I am FRUSTRATED!! Planted Tank/Algae Bloom!

[Homebrewhead]

I got a Aquaclear Powerhead and a filter attachment. I bought a 100 micron filter pad and cut it to wrap around center of filter cart. frame a couple times.

I read somewhere you can make your own Diatomaceous Filter by adding a cup of DE into a Bucket of water and run until clear.

I did this, I think a cup is too much, half a cup may work just as good.

I added this to my fish tank, I'll kill the lights and cover with a trash bag for 3 days.

I'll do a water change tonight. And stop the CO2.

TwoTanks:

When you say do not feed, is this Ferts or Fish food or both?

 

[Bmeasure]

Be careful listening to all the different advice on this thread. Some of them offer advice in one direction, others offer advice assuming the opposite information. Either way, a short term solution to green water is a black-out period of 3 or 4 days. There is no need to feed any of your fish (OR PLANTS) during this period, there is no light, thus no need to feed. Your fish can survive more than a week (minimum) if they are healthy to start with. Throw on a dark cover, maybe a trash bag AND a blanket or towel, and wait the days out! Things will be improved at the end of several days.

Just be aware that this doesn't remove the CAUSE of the outbreak of algae. This CAUSE will have to be fixed for this to be a permanent solution. I wouldn't do more than 5 days without feeding (fish) unless I was feeding my fish regularly for 2 weeks daily, in case the situation returns. Some fish can go far beyond this but most planted tank fish are smaller and have faster metabolisms. Maybe 1 week (7 days) at the tops (not on regular basis) is appropriate for tetras, rasboras, etc. Farther than that has been done many times, but do this at your own discression.

 

[Homebrewhead]

I covered the Tank with two large black trash bags.

Noticed moisture on my lights, may take them off for the duration.

The powerhead with filter and DE have not changed the color of the water yet.

I wonder if I have too much DE in the Filter. When I shut off the powerhead it filters into the water at a decent rate.

Hopefully it will clear by Thursday night which will be 3 days.

I'll test the water and get back with water chemistry.

Thanks for the help.

 

[plantbrain]

I guess I have green water from an algae bloom.

I wanted a low tech tank, no ferts or CO2. I guess that is not happening.

I have FLourish & Flourish Excel that I will start adding.

I added potting soil along with some of my old gravel that was in the tank prior.

I'm at my wits end with this.

Help please.

Well of course you got green water bloom.
Soil has high NH4.

NO3 have no impact on green water(GW).
I did this test 8 or 9 years ago.

I'd never had green water and I started dosing wuith NH4 to see if it would help plants at small amounts instead of NO3(added from KNO3).

I used a UV to remove the Green water(these cost 30$ on ebay for a 9w unit)
and then added NO3 to the same tank 4 days later and added 75ppm of and kept it there for 3 weeks.

No algae.

I add a small trace amount that was consumed in 30 hours of NH4 and I got GW once again.
I repeated this with low and high PO4 as well. Same result.

GW is an excellent alga to work with since it does not hurt plants and can be removed quickly with UV.

Back to your issue.

Your mistaked started by not adding enough plants to start with, not soaking the soil prior, soak for 3 weeks in a thin tray or boil for 15 minutes.
This will oxidize the NH4 to NO3.

You could have also add mulm from an established tank to the bottom layer and a little bit ground peat. I know I've suggested that 100's of times.

The mulm is the dirt from an establisghed tank that settles after vacuuming the gravel. Save it and add it to the new tank.

You never get GW.

The DIY quick filter does work, but if you have to buy it etc and all, the UV might be a better option.

UV's are 100% effective.

As far as Algone, Barley Straw and other snake oils that claim algae control and killing: I've yet to ever be able to show they worked in controlled conditions.

It may work under certain conditions but not when the parameters are controlled interestingly............

So rather than using things that hinder green things(plants included), focus on why the tank had and got the algae in the first place.

NH4.

Now you can get rid of it with the micron filter, around 5 microns is what's needed, Blackout will work well with lower light non CO2 tanks.

How big is your tank?
You can do this without CO2 BTW.

The Ludwigia's will not do very well though
Excel will help vs CO2 if your case at the moment.

Regards,
Tom Barr