I have an Aquarium Mystery to solve

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K

Keeper of the Ropes

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 29, 2006
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Texas
One of my 55s is driving me up the wall - perplexing me and making me go crazy.

I have 8 tanks. ALL of them have the same black substrate... ALL of them are void of real plants, excluding one or two small java ferns placed here or there in some of them. ALL of them have the same species of fish in them. ALL of them have Emperor filters. ALL of them have clear water.... except one d*** 55. It has GREEN water.

I had changed the lightbulb awhile back.... So I switched it to the original, just like all my other tanks have. Still green.

I HAD layerite in the black substrate, and I really thought that was the reason for the green water. So I went through all 60 pounds of sand scoop by scoop with a 4'' net and removed all the layerite. Still green.

I had a big log in there when the water was clear. The log was removed... Still green. Seeing as how it's a BEAUTIFUL $50 log... I put it back in since I've eliminated it as the cause.

ALL water parameters check out the way they should, and mirror those in the other tanks.

Algae bloom I'm guessing, but WHY?! I'm trying so hard to figure out what's causing the greenage in this ONE tank, what ONE thing is different, so I can eliminate it. I'm hellbent on fixing this issue, and I'll get it clear if it's the last thing I do, even if I have to purchase a water polisher.

As for the fish involved, it carries only 6 bichirs under 8'' and one 10'' bichir.

Anyone want to help solve the mystery???

**Edited to add... I tried the whole "turn your lights off for three days straight" thing too. Still green.
 
It IS closer to a window, but I keep the blinds shut at all times with the shutters facing up to project the light to the ceiling, not down on the tank. Also, thanks to the positioning of the apartment, it really only has sunlight coming in for a few hours in the morning. By 11AM the sun is above the building.
 
the tank is probably getting some indirect uv.
The only cure i've found that works for g/w is a uv sterlizer you could try a proper black out and cover the tank for a few days this should kill the spores.
 
Hi,

Willing to give it a shot.

I'll have more questions than anything else to start...

First we need to clear up the algae...your on the right track doing 'one' thing to see if it makes a change.

Is this the normal green floating wipe off the glass kind of algae?

When you did the 'turn off the lights thing' did you completely cover the tank so NO light could get in?

Did you stop / limit feeding during that period?

How long do you keep tank lights on?

No one is sneaking in and pouring phosphates in it? :D (I can never be serious for to long, it hurts).

As a side note whatever use use in this tank (nets / tools / hands) keep them out of the other tanks without proper cleaning.

Dr Joe

.
 
If their is anything I like more than fish, it's solving a groovy mystery.
 
Dr Joe;644688; said:
Hi,

Willing to give it a shot.

I'll have more questions than anything else to start...

First we need to clear up the algae...your on the right track doing 'one' thing to see if it makes a change.

Is this the normal green floating wipe off the glass kind of algae?

When you did the 'turn off the lights thing' did you completely cover the tank so NO light could get in?

Did you stop / limit feeding during that period?

How long do you keep tank lights on?

No one is sneaking in and pouring phosphates in it? :D (I can never be serious for to long, it hurts).

As a side note whatever use use in this tank (nets / tools / hands) keep them out of the other tanks without proper cleaning.

Dr Joe

.
Click to expand...


Okay here goes

- NOT wipe off the glass algae - the water is just plain green. We use our magfloat on the glass fairly regularly so it doesn't get a chance to build up.

- I didn't cover the tank when I turned the lights out. I just didn't use the aquarium light. We are only in the bedroom when it's bedtime, and not before, so the light MAY have been on for about 5 minutes, if that, during that time. Also, the light in the bedroom is on the far side of the room, and is only a 60watt bulb that barely lights up anything.

- I did lights out for three days - I tried to turn them back on, and it was still green. Gave it another two days... Still green. Gave up.

- Limited feeding during this time. Easily less than 50% of what I normally feed.


Would like to note that the fish exhibit no signs of stress. Bichirs are relatively good at showing it with lighter colors and pink noses, and they've been fine.

I removed the Layerite on Friday at 4PM. Messing with the sand and mashing the layerite around made the water orange again so we did a 60% w/c. The water was still a bit cloudy but there was NO GREEN and I thought I'd fixed it. Now, 51 hours later, I see fish in the back of the tank... shadows... I don't know who they are and they're only 12'' away from me... :( :( :screwy: :confused: :nilly:
 
One more thing. It's Sunday, w/c day. If anyone has any ideas of things to try before a w/c, now would be a good time to tell me lol
 
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