# Is This "Biofilm"?



## pH7 (Dec 5, 2011)

At the beginning of last December I snapped this photo (see link below) looking into my aquatium and upward to the surface. At the surface I saw this rainbow coloring and a thin, milky white, translucent film-like substance. I was able to clean it out with paper towels and surface skimming with a siphon. It was slippery to the touch, and appeared to be some kind of organic matter that one over time. It was about two weeks into a fishless cycle for that aquarium. After this cycle completed, I cleaned the tank again and introduced fish. The film-like substance has not returned.

I always wondered what it was. Now that I have a bit of spare time, I wanted to share the photo and ask all of you, is this what we commonly refer to as biofilm? What does it look like to you?

Biofilm Or Something Else :: IMAG0849.jpg picture by aquariumninja - Photobucket


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Can you take a pic from the top?


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## pH7 (Dec 5, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Can you take a pic from the top?


Sadly no, like I said, this was last December. The film is long gone now ;-)

That reminds me, I need to post a full pic of that tank soon.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

That looks like a pic you took from the window of a plane when the sun was going down.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

It kind of does look like a sunset picture lol I'm not sure what it is. you said fishless cycle, what did you use to cyce the tank?


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## pH7 (Dec 5, 2011)

Summer said:


> It kind of does look like a sunset picture lol I'm not sure what it is. you said fishless cycle, what did you use to cyce the tank?


Cycled with dead fish, from a failed cycle *with* fish.

I am totally kidding! I just use pure ammonia from the grocery store.


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## pH7 (Dec 5, 2011)

Maybe a little more explanation will help frame the photo better. You see at the top right a very bright LED strip. That is what the white area is. Below that is a distinct line. That is the water line. Below that is an area that looks like a rainbow. That area is the water line extending from the front pane of the glass to the rear of the tank. After that, at the bottom of the photo is a black area. That black area is the rear wall of the tank.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> That looks like a pic you took from the window of a plane when the sun was going down.


It does look like that lol. From your description it sounds like biofilm, cant really be sure from the pic.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

I would guess it's some kind of residue from the ammonia or something else in the tank


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## pH7 (Dec 5, 2011)

I talked with someone I consider to be a true expert. The person explained that it is called the protein layer.


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