# Oil slick ontop of water from filter?



## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Noticed over the past 2 weeks that I've gotten an oil slick ontop of my water in the tank. And it's coming from my filter after taking apart and cleaning the impeller and unit on my Fluval FX5. I had a water leak and it stopped since I cleaned it.

The question is where is the oil coming from. Obvious answers that come to mind are chemicals in the house, that'd be wrong. My g/f and my roommate both know that I would kick them to the curb if I knew they messed it up and harmed fish. And I would, not kidding 1 bit (not even a laughing matter). There are also no bubbles in the tank at all other than the ones generated by the aerator. Other elements are the media baskets sitting on the ground outside while cleaning the impeller. Wrong again, I absolutely doused everything with water going back in. I'm talking the media itself, the media baskets, the impeller and mechanical unit, EVERYTHING. I'm methodical with all of my fish stuff.

Have done 2 water changes since, removing the oil slick on top to just return within a few days. What in the heck is going on? I can see when I turn my filter off and back on, it releases gasses from the canister filter ( as it collects over time ) and then you can see the haze of an oily substance coming from it.

What in the POOP is going on here?????

EDIT: Forgot, I did add a new UV sterlizer bulb to the tank, but as everything that goes in the tank minus fish. It was completely doused and rubbed down while under the faucet as to the best of my ability. Yes, the internals of the UV unit as well very heavily.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Rinsing with water won't necessarily remove all the oils clinging to surfaces. Guesses: you started feeding an oily food and the filter sucks it up and releases oil as it decays, the new UV sterilizer is releasing plasticizer from vinyl hose or fittings (rinse new plastic with mild, "child safe" soap like Ivory dishwashing liquid (hand, not machine) then rinse well until bubbles are all gone and you can't taste it), lubricant on a seal is getting in the water. Do you have a in-line heater? Those things can leak thermal fluid. 

Can you sniff the film? Maybe float a paper towel on the tank and then let it dry. Fishy or shrimpy smells are likely to be from food, new car smell from vinyl, motor oil smell from a mechanical device.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

The food I'm feeding the fish are foods that I have done in the past. Flakes for the barbs, algae wafers for the pleco. Would they get " old " and start doing this anyways? Flake is the oldest and it's about a year old and about empty.

The only unit that is new is the whole gray tube thing that are in the pictures. It was scrubbed as best I could (exterior) and rinsed internals thoroughly, but can do more to try and curb it with a soap idea.

The thing that I don't get is why it's coming from the FX5 canister filter.

Because I would agree that it could be the mechanicals from the FX5, but it doesn't quite make sense to me seeming as though the thing is 4 years old. But might be the first time that the mechanics were cleaned. Previous owner was a bit of a tool. Maybe I just unleashed some of the old stuff that was locked in there.

Anyways, thanks for the tip emc, going to give it a shot with the paper towel thing. I just hope I can get a smell from it period because my tank never smells like anything but water haha. Going to do a taste test too. Even though that's all kinds of wrong in my book of it. Need to end it, or just let it sit (which could kill my fish).


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can treat the symptom with fresh carbon, but it would drive me nuts not knowing where its coming from. Food doesn't usually change. You can get some oily flakes or pellets, but it is usually oily from the get go. Any new frozen treats?


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

None what so ever. Haven't even given my fishes frozen or live brine shrimp yet. Literally only flakes and wafers for the past month since I got them all.

Going to take apart and clean my filter here shortly as well as do a small water change and the paper towel thing and a taste test. Will report back, if nothing sudden, then in a few days if it comes back or not.

If it comes back again, then I'm definitely going to treat with carbon. at that point.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Well, swished some water in my mouth, and quickly flushed my mouth, out and couldn't taste anything at all.

Did the paper towel tip you said to and I can't smell anything at all on it. No fishy smell, no oil smell. Nothing. On to cleaning the entire filter and UV sterilizer tube, and a small water change. If it comes back again, then carbon.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Cleaned the filter and the UV sterilizer and a small top water change of probably 15 gallons or so. Oil slick is mostly gone from the water change. Now waiting to see if it comes back.

Now I just need to figure out what in the crap is going on with my stupid filter that it's spewing air. I hope I don't have to take it apart to make sure everything is solid and tight and that no air is getting in.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

first thing I do with an air-sucking filter is replace gaskets, o-rings and other seals. I think fluval's have an 'impeller cover' or 'well cover' as well as a 'seal ring'. If you haven't replaced them in 2 years, they could need it. If new rubber doesn't do it, you can try a grease on the leaky seal (I have one filter with a slightly bent plastic rim that needs this). Check the user manual for what is safe. Vaseline is often recommended, but destroys some gasket materials. Usually you want something like Dow Corning white silicone high vacuum grease.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

They do, I've seen it and checked it and it seems fine to me. Tight, flexible with no tears or shearing on it. Looked at all of them. Worst cast scenario, as I just looked, it's $30 for all of the seals on my filter with shipping included.

Will get the online manual and see what they recommend for helping this. 

Thanks much emc7


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The other thing to look is filter height relative to the tank and restricted flow. They are designed for a pretty narrow spec. and if the tank is higher or lower than recommended or the intake is restricted (check for plants in the hose), filters are more likely suck all.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

It's setup appropriately and no plants are restricting flow what so ever. Or at least, I'd call it appropriate if I'm using the intended and given materials from Hagen for the FX5. lol

When I clean my filter, every other time I take the hoses off and out and flush them as best I can. Small nozzle hose and as high as the city water pressure will allow =D


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Well I hope you solve it. I'm out of ideas. I hate when filters suck (air).


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Yeah, if you new me face to face. I don't give up on anything. Every "game" I play is called I win. 

For crying out loud you saw my thread about what happened to me right? I died twice, living with disabilities and pain daily, and tormented with what happened. I walked out of the hospital 24 days later with 26 broken bones ( I think it was 26 atleast). Two of which were vertebrae in my back and ontop of it a broken pelvis.

I'll get it fixed, just a matter of time and solutions to get there.


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## AquariumTech (Oct 12, 2010)

Guesses: Over feeding/ food change, bad batch of food, didnt rinse new carbon enough, soap (if you use it on your stuff), certain fishes poop, something in the air, decaying bacteria/algae/plants, silicone coming off somehow, air bubbles in the filter and staying there for a while while biological filtration is taking place then released when the FX5 does its bubble cycle thing. 

Just guesses.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

AquariumTech said:


> Guesses: Over feeding/ food change, bad batch of food, didnt rinse new carbon enough, soap (if you use it on your stuff), certain fishes poop, something in the air, decaying bacteria/algae/plants, silicone coming off somehow, air bubbles in the filter and staying there for a while while biological filtration is taking place then released when the FX5 does its bubble cycle thing.
> 
> Just guesses.


I feed 1 pinch once a week, and two pinches once a week. In total, 3 pinches of flake per week. Batch of food is by all means old. It's over a year old and never had this issue before. Algae wafers are about 7 months or so old (if that).

Don't use carbon in the first place, don't use soap and if I do I use a retarded amount of water. I mean retarded. When I cleaned my tank out upon getting it, I ran my water bill up 1000 gallons for that month. When I redid it just a little while ago, I ran my water bill up 600 gallons.

If it's the fishes poop (Denison barb or BN pleco) I don't know what to do but beat my head against a wall lol.

The only thing that's making sense that both you and emc7 said was about the bubble cycle of the FX5. Because I'm having issues with it spewing air in the first place, maybe that's the whole key. I've re-tightened everything to the point where there's no air in it anymore, and lowered my aerator down so there's less air in the tank period.

edit: Running my water bill up doesn't bother me though. I have a full septic system. Highest my water ever has been since I've owned this house is about 18 dollars. And that's when I had a major leak on one of my hosebibs outside. Reason? I don't pay sewage at all, and the city water I'm on is dirt cheap for the area. If I lived on the other side of the street, I'd pay double what I do now.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Revisiting for a moment, oil slick has not returned after filter cleaning and tightening and lowering aerator down to about 40% capacity. Neither has all the air bubbles coming out of the filter. Fed twice since cleaning the filter ( in 4 days ) just to make sure it wasn't the food. I guess the oil slick was a fluke due to air in the filter?

Secondly, I tried frozen brine and my denison barb's didn't like it at all. Half a cube I had to dig out, or dig out the best I could. I know my pleco will be well fed for this week, that's for sure.


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