Green water :(

hope

hope

AC Members
Aug 3, 2006
53
0
0
Iowa
www.targrafix.com
We just transferred our silver scats & green puffer from a 75 gallon tank to a 40 gallon hex tank. We were told that if we transferred water & as much decor as possible, the easier it would be on the fish. So, we did just that. The only thing different is the rock, filter, and tank. We had an undergravel system combined with a whisper filter on the 75 gallon where as we have a Bio-wheel filter on the 40 gallon. We changed it all over and it was cloudy. We weren't surpised, as it was just set up, etc in a new tank. But over the next few days it got worse, so we did a partial water change (25%). NOW, it's starting to have a green tint to it all.

I'm assuming it's an algae bloom but how do we get rid of it. The fish seem happy and we haven't lost any, and our levels all are fine. It's just annoying because if the fish are at the back of the tank, we can't hardly see them at all because it's so murky.

Any advice would be great! Thanks :)
 
The cloudy water may have been a bacterial bloom. It's common in newer tanks before the nitrifying bacteria (the ones responsible for cycling) settle onto surfaces. The green water is microalgae. It's one kind of algae that does not grow on surfaces and is responsible for most of the productivity in the open oceans :)

See this thread where I helped another member get rid of green water
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79534&highlight=green+water
Of course the old tank syndrome wouldn't apply to you. But he was able to get rid of the algae by doing water changes everyday. That not only removes algae cells, but also nutrients upon which they feed.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the link :) We have the light turned off, so we'll see if maybe that will help too. I just didn't realize that with the scats, we could go without feeding them for a couple days since they're such greedy eaters LOL
 
yep, the fish will be fine without lights, and it will certainly help the algae go away. Don't worry about your scats. Fish can go literally weeks without eating. They use so much less metabolic energy because they don't have to produce body heat like we do.

I have piggy fish, too. The way they act at feeding, you'd think I starve them! If they could use the phone, they'd be calling the SPCA on me :D

p.s. your house being "overpopulated by fish" sounds like mine! But because I live in Family Student housing (I'm a grad student) I can't have as many as I'd like :p: But as soon as I have my own house, watch out!
 
Last edited:
Here's a picture that shows how murky it is. With the lights on, it looks white cloudy, but with lights off, it looks green cloudy. Just doesn't make sense to me :help:

40gallonhexmurky.jpg
 
When I had green water I tried every method to get rid of it. The only thing that worked long term was buying a UV Sterilizer. No green water since and it cleared it up within hours.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom