Bubble/foam issue need some help

[sbrad14]

Hi I need some help with my tank I am running a protein skimmer and HOB filter but recently I have been getting a lot of excess bubble and foam on the surface building up around the top edge of the tank. The foam is grimy with stuff and my tank is also smelling a bit more oceany then normal. Only changes are I have been feeding a bit more as I am trying to increase Nitrates and Phosphate from 0 to detectable to build up nutrients in the tank and help with a maybe a dino algae problem. I also did replace my carbon inserts in the filter this week. My water tests are all are within parameter and I have 4 fish, snails, 2 shrimp, and a newly added BTA that all seem to be doing well. Any advice or thoughts on this, here are some photos.

 

[GSPClown94]

Pics in white light would be helpful. Could be dinoflagellates like you mentioned.

 

[sbrad14]

ok ill try to take some in the morning when light cycle starts again. Did just take this video from filter, would new carbon inserts do that??

 

[Subsea]

White light for identification!

If you are getting smelly foam on tank surface, what does skimmate look like?

Also, post tank parameters? Details matter.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Do you have any powerheads in the tank? I don't see any surface agitation.

 

[Euphyllia098]

If there's no surface skimming there is buildup that can happen on the surface of the water.

 

[sbrad14]

I have a wave maker going although not on the surface of tank and my hob filter has pretty high flow output. My protein skimmer has been pulling wet but very dirty skim out. Parameters are ammonia, PH, nitrates, Nitrates 0 PH 8.3, KH/Alk 7.4, CA <300 and Mag 900 (working on dosing both of those now)

 

[Evil1]

Have this running in my non sump tank for years to skim the surface. Works fantastic. I have the 600 but there is also the 350 for smaller tanks.

 

[sgdnycct]

Have this running in my non sump tank for years to skim the surface. Works fantastic. I have the 600 but there is also the 350 for smaller tanks.

+1

You’ll get surface grime in the water as part of the normal process in the tank. A surface skimmer will help a lot. For now you might want to move the wave maker closer to the surface.

The layer the build and the surface layer will reduce oxygen intake- you don’t want to risk a low oxygen situation especially if you have Dino’s.

 

[sbrad14]

ill check that out also updated photos of what I suspect are the dinoflagellates, sorry for some reason so blue even though my light is on. They are tiny little strings. They get in the water streams too.

 

[GSPClown94]

ok ill try to take some in the morning when light cycle starts again. Did just take this video from filter, would new carbon inserts do that??

Looks like a bunch of bubbles are from your hob filter, can you raise the water level of the tank so it doesn’t fall so far from the filter?