I've got a 90 gallon aquarium with half a dozen 4-6 inch cichlids. Recent the water has been green like koolaid. Of course the first thought is green algae, but the tank light is hardly ever on, maybe 1-2 hours at night, so as one may except there isn't a spec of other algae anywhere in the tank. Because of how high my HOB is elevated (can't help it) there is a lot of splashing and this forms a very dark green layer on the bottom side of the acrylic hood in front of the HOB filter. And if that condensation drips on the carpet it is like green food coloring (very dark). So i assume this is a culprit. Water must be condensing on the hood, collecting that green color, and then dripping back into the tank and gradually coloring it. So here is where it gets confusing. In a bout of frustration at my green tank, I do a 90% water change and bleach the top of the tank to kill at that green crap. Tank looks great, the top acrylic is clean and clear, the water is clear, the aquarium glass is spotless. But the drips on the bottom of the now completely clean (not green) hood are green, Very green. And the splash from the filter that gets up on my new white light fixture dry green. WHERE THE HECK IS THE GREEN COMING FROM!?!? How the heck can the water splashing out of the tank be koolaid green when the tank water itself isn't visibly green. I'm stumped guys, any suggestions?
The Great Green Water Mystery
- Thread starter redbouche
- Start date
This is some ambient light in the room. I have a lot of windows, but no direct sunlight on that tank. I suppose you could classify it as "blue green", there is maybe a bit of blue in the color, but it's mostly green. Assuming it is algae of some kind, would a UV sterilizer get rid of it in the water even if it is green residue dripping from the hood?
What are the water parameters and what are you feeding? A UV sterilizer would probably do the job, but you should work at finding the source too. Do you have bulbs for growing plants in the hood?
Your tank is getting too much light and algae is growing. Why is water splashing out of the tank? Your carpet and flooring will get ruined.
He just explained all of this.
Ambient lite plus his h.o.b sits high splashing his carpet and hood and lite staining it green. And its not algae
Under the circumstances id have to ask:
What are you feeding these fish?
What chemicals/dechlorinters are u adding?
What color is ur evaporation (calcium deposits) line in ur tank?
What chem/bio/mech filtration are you running?
This can likely be solved with 2X carbon insert and more adequate filtration (canister) IMHO
Hope this helps
The green color is coming from the algae that is growing because your tank is nutrient rich and getting too much light.
Water doesn't splash out on the carpet. It just drips of the hood when I pull it off to clean it. to answer your questions:
What are you feeding these fish? Cichlid Balls
What chemicals/dechlorinters are u adding? Prime as a decholinator, no other chemicals
What color is ur evaporation (calcium deposits) line in ur tank? Calcium deposits are white (but there isn't much)
What chem/bio/mech filtration are you running? I'm running a Marineland 350B HOB and a Cascade 700 canister filter.
It's got to be algae, right? But the scenario is just weird. No direct sunlight, very little electric light, no algae growth on surfaces anywhere in the tank. Clean water after a 90% water change and clean hood, but somehow the drips are green? You've got to admit it's a kind of strange situation. I'm just trying to figure out how clear water can splash/evaporate a very dark green drip.
What are you feeding these fish? Cichlid Balls
What chemicals/dechlorinters are u adding? Prime as a decholinator, no other chemicals
What color is ur evaporation (calcium deposits) line in ur tank? Calcium deposits are white (but there isn't much)
What chem/bio/mech filtration are you running? I'm running a Marineland 350B HOB and a Cascade 700 canister filter.
It's got to be algae, right? But the scenario is just weird. No direct sunlight, very little electric light, no algae growth on surfaces anywhere in the tank. Clean water after a 90% water change and clean hood, but somehow the drips are green? You've got to admit it's a kind of strange situation. I'm just trying to figure out how clear water can splash/evaporate a very dark green drip.
U said "there is not one speck of green or algae in the tank"
Ur simply saying the water is clear untill it evaporates?
Its hard to go off your description, take a pic?