rctoyguy

Here's the full story...
In August, I set up a 30 gal freshwater tank - it was a "starter kit" so it came with cartridge based back filter.

The first month or so was fine - no problems, other than a couple of fish dying (1 or 2 of which just disappeared, never found a trace of them)

Since around October or so, it has been an endless fight trying to get the water cleared up. It is very green - I can do about a 50% water change, replace the filter cartridge, and add the drops that are supposed to help clear up the water, and for a day or two it will start to improve - then it goes downhill in a hurry. Within 2 days a brand new filter cartridge will be solid green.

2 fake plants and a sunken ship are all that are in it, and there is a little visible algae (I guess it's algae) on the plants - I scrubbed the sides of the tank during one of the water changes I have done recently - the sides weren't bad.

I didn't have a water test kit (never used one back in the day) so I took some water to the pet store the tank came from. They said everything tested OK except something (don't remember what) - the fix was to put 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda in the tank. They also said that I should be doing 25% water changes every week.

SO - last night I pulled the plants out and left them out, took the boat out and rinsed it off (it was clean anyway), stirred up the gravel some, put algae killing drops in the tank, took the filter cartridge out (which was solid green) and rinsed it out thoroughly, and later in the night I added the baking soda.

-- NOW --
I've never heard of that often of water changes - could that be correct?
Is my problem related to the back filter instead of an undergravel filter?
Could the missing fish's remains be causing something screwy with the water?

Please help.... I know it shouldn't be this difficult to keep the water clean. you can't see the back from the front... heck, most days you can't see the middle from the front. I have not had any other fish die since the beginning (at least I think they're all still there - water is so dirty it's hard to tell....

Cody

i had that that problem to...and again but it was because of mopani would that takes months even aftetr bioling..i left it in a crock pot for 24 hours once and it still happend..but what you should try is.adding extra carbon to the filter .and risne the filter our ever two or three days continue water changes weekly..you should get your water tested..your proubably have a bad aglea bloom..this happend to me and it happend due to me neglecting the tank and slowly getting out of the hobby but i fell back in love when i started to care..im sure somoene will come on here and totatly go more technical and what not...but i say...add more carbon.you can buy a little jar type thing full of it..and fill your filter up with it..and that will help get more of it out ..everytime the filter starts to get very green risne it off..and i would only replace it once a week..keep to 25% water changes once a week. and gravel vacume..look under decor and anywhere those fish could be rotting away..if your confused pleaes tell me

TheEssigs

You can also try a remover, such as Algone. Algone has a website you can reference.

Green water usually means there are excess nutrients or elevated nitrates in your water. Water changes, nor excess carbon will clear the problem, it may help, but eventaully the green keeps going until you find the source problem. I woudnt use an algae killing chemical in the water either, I feel they do more harm than good.

Is your tank placed where it may get direct sunlight? That will also cause a algae bloom in the tank.

Good luck!

susitna-flower

Hi Rctoyguy, Welcome to fishlore, hope we can help.....

Nothing lovely about a green tank......

Like stated the causes are #1 High nutrients in the water, ie, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates or phosphates.

#2 High light

For #1. Water changes. But this will only help if you don't have an overcrowded tank, or aren't feeding the fish to much.

You didn't say what fish are left, or what the tank size is. THIS is important. If the adult expected size of your fish is over 1" per gallon of tank, it is overcrowded, and your water needs frequent 25 - 50 % water changes.
It might be that back in the day, (YOURS and MINE I suspect) they didn't test the water, but that doesn't mean it is not a good idea. I recommend the API Master test kit, it's easy to read, then you will KNOW....
If your ammonia and nitrites are over 0 your fish will be unhealthy and die! Both can contribute to algae. If your nitrates are above 20 your fish will be unhealthy and you will grow algae!!! I like to keep mine down between 5 and 10.

If ANY sunlight can reach the tank think of moving the tank, or closing a shade during the day. Tank lights should only be on 5 hours twice a day with a 2 hour off period.
For the first three days as you clear your tank, totally cover it with a thick blanket. Do a 50% water change and vacuum the gravel to remove as much dead algae as you can.

If you aren't overcrowded already, you should think of getting some kind of algae eating fish for your tank. (let us know how big the tank is and what fish you currently have) Bristlenose plecos are one of the best for eating algae. For a really small tank 3 otoes would help.

The amount you are feeding fish can be a HUGE problem with water quality. You should be feeding two small feedings a day, no more than can be eaten in 3 minutes, there should never be any left. Depends on the type of fish you are keeping here also, some are big waste producers, which in itself can cause more problems with water quality.

If the filter is not sized correctly for the tank size, and the type of fish you are keeping it could be improved.

NEVER scrub the tank, or throw out the filter material. You can brush off decorations, or rinse them in discarded tank water. More than that and you risk a mini cycle with another spike in ammonia, which will kill fish.

Give us some more information, and remember green is good
maybe just not for your water.

zigmeister

rctoy,

I have been having the same problem. I have tried everything short of the chemicals. Nothing I have done has made any difference. My fish are fine, but the green water is just plain ugly. If I find a cure I will let you know! Until then, GREEN TANKS UNITE!!! LOL just teasting.

rctoyguy

The email notification didn't work... I just happened to check and saw the replies. Thanks everyone!

It is a 30 gal tank - the filter is the one that came with the package - topfin 30, I believe.

There are 5 zebra danios, 5 neon tetras, 1 small glass fish, 1 med/small plecostomas (sp?), and 1 knife fish (my 3 year old HAD to have it LOL) that is about 5 inches long. In the first couple of weeks, we lost a black fancy goldfish and a black molly - that was before the neon tetras and glass fish were added.

