How to Get Rid of Oil Slicks in a Fish Tank

Setting up a fish tank in your home or office is a great way to enjoy the beauty of nature, but a number of things can mar the appearance of that aquarium. If you notice an oily film forming on top of the water, you could be dealing with an algae problem, or a lack of aeration in the water. Finding ways to deal with that algae problem is the best way to eliminate that film and enjoy your tank again.

Things You'll Need

  • Air pump
  • Airstone
  • Aquarium tubing
  • Plants
  • Water clarification chemicals
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Instructions

    • 1

      Add a few live plants to your aquarium. These live plants compete for available nutrients with the algae that can cause clumps that look like oil slicks, and will help to clear up the tank.

    • 2

      Increase the airflow in your tank by adding an air pump and using it to run an airstone. Attach a piece of aquarium tubing to the fitting on the pump, and the other end of the tubing to the airstone. Place the airstone in your aquarium and turn on the pump. The movement of the water can dislodge the oily substance at the top of the tank and allow the filter to get rid of it.

    • 3

      Change the filter cartridge, if you have not already done so. If the filter cartridge is clogged, it cannot remove that oily substance from the water.

    • 4

      Add a water clarification chemical to the water, using the instructions on the package. These chemicals clear up the tank by causing the dirt to form larger clumps, when are then trapped by the cartridges in your filter.