clear layer on top of refugium water

i have a layer of clear skum on top of refugium water. It is not solid but more like a realy thin layer of clear jello. I suck it of about once a week or so with a turkey baster.

 

its dead bacteria becuase you have lack of (whats the word..) um.. the top of your tank water gets skimmed but your sump sucks from below the water level.. you need something to aggrivate to water.

 

I thought that was what needed to be done. I am running about 20 or 30 gal an hour thru refugium(20 gal) I have an overflow box returning water to last area of sump before being pumped bak to main tank and refugium. I am not sure why it is not pulling water from top layer into overflow box. Should I lower it?

 

The film is on the last / lower level of your filtration set-up > the one that isn't being siphoned from the top?
If the film is on the lower one (and water is being pumped back to your tank from below the water level, you need to aggitate the water surface.
If you have a film on your fuge and have an over-flow box, I will need to see a pic to give you better info.

 

I tried to take a picture and it Does not show.I have a rather different fuge set up. I set it up hoping to put in sea horses. Kind of a 2nd show tank with just mangroves and other plants. Anyway, It set below top of tank but above sump. I have overflow box on same end of tank as supply? I have questioned this since I set it up.

 

one sec.. Im still picturing it.
I dont need a pic of the film >> just the set-up so I can see how its draining and whats where... but I have an idea.

 

My main tank runs into a twin berlin bag tank, which drains into 20g long (DIY) bio ball tank, which drains into my sump to be pumped back up. Off that Berlin set-up, I have a pump "stealing" water to pump up to my frag tank, which dumps into my sump >>> lol.. so yours is kinda like mine but I drilled holes for bulk heads to skim from the top.

 

My 1st question is: "The "tank" with the film problem is the mangrove / sea horse "tank"? not the sump?"

2nd "How does the water get out of that "tank" that you have those mangroves in, that you wanted to put Sea horses?"

 

The main pump return is tee'd The line going to fuge is closed to a small flow and comes out of a piece of pvc with30 holes drilled in it, just above sand. Overflow box returns to sump.

 

ah I get it now.. you T'd the return for a slow input to that tank and use an overflow to drain that middle tank back to the bottom sump?