I now have a water test kit - tested it the day after the baking soda was added, and everything looks right - I don't have the chart in front of me, so I can't give numbers, but everything was where it should be according to the chart that came with the test strips.

I HAVE been leaving the light on 24/7, but I didn't realize flourescent light affected anything - there should be no daylight getting to the tank.

Here is my plan for tonight - unless someone says not to do this -
** do 50% water change while vacuuming gravel
** Rinse off filter (replace filter?)
** turn off light - completely cover tank with blanket or something

We are having a "thing" at our house this Saturday night, and I am really ashamed of how the tank looks - is it realistic to think I can have it presentable by then?

susitna-flower

OK rctoyguy, test the water again. Write it down and let us know: Ammonia:
Nitrites:
Nitrates:

I should have mentioned this before, baking soda is to change the pH, and normally your fish will be able to adjust to PH, and this really isn't contributing to the GREEN.........the store employee was trying to be helpful, but messing around with the ph in the end just stresses out your fish. You can't maintain the adjustment through water changes without lots of messing around.

SO now you have some clues, sounds like the light is #1 problem.

But I still think you need to consider your feeding habits.

With such varied fish are you feeding "extra" to make sure your black Ghost Knife is getting his food? If so, stop. Feed your Small tank mates once a day for awhile. Till the algae is gone, DON'T put any food in for the Pleco (then when the algae is gone, you can feed him an algae wafer twice a week)
By the way you say medium pleco, what kind of pleco is it? If it is a common, you shouldn't even have him. See if you can trade him for a Bristlenose, they are much better on algae cleanup, and produce LOTS less waste, which is what you want to eliminate. The extra waste produced by a common pleco just feeds that algae!
Feed the Black Ghost Knife after the lights are out. Just a small feeding like some bloodworms right where he is in the tank, JUST enough to keep him from eating your neons!

If you do this and limit the light to a total of 10 hours a day, it will help. Remember as your algae dies in the tank it will foul the water and water changes take care of this. You still are talking about "REPLACING" the filter. PLEASE don't replace the filter media, rinse it in discarded tank water. You need to get your tank healthy and it won't happen if you kill the bacteria in the filter, or discard the filter material and replace it with new media.

When the tank is clear, you can change 1/2 of the media at a time, OR if it is a filter cartridge, when you change it out, place the old filter next to the new and run for a week this way, OR use Bio-Spira at the time of filter change to seed the new filter with bacteria.

Hope this helps. You should see some improvement by Saturday, if not, keep it covered with that blanket or wrap it up like a big Christmas present, and people won't care!

rctoyguy

48 hours since the 60% water change... At that time, I also replace the filter (filtration system, not just the cartridge) to a Penguin Bio-Wheel 150. I then turned off the light and completely covered the tank with beach towels.

Now - the water is a little cloudy - It does not have the green look that it did, it's just a white colored cloudy... Using a Jungle 6 test quick dip thing, here are my numbers right now, Thursday night:
nitrate - 10
nitrite - 0
Hardness - 75
chlorine - 0
alkalinity - 40
pH - 7.0

For better or worse, I just added Top Fin water clarifier drops, leaving the light off and covering it back up....

Advice? Thoughts?

Skyline

Heres what I did when I encountered that problem...The tank needs to be cycled first though......Water changes - daily and frequent.....No lights for two weeks. Feed fish sparingly and monitor how much they eat...In fact I underfed puposely. Algae will feed on the excess food in the tank....Algae killing agents can be harmful to fish, plants and especially invertebrates....

No major disturbances to the tank decor, filter, gravel, etc.......
Vacuum only 1/3 of your gravel per week to keep mini cycles from happening. See if that helps....

MY NUMBER 1 WAY TO CURE THIS:

Buy Nutrafin Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement. In the worst of days this product was my savior, I owe this product SOOOO much. I recommend it x 10234ndn4729nso93, you can find it at any local fish store (LFS) or at this PETCO site. http://www.petco.com/product/13403/N...upplement.aspx

Works wonders highly recommended coming from a person who had over 30 very expensive fish die from over-using algae medicine...which should never be used only if worst really does come to worst.


Hope this helps..I know this can be VERY annoying...

susitna-flower

Hi rctoyguy,

Just wondering how your tank is doing?

I'm worried that you totally changed out your filter, and it would have sent your tank into its cycle again.....the white cloudy water.

This is why I told you not to change the filter media....You need the bacteria in there to change the ammonia into nitrite...

So just worried and wondering what is going on.

jsalemi

The general opinion here (and elsewhere) is to not use Cycle for anything -- it doesn't actually contain the good bacteria your tank needs, and does more harm than good by constantly causing mini-cycles to occur. And frankly, since algae is a plant and the bacteria that Cycle supposedly has (and the ones that really populate the tank) only eat ammonia and nitrites and not plants, I can only conclude that it was a coincidence that your algae problem cleared up around the same time you added the Cycle. One really has nothing to do with the other.

Skyline

hmmm...i guess your right...but it helped me...i think

rctoyguy

10,000% better. I have been doing a weekly ~25% water change.
past day or so I have noticed a very slight white cloudiness - not a big deal at all. before that it had been basically crystal clear.

Just tested the water:
Nitrate - 10 or so
Nitrite - 0
Total Hardness - 75 Soft
Chlorine - 0
Total Alkalinity - 30 ish
pH - 6.7 or so - not quite getting to 6.8

Thanks for all of the help - I didn't realize the water changes were that important, or that the hood light would promote algae. The tanks I dealt with years ago didn't have these problems and I never did water changes. Guess I was just lucky then or something.