Green water - Help

ckeck

ckeck

AC Members
Jul 4, 2004
95
0
0
72
Florida
www.savepic.com
Tank Conditions:
Tank 20 gals – long 30” x 12” x 12”
PH : 7.2
Co2 = 8
Ammonia: 0.0 mg/l
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: .05
Hardness: (GH): 25 ppm
Akalinity (KH): 250 ppm
Filter: Penguin 170 Bio Wheel Power Filter
Co2 System
Light: SmartPac 65W (blue / white light)
1 Aerator
Substrate: Floral Base
Heater: Temp in tank 72-74 degrees
1 Rock Cave and 1 fake Driftwood, 1 lava rock
Fish:
8 neon tetras
1 male / 2 Female Black Phantom Tetras
2 male fancy Phantom Tetras
1 silver hatchet Tetra
3 UPD Catfish
Several regular snails and some spiral snails
2 Cory Cats
1 - 4 Amano Shrimp
1 Bristlenose Cat
Artificial Plants: Various silk plants
Live Plants: 7 Java Plants and 1 Banana Plant

I believe I have algae bloom as my water has a green tinge to it. I have about every bottom fish known to man and a few Amano shrimp. I run my lights for 12 hours a day (they are on a timer) and I do weekly water changes, but within 3 days the water is cloudy and green again.

Is there something else I can do? Since I have put the Flora Base in my tank, I have had nothing but troubles. All my tests are perfectly balanced, and I even changed my filter thinking that it wasn't working properly. The fish seem ok, I just get tired of seeing an icky tank.

Can someone help me?

Thanks

:eek:
 
Well, your tank is overstocked first of all. Second of all, more plants may help. Getting rid of the aerator may be of some benefit as well, as it can gas off CO2 your plants need. Are you thinking this is an algae bloom and not some dye problem? That's what I am guessing and the above advice is based on that. See, plants outcompete algae for nutrients. But, they need certain conditions. You have a lot of light in that tank. Do you fertilize at all?
 
Make sure there is no sunlight hitting the tank. Don't overfeed.

How long has the tank been running? I personally don't like Penguin filters, especially for a planted tank. It has carbon in the filter media and if you use ferts, it might be removing some of them as well. Aqua Clear is a much better filter and provides better mechanical filtration when you use two sponges.

Another thing, unrelated to your green water, if you use co2, you shouldn't use an aerator as it will dissipate co2.

How much water do you change per week? You should step it up until you get rid of green tint in your water. If you can, change 30% twice a week or can even do 3x. Before you do that, what is your maintenance schedule once a week. Are your washing the filter media? I wouldn't wash it every week and then only in tank water. These filters don't have much in terms of filter media and the inserts get pretty expensive as carbon and in this case the whole insert should be replaced once a month or so. With A/C, you keep the sponges forever and just rinse them one at the time.

I'll tell you my setup. I have a 20g, heavily stocked, planted. I am using there ac 150 filter with a prefilter sponge like this http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart...910.asp?L+scstore+yqpk2076ff56fb56+1107371271 Once a week I will remove the sponge and wash it real good. I don't even touch sponges in the filter itself(haven't in six months). I'm finding that with increased fish stock levels I might have to wash the sponge twice a week. Penguin is not strong enough to use the sponge at the intake as the wheel won't turn much and the flow will be reduced as well.
 
falcon said:
I personally don't like Penguin filters, especially for a planted tank. It has carbon in the filter media and if you use ferts, it might be removing some of them as well. Aqua Clear is a much better filter and provides better mechanical filtration when you use two sponges.
Click to expand...
Wow, you have it out for Penguins. I'll settle this for you, however. The carbon can be removed. Problem solved! Also, there is no need for a prefilter sponge on the Penguin unless you have some very specific problem, like fry or something of that nature. Aditionally, you can rinse the filter media in the Penguin once a week with your regular maintenance because the bulk of the biofilter is in the bio-wheel.

