sump, and the skimmer is in the sump and the oily film is on the surface of the water in the display right?........
Is the display overflow adjusted so it is not pulling it down to the sump? ie: the overflow is "skimming" the water from the top of the overflow. If not, it would just collect there. In addition, if the PH's in the tank are oriented correctly they will push the proteins away from the overflow and collect.
Is the display overflow adjusted so it is not pulling it down to the sump? ie: the overflow is "skimming" the water from the top of the overflow. If not, it would just collect there. In addition, if the PH's in the tank are oriented correctly they will push the proteins away from the overflow and collect.
bobbyblank
New member
This is correct
. The overflow is draining well. There is about a 2 inch drop from the surface level and then exits out the standpipe. so it is "skimming" the surface. My PH does deflect some of the oils, but most are makeing it down into the sump. The sump doesnot show the same film as the display does though. I really think it might just be a case of inadequite skimming. I will try to take better pics of my setup tomarrow to show the flow a little better.
dots
Premium Member
Though CPR bak-paks are made in my home town and was very proud when I found this out, HOB styles like this one are not the most efficient.
I had this same skimmer and it never really skimmed as much as I thought it could. However, was better than nothing and worked well in tune.
I would look into an in-sump style skimmer.
This helped me decide: go to marine depot's website and click on "protein skimmers". There is a handy-dandy chart there.
I had this same skimmer and it never really skimmed as much as I thought it could. However, was better than nothing and worked well in tune.
I would look into an in-sump style skimmer.
This helped me decide: go to marine depot's website and click on "protein skimmers". There is a handy-dandy chart there.
natomasreefer
New member
My experience is limited but for what it's worth: the only time I've had oily scum on the surface is when there was too much algae in the overflows (if that's what you even call them... when the water goes into to drop into the sump/fuge etc). When I pulled the as much algae as I could clean off by hand, the scum goes away. It's definitely when the flow OUT of the tank has been hampered by excess algae.
hope it helps!
joe
hope it helps!
joe
bobbyblank
New member
My overflows are spotless. My returns have some brown algea on them but none in my returns. Skimmer is all my budget can afford since i got layed off, but since i modded it, it pulls good skimate, it just wont pull the volume i would like.
FLSharkvictim
New member
Instead of San Francisco Bay Mysis try using PE Mysis blows it away and no film at the top after feeding.. Way better product..
Saltwaternooby
SPS junkie
Probably figured it out as this was from 9 years ago
Paulca916
Retired Reefer ;-)
:thumbsup::thumbsup::fish2::fish2::fish2:
hawaiianwargod
Active member
KY would not cause oily surface since it is waterbased... :lolspin:
