Strange water color

[DodgeIntrepidV6]

My tank has grown very hazy in the past few days. It is a dark green kind of murky hue to the water in my 55, and I can't see across! What the heck is this- I did 2 30% water changes in the past 8 days, the ammonia and nitrites are at 0, so it's no bacterial bloom? It's very ugly and unsightly, I also changed my filter media carbon. Anyone have this problem before...it's basically dirty water that won't go away-the fish seem fine however

 

[Bristlenose Chuck]

Do you have any driftwood in the tank?

 

[DodgeIntrepidV6]

No, no driftwood...just plastic ornaments. Theres one pleco too.

 

[Darkangel]

If it is green as you say it sounds like a bloom of algae. Often reffered to as green water. It will not affect the fish in any way. There are many ways to deal with it. You will need to get rid of the nutrients feeding it and cut back a bit on the light. If you have no live plants go without lights for a week and see if that does not kill it. You will have to be doing water changes in that week to remove the dead algae otherwise when the lights come on it will start a new bloom. This is a typical pond problem and can be reduced out doors by the addition of barley straw to the water. This may also help you here. The number one thing though will be to get rid of the nutrients these single cell algae plants are using for food.

 

[DodgeIntrepidV6]

yeah definitley sounds like alaga then. So I'll cut back on feeding a little, perform a water change, and leave light levels down. Hope this works...thanks for info

 

[Fishiebusiness]

Does it look like this?

If so then its green water.

Linked to possible causes such as too much light and ammonia presence.

Its quite hard to get rid of when it has established itself, as it did in my tank. Water changes make a temporary dent. Some people have used chemical flocculents. Sure ways to get rid of it is 3 to 4 day black out, UV or diatom filtration. These solutions and other such as the above mentioned barley straw, will only work if you have gotten rid of the root cause of the algae. Usually by cutting back on the ammount of ammonia generated, or using less light (if your tank is not planted).

 

[wetmanNY]

That's the prettiest green water I ever did see! You could raise some daphnia in that. Or some gourami fry...

Nothing cures green water faster than a good innoculation of clear water from a planted tank, to reintroduce all the green-grazing plankton...

 

[Aderynglas]

WetmanNY that's a really interesting point about the clear water from another tank!! As a former wine-maker this is exactly how i would clear an obstinate wine that refused to "sparkle" it worked a treat too, much better than isinglas or similar, I've often wondered if it work in an aquarium .

If it was my tank I'd try to get some daphnia to clear it and then enjoy watching some fish eating the daphnia (I'm a sick ole puppy)