Green water

[Kurt]

What can be done to get rid of control this problem? I am doing 10 gallon water change daily on a 55 gallon tank. That just keeps in from getting so green that you can't see anything. Comercial alge killers don't do anything to it at all. Thanks for any help. Kurt

 

[Eve]

Allo Kurt

Unfortunatly without a little more information about your tank this is a
really hard question to answer.
How are your readings? What kind of fish have you got? Is the tank planted? What sort of filter are you using?

 

[Genki]

The green water is just alge, it's not a rare problem with fish tanks.

One way to fix the problem is to do a blackout, cover the tank for four days so no light at -all- can get to it. (This however is just a temporary fix usually, since you aren't getting rid of the cause) Another methods are chemical treatment, diatom filtration, and UV sterilization.

Here's a quote from a website explaining a bit what causes it:
"Green Water: This is a free-floating form of algae. Normally the result of high light, and VERY high nutrient levels. There are water additives that claim to eliminate or clear up green water problems. Water-polishing filters also will clear the water. But these solutions don't address the original cause of the problem: The excess nutrients. Green water can appear if you have high nitrates, but plant growth is insufficient to reduce the nitrate level. This can happen if you don't have enough fast-growing plants, or if the plants don't have the CO2 needed for fast growth. Extremely high nitrate levels, besides being harmful to the fish, reduce plant growth, and actually increase the amount of CO2 needed by the plants. "

For more info you can also do a google search on 'green water'.

 

[Kurt]

I ran a test strip and results are as follows Nitrate 20ppm Nitrite 0ppm
Hardness (GH) ppm is 150 Alkalinity 180 PH 8.4 Is this any help to you. Thanks Kurt

 

[sylvia]

What about ammonia? I think your problem may also be high phosphates, besides light as your nitrates aren't high.

 

[tekknocolor]

Green Water
AKA Algae Bloom
Description: Green tinted water
Note: Not toxic to fish
How to prevent growth: Regular water changes; Regular tank cleaning; Use of UV filter; Avoid direct sunlight; Avoid overfeeding fish; Use of diatomic filter; Do NOT overstock with fish; Daphnia(live) – will eat microscopic algae; Blocking out all light for 3 days or more will effectively lead to the decline of this algae
Recommended fish: Fish that eat Daphnia(if live daphnia is used to prevent growth)