Also, saying that the CO2 being gassed off is not part of the green water problem may not be entirely true. It may actually be the problem. Plants outcompete algae for nutrients. With regular fertilization, ample lighting and CO2 injection you are less likely to have an algae problem.

Anyway, so long as you keep the water level up to the lip of the filter outflow to reduce surface agitation, and you get rid of the aeration, as I stated in my first post, you should be okay in that regard. I just wanetd to defend the Penguin filters as I have 2 Penguin 125s and I grow plants like mad.

If you choose to go the activated carbonless route in your filter (I really would recommend it for a planted tank, other, however, use it with success) simply by some filter foam or filter sponge, cut it to fit the Penguin filter frame, and then remove that blue wolly cartidge foam and activated carbon, replacing it with the media you cut to fit it. I use rubber bands to hold it in place. ;) Works like a charm and saves you the expense of buying a brand new filter and having to get it cycled.
 
Great Tips

Thanks for the great advice. Here are answers to your questions.
I have no sunlight hitting the tank. I do have a good lighting system though that run exactly 12 hours per day as I have it on a timer.

I have a basic Co2 system just enough to bring my Co2 to 8 when tested.

I usually change my water every Saturday. I usually do a 50% water change and check the filter cartridge every week, but don't change it until I see it is getting really dark. I would show you a picture of my tank, but I can't figure out how to put a picture attachment in here. Usually about 2x a month, I scrub down the rocks with a special brush I have inside the tank and I usually use my fingers to rub the leaves of the plants in the water to get off slime, but other than that, I try not to disturb too much and it was working fine until the past month or so.

My tank has been running for about a year. Actually a little less as I went through 4 hurricanes last year and had my first tank start leaking right after I cycled it. So maybe 6 months tops.

The one thing I have done different is about 2 weeks ago I added 3 fish. Other than that, really nothing changed.

I don't think it is a dye problem as I have nothing in there that would turn it green, and have had all the same things in the tank the whole time. It must be an algae bloom. I shut all the lights off today since last night.

I tried putting in more plants before, but for some reason they got a funny fuzzy algae on them and I had to discard them. I now have only a banana plant and some java fern until I can get them to grow a little better. I will add more plant slower.

I fertilize two times a week with Flora FE and Flora Vit following the advice of Red Sea.

I don't overfeed the fish. I only feed in very small increments until they seem to get bored and then stop.

I have had an aerator the whole time and it has never been a problem before, but I have turned it off the past 3 days as the new filter produces enough flow in the water.

So I was thinking of dong 30% water changes every other day until it stops and someone told me to add bacteria hoping it would eat the bacteria.

I am puzzled. I have had every kind of algae problem there is and have conquered them all with some sort of bottom feeder or shrimp and now this. I don't know what to do. I just want to dump it and start over. I am totally frustrated at this point.

YOur advice is wonderfully received and I will act on it.

Thanks again. :bowing:
 
I'm by no means an expert, but I have had the green algae burden. I used Crystal Clear to get rid of it while at the same time I tried to get everything in balance. I find it hard to believe that your ammonia nitrite and nitiates are that low considering the fish load you listed. This could be part of the problem. You need to get the plants healthy so they can out-compete the algae. I think DJLen reccomended dosing phospates when I had my problems. I would start by using Crystal Clear to get rid of the existing algae and also dose NPK and micros with Flourish.
 
ckeck said:
I run my lights for 12 hours a day (they are on a timer)
Click to expand...

This is the problem. 12 hours a day is far too much light for even a planted tank. Add the bio-load that you have and the algae is the result. Both the javas and the banana plants will thrive with only 6 to 8 hours of light. Maybe even as little as 5.
 
More Questions

Does Crystal Clear hurt snails and shrimp. I noticed that some of the algae killers you can't use with invertebrae fish.

I have a phosphate filter pad I can add. Will that help?

All my fish are schoolers, so if I get rid of some I have to get rid of a pack of them. :sad

How long until the Algae will get under control? Should it take a long time?

:thud:

Thanks again for your input.
 
Another Question

What is NPK? Above said to dose NPK and micros with Flourish.

Thanks again :soda:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom