Vacation Algae

[bettafishlover86]

Well I'm back from my 10 day vacation. I came home to a fish tank that is completely green. How do I clean it?

 

[Sgooosh]

Well I'm back from my 10 day vacation. I came home to a fish tank that is completely green. How do I clean it?

water changes, maybe turn the filter and the air pump up, and maybe turn the light off
thorough clean

 

[B0B]

if i came back and saw that, i would scrub the indows,vacum clean it and add a bit of algae fix to turn the water crystal clear!

 

[Byron]

Do not ever use an algicide; it will harm live plants and fish.

This appears to be green water which is caused by unicellular algae when light and nutrients are high. Water changes with good cleaning of the substrate, clean the filter, clean the glass. One caution...when this occurs the pH may lower significantly; if your pH is normally above 7, and it lowers below 7, ammonia will be ammonium which is harmless but a water change with high pH water will convert the ammonium back to ammonia.

 

[Fishmanic]

Did someone feed the fish while you were gone? Was light schedule changed while u were gone?

 

[Colin_T]

Water change and gravel clean
reduce lighting
add some live plants.
it's nothing to worry about

 

[bettafishlover86]

Did someone feed the fish while you were gone? Was light schedule changed while u were gone?

I have an automatic feeder that feeds the fish a proper amount. I also have a light timer but last night the light didn't turn off when the timer should have turned it off.

 

[Colin_T]

I have an automatic feeder that feeds the fish a proper amount. I also have a light timer but last night the light didn't turn off when the timer should have turned it off.

You might have had a power failure and the timer has changed time.

 

[B0B]

Do not ever use an algicide; it will harm live plants and fish.

This appears to be green water which is caused by unicellular algae when light and nutrients are high. Water changes with good cleaning of the substrate, clean the filter, clean the glass. One caution...when this occurs the pH may lower significantly; if your pH is normally above 7, and it lowers below 7, ammonia will be ammonium which is harmless but a water change with high pH water will convert the ammonium back to ammonia.

the api algae fix has been a charm in the past with no evidence at all of harming my fish or plants, if i had the decision to use algae fix again i so would, im trusting a literal million dollar company and there product over some guy online that says its bad, although you seem really clever, you do know what your talking about for alot of it so i respect the comment still gonna use it tho, unless you can give me pure straight evidence that it actually is bad

(https://www.apifishcare.com/product/algaefix)

 

[Byron]

the api algae fix has been a charm in the past with no evidence at all of harming my fish or plants, if i had the decision to use algae fix again i so would, im trusting a literal million dollar company and there product over some guy online that says its bad, although you seem really clever, you do know what your talking about for alot of it so i respect the comment still gonna use it tho, unless you can give me pure straight evidence that it actually is bad

(https://www.apifishcare.com/product/algaefix)

If you understand the physiology of a fish, you will easily realize that any additive to the water has the risk of affecting the fish. Fish live in clean water, not chemical soups. The only "medication" that should ever be added to a fish tank is one that is absolutely essential for the health of the fish. Problems like snails, algae, etc are dealt with naturally, not chemically.

I trust you would not inject this into your bloodstream, so why should you force it into the fish's bloodstream? Water is continually entering the fish via osmosis through the cells, and any substance in the water that is able to diffuse across the cell membrane will thus get into the fish's bloodstream.

 

[B0B]

If you understand the physiology of a fish, you will easily realize that any additive to the water has the risk of affecting the fish. Fish live in clean water, not chemical soups. The only "medication" that should ever be added to a fish tank is one that is absolutely essential for the health of the fish. Problems like snails, algae, etc are dealt with naturally, not chemically.

I trust you would not inject this into your bloodstream, so why should you force it into the fish's bloodstream? Water is continually entering the fish via osmosis through the cells, and any substance in the water that is able to diffuse across the cell membrane will thus get into the fish's bloodstream.

well very cool, you know basic biology, but i do phisics, and during that we explored diffusion, if i add it to a 5ml to a 50 gallon tank diffusion states that the actual amountt that might enter a fish's blood stream would be so small that it would not effect the fish what so ever, like i i where to inject a drop of the algae fix in my blood stream nothing would happen and if you where to add a few atoms of this algae fix to the fish's blood stream, nothing would happen, your not supposed to use it all the time so if you add a small amout to a big tank only the once, it will have no efect on the fish and in fact, is a quick fish for green water which is a benifit for the fish more then a negative, if you can keep a straight face and tall me im killing my fish by adding the algae fix one time, them you are just as bad as a flat earther, solving problems without knowing all information. if you look at this from all angles, yes chemicals arnt always great for a fish tank but it is alot easy to run a fish tank when using them. plus when using these "natural methods" most of the time your adding the chemicals used in these little bottles. sometimes its in the best interest to add chemicals because it isnt essential for the fish life but helps the fish thrive, just like adding heater to a betta tank, or making it a 20 litre tank, not neccessary but improves the lifestyle of these fish. wouldnt you agree - just wanted to add, yes adding to many chemicals is bad but you have to aproach the ethics of the situation, you can argue it is wrong to add chemicals but in such small quantities that improves the life style of a fish, it is very helpfull for busy people, so its like the vaccine a little, chemicals introduced to the body arnt always good but its neccessary in my oppinion, you dont need it to survive in most situations as im 18 but i got my third as it will make it so when i do get covid it will make it alot easier for me.

