Green water

[truman]

Anyone have advice on clearing up the water in a tank that's got green water?

I don't wish to use a UV sterilizer, is it possible to change water in a way that prevents this green water?

[ahlex]

ok u can use those liquids tat bind these free floating algae into particles which will then be filtered by e filtration system... but it may not be a long term solution... green water may be caused by too much direct sunlight... check e position of ur tank n test e water parameters...

[Vitaliy]

Yeah I cant really think of anything else but the UV.

[iheartfishies]

UV Sterilizer and then chemicals...

but I hate chemicals.

So I'm not going to encourage you to use them. :)

[rayman45]

is it algea in the water ?

if so
cover the tank compleaty no light at all
feed in the dark etc
for 3 days

[Terricloth]

You can use a Vortex diatom filter to get rid of green water. Just hook it up and run it for an hour or so. Uses super-fine diatomaceous eartch to filter things out...also it helps with ick and other parasites.

[WckedMidas]

just let it run its cycle unless its in a window then it might not clear up. otherwise couple weeks it dies off and u get clean watter

[Neo Baron]

1st get a phosphate remover it is usaually a resin in a pouch, than change the water about 40% will do it than put in a Poly Filter after the mechanical stage of filtration, than add an aglea remover and it should clean it up in about a day. My guess is that your phosphate is to high. also u can try adding alot of air into the water because that will make to much oxegen killing off the anerobic cells algea eats. i hope this helps. :)

[WckedMidas]

ok well whats the problem i got on my 75 yep it in the window and yep it green soup watter. no fish in the tank,. running a mag 350 with biowheels on it. My 150 had same problem it cleared it self up in like two weeks

[shrienki]

Use barley mats/pellets.

[truman]

hah, mum has a habbit of letting the tank soak up sunlight "all living things need sun" so she says.

I need to tell her that fish don't photosynthesize.

For now I'm changing roughly 10% out a day and adding biolocial activity to help break down all compunds that are floating around.

It has cleared somewhat, but its just slightly hazey when you look at it.

What other super fine filter material can i get?

[Terricloth]

Living things do like light even if they don't photosynthisize...they can make vitmin D (or is is B) from the light....Don't use any algae killers, it's a bad habbit...like adding oil to a car constantly to avoid fixing a leak. If all your paramaters are set and the algae bloom is just sunlight related, Vortex Diatom is the way to go.

[truman]

I agree that fish and all living things need sunlight in relative doses for health, but i do not think we can assume that fish physiology is the same as ours when it comes to vitamin manufacture.

anyway, I've started to use nutrafin cycle/made by hagen. Seems I didn't cycle the tank properly at set up.

After only 48hrs of cycle, tank showes marked improvement in clarity and fish are eating like pigs as they should.

[peaches]

Hi Everybody!

Just wanted to note that I have a 30 gallon tank that use to be pea soup green all the time..... You couldn't even see the fish, the light was left off, algecides (spell?) were tried, but nothing helped. It was green for weeks on end.
Until I went on a consistant schedual of 50% water changes every single day ---- the tank was completely clear in 4 days and the algae never came back.

;) just wanted to pass that on......

[truman]

lol

50% changes for a 30 gal is pretty okay


50% changes of my 155 gal is quite different...

[redtailfool]

why not ? i have a bigger tank than yours and i do 60% every 3 days.. sometimes every 2. :)

[truman]

bills bills bills

:) they charge us for every few gallons of water here in singpaore. So most aquarists invest in the largest filter system avaliable to reduce the amount needed per change.