Green Tank

[mred31]

Hi there,

I have had my new tank for about three months with all going well until this week? the water colour is going green and cloudy but there is no slime on the tank walls or rocks/plants...i have completed all the water checks and they come back all ok...has anyone had this before and what do i do to cure it....a confused fisherman...

 

[tstenback]

Sounds like you are experiencing an algae bloom. This is usually attributed to a high nitrate level, high phosphate level and lots of light. COuld you post the actual readings for nitrate and if you have it phosphate? Also is there any direct sun hitting the tank or is the room it is in very bright? How long do you have the lights on per day? How often do you feed the fish? Lots of questions but they will us help you.

 

[parker313]

I had that in my old tank. I tried everything, never could get it cleared up. Then, one day, it just cleared up on its own Unfortunately, that was like 2mos later.

 

[floridalove]

im dealing with that issue right now, but i have a nitrite spike over 5ppm, think the cloudiness will go away after my nitrites go down?

 

[tstenback]

im dealing with that issue right now, but i have a nitrite spike over 5ppm, think the cloudiness will go away after my nitrites go down?

is your cloudiness white in color? if it is its a bacteria bloom not an algae bloom and it is common when the nitrites are high during the cycle.

 

[mred31]

Hi All,
thanks for the quick replies my Ammonia level is 0ppm, Nitrite level is 0ppm and pH is 7.0...but the room is full of sunlight all day...would it be better if i turned the tank light off all day..i have moved the tank to a darker part of the room, how long to it clears...days, weeks, months..

Thanks again the confused fisherman

 

[tstenback]

Do you have any plants? If so they will require 10-12 hours of light per day. If not then yes turn the light off except for when you want to see the fish when it is dark. If the room is quite bright this will be sufficient light for your fish during the day. The problem should go away fairly quickly once the light source is removed. Also make sure that no direct sun hits the aquarium as this is a major contributor to algae. If it does hit the tank then find a way to block it from doing so. i have used cardboard to do this. Just place it so it covers the glass on the side(s) only where the sun hits and you can remove it after the sun moves away from the tank. HTH

 

[mred31]

thank you all very much i keep you posted!

Confused fisherman

 

[floridalove]

hey tstenback ,
it was a bacteria bloom, still have high nitrites but the cloudiness has actually calmed down significantly in the past 24-48hours.

does this mean my nitrites will drop as well?

 

[tstenback]

They should start to drop soon the bloom "normally" happens as nitrites spike and the bacteria starts to build to convert it to nitrate. HTH