Algae Bloom again

[Danduin]

Hi there I am having a strange problem with blooms of algae in a 29 gallon tank that I am maintaining for a daycare. the water is in good shape (PH,KH ammonia and Nitrates/nitrites are right where the should be) sorry no numbers I am at work right now and do not have them handy. My problem comes whenever I add water to the tank like after cleaning the gravel. My wife reports back to me within a day that she can no longer see the fish in the tank because it is too cloudy. The other tank that I do in the same building does not have this problem. Any ideas about what is happening? or how I can fix/avoid it in the future?

[valerie]

CLoudy as in whitish or greenish?

Getting the numbers for the water levels would be very helpful

[Danduin]

It's whitish in colour. I will have to go back up there either tonight or tomorrow a.m. to get the numbers. Today I need sleep.


Thanks

[Bwana]

Is the top of the tank accessible to the children? They could be putting..."foreign substances/objects" in the tank.

And trust me...if it's accessible...they will do it. :sick:

[valerie]

WHitish usually means bacterial bloom not algae. Are you using dechlorinator when changing water? Test the water before and a bit after doing the change to see if anyhtign is different. Are you cleanign the filter pads when you are changing the water? How long has the tank been set up and howmany fish are there.

[Danduin]

Silly me I meant bacterial. Yeah I use a dechlorinator I usually change the filter pads on alternate weeks. There are 6 fish in the tank 3 small oscars which will be moved to a much larger tank when they get too big and most (sadly not all) of all my female convicts from another tank. The tank has been up since August last year. This has happend twice now both times when the water was changed. Each time a different dechlorinator was used so I think I can rule that avenue out.

[Danduin]

Yeah once I found a goldfish cracker in the filter but the top is not easily accessible to the kids and this last time I did not find anything "forn" in the tank or filter.

[valerie]

HOw big is the tank?

How many fish? 3 oscars and convicts? how many?

how often do you change the water?

what sort of filters are you using and if possible get filter cartridges you dont' have to trow away. That is trowing away your bacteria and not helping.

Are you gravel vacing?

I would think a tank that houses 3 oscars and convicts would have to be quite large and have to be cleaned on a weekly basis. Not knowing your perticulars i would say that maybe you trowing away the filter cartridges is causing it. Get a filter sponge taht you only have to rinse and not throw away.

[Danduin]

The tank is 30 gallon and the filters (there are two) are a Penguin 250 and one I have not heard of before but is larger than the 250. In the odd named one I use a sponge in it as well as the 'disposable' floss material.

The tank houses 4 female convicts none larger than about 6cm and the 3 oscars. The oscars are not too much bigger than the convicts right now. Once they start getting larger they will be moved into a 75 gallon tank of thier own.

The tank gets vacced every two weeks. Should I do it more often? It seems like once I clean it out and add new water the haze starts. This weekend it is due for another vaccing, next week the filters are checked and cleaned as needed. I will try just washing out the filter material (I usually do that with the Penguin to save a few pennies) but not the larger one I occasionaly clean out the sponge in tank water but only when it looks clogged up with stuff.

nitrates 10ppm, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 Ph is ~ 6.8

I do not think I said it before but thank you for your help and patience :)

[valerie]

There is way too many fish in that tank. Yo umay want to post on the cichlid forum about that part. I would only put 2 convicts ina tank that size let alone 4. PLus having 3 oscars, that is way too many massive waste producing fish.

HArd to beleive you nitrates are only 10 with bi weekly water changes.

One more thing i thought of. Does your city use chloramines or chlorine? If you do have chloramines then does you declor. treat them also.