I need HELP!!!!

[steelhumm]

whoever read my other posts know I am a complete newbie..so please bare with me if this has been answered 100 times before.

My 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank has been fill for two weeks and has had fish for a week. I am not overfeeding them by any means but a few days ago I noticed that I couldn't see the bottom very well. I put my pleco in and he has been eating like crazy and loving it but today I went outside and the entire water has a green tint to it. My plants araive tomorrow or Wednesday so once they get here I will have 50-75% of the surface covered with Water Hyacinth, parrots feather. Will this be enough to take care of this problem, what else should I do. My UV filter is broke and can't afford to fix it right now as my wife just got laid off:wall: I do still have a pressure filter though.

THanks for any help!

Mike

[theotheragentm]

Do 50% water changes in the next two days. Don't feed during these two days. Keep the tub covered so light doesn't get to it. That'll help a little bit. If the algae comes back, a 4-day blackout with no feeding will eliminate green water algae, but that won't stop it from coming back. It will take care of it temporarily.

[SchizotypalVamp]

did you cycle it?

[Reddog80p]

Green water wont hurt your fish calm down. An ammonia/nitrite spike will. Test your water, and do water changes as necessary. Make sure you use dechlor. Add the plants when you get them and you'll be ok.

[steelhumm]

I set the thing up and ran the filter with a bio media bag from my indoor tank inside so that it had some good bacteria in it. I could only run it for a week because my brother scrapped his pond and the fish were living in buckets in my back yard...I know I should of run it longer but I really had no other choices.

I am hoping that because I am putting in enough plants to cover most of the water surface that they will fight with the algae for the nitrates and maybe clear up the water...is that correct? I will cover it tonight and wait for my plants to arrive...tracking now says they will be here on Thursday.


edit...posted the same time as reddog....thanks for clearing it up bro!

[steelhumm]

BTW....what is cycling?

[bigdaddyuv2]

THe algae will not hurt the fish but it is kind of annoying to look at. By adding plant life it will make the green tint stick out that much more.
I occasionally get the algae build up because of too much exposure to sun light from leaving the blinds open. When that happens I use Algae Fix and after a dose or 2 the water clears right up and because it is all natural it is not harmful to the fish.

[Reddog80p]

The plants will compete with the algea for excess nutrients. Cycling is the process of establishing a beneficial bacterial colony, to convert harmful ammonia (fish waste,decaying plant matter) to nitrite, then finally to nitrate which is removed by plants, and water changes. Search "Nitrogen Cycle" online.

See... http://www.pondkoi.com/nitrogen.htm
http://www.pondpets.com/nitrogencycle.htm
http://www.pondsolutions.com/water-quality.htm
http://www.pondhobbyist.com/articles/NitrogenCycle.html

[Desertponder]

DO NOT keep changing out the water to try to eliminate the green water. The tank is trying to cycle. This process can take a number of weeks. You're just prolonging the process when you do constant major water changes.
Just be patient and let it work itself out. One day you'll go outside and realize its starting to clear.
I wouldn't cover it up either. Your plants will help take care of the problem too.
I set my stock tanks up for summer the last week of May and just this week they are starting to clear up.:)

[dixienut]

it being outside it will always be green only water changes will lessen the effect,..it helps the fish be protected from direct sunlight, have an aerator in there and add plants and some frog bit, or floating cover the green will lessen with the other plants, i have a 100g rubbermaid stock tank in with my horses and have 2 8-10 inch goldies in there and they are fine as long as they have moving water to help bring oxygen to the water on hot days i spray fresh cold water in there to help add o2, as heat keeps the o2 levels low and goldies need high o2, they have been in there for 3 years and green water 0only makes up mad, they love it.. add plants and after a few days do a few water changes, to help eleminate it,. the plants should help with keeping it clearer,..

[Desertponder]

I disagree completely with doing numerous water changes in attempt to eliminate the green water. It won't do anything but prolong the process of cycling.
I've had four larger stock tanks for watergardens for about seven years now and they don't always stay green. They will clear in the sping after they have their spring algae bloom. They will do it again in the fall when the temps change and they clear up again before cold weather hits.
Its all a matter of balance and the more you mess with the process the longer it will take for them to achieve that balance.