 

[Byron]

The fish are not being improved with these substances. And I can assure you, my methods for resolving algae issues do not involve any chemicals whatsoever. One deals with the balance of light and nutrients occurring naturally. I stated fact, refuse it I don't care. Have a nice day.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Wow...that escalated quickly!

Just chiming in to say it's no big deal and with some decent water changes and a good vacuum and scrub it will sorted in no time...I can just picture your face coming home from a lovely holibob (vacation in English slang) and seeing that

 

[B0B]

The fish are not being improved with these substances. And I can assure you, my methods for resolving algae issues do not involve any chemicals whatsoever. One deals with the balance of light and nutrients occurring naturally. I stated fact, refuse it I don't care. Have a nice day.

i dont have anything against your methods but i dont exactly see them, and im not like annoyed or anything im just curious how it harms the fish, i like fish just as much as you but i dont understand how these liquids harm them as i see no negative or downsides, plus natural methods are normally take alot longer and are alot more difficult to pull off, algae fix is easier and quicker so i dont really see an issue with it, and you havnt really shown me, like you main argument is that it cant be good for the fish as it gets into the blood stream, but there is no harmful substances in the algae fix. so like i completly respect your oppinion i simply want to know more, i want to learn how to do it naturally and if it is more effective then algae fix?

 

[Byron]

i dont have anything against your methods but i dont exactly see them, and im not like annoyed or anything im just curious how it harms the fish, i like fish just as much as you but i dont understand how these liquids harm them as i see no negative or downsides, plus natural methods are normally take alot longer and are alot more difficult to pull off, algae fix is easier and quicker so i dont really see an issue with it, and you havnt really shown me, like you main argument is that it cant be good for the fish as it gets into the blood stream, but there is no harmful substances in the algae fix. so like i completly respect your oppinion i simply want to know more, i want to learn how to do it naturally and if it is more effective then algae fix?

Thank you, I will try to explain as best I can, since you seem genuine, and I will take the time.

Many aquarists do not understand how a fish "lives." The relationship between the environment and the fish is quite unlike any other in the animal world. Fish live in water, but unlike animals that live in air, there is a very involved and complex connection. The air is much the same across the world, just as the seas (salt water) are basically the same. But freshwater is as different as night and day. Each species of freshwater fish has evolved to function in a very specific environment, which involves the water parameters, light, flow, habitat hardscape, other fish species. For example, the cichlids in the African rift lakes need hard water because they extract the calcium and magnesium from the water in order to "live." The rift lakes water contains considerable (for freshwater) levels of common salt, sodium chloride, but this is so minimal in all other freshwaters (in the tropics) that it is considered zero. This background must be understood in order to fathom the effect on a fish of any substance added to the water.

Fish "drink" by taking in water via osmosis through the cells. Substances in the water that can diffuse across the cell membranes enter the bloodstream and internal organs. It does not matter what the chemical compound may be; these substances are foreign to the fish, and they will affect the biological processes to some degree. The fish has to work harder to rid its blood of these substances. This adds stress at the very least, which means the fish are less resistant to other negatives like disease, pathogens, etc. Rarely are there any external signs, until it is too late.

Turning to the algae issue itself...the only way to effectively combat algae is using nature. Additives only bandaid the problem, and the problem (the cause) is still there, or it is somehow artificially dealt with that makes it a serious risk for the forms of life in the tank from fish to plants to bacteria. The issue in this thread was green water, which is very easily handled. Reduce the organics, possibly reduce the light (duration can be critical here), and you will not have green water. In 30 years of fish keeping I never encountered green water because I did not have more light (intensity and duration) than the plants required, and I kept the biological system balanced with a suitable fish load, not overfeeding, doing water changes, keeping the filter clean. These are all fish-safe measures, and not one "additive" is needed. I have dealt with black brush algae the same way, and I cleaned up cyanobacteria twice in one tank with the same "treatment." When the natural balance is out, re-set it.