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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Posible Algae Bloom ?
My 55 gal. tank is cloudy, its looks whitish from outside the tank, but seems to have a greenish tint when looking down in it. Also the water smells musky. ammonia 0 , nitrite 0, nitrate 10. This tank has been up a bout 8 months. I did a 50% water change and vaccum the gravel last week to see if it would clear. Cleared some what then came back. I normaly do 20% changes. Has same filter elements. I did change the bulbs in the hood 3 weeks ago. has 2 t-8 bulbs for planted aquariums. I have waited it out, won't clear. I will try to up the temp maybe ? I look the plants over good, nothing decaying ? my nitrates never got over 20. I forgot to add that I cut the feeding down to once a day to see if it was over feeding. But did not help. I watch my feeding anyway, never over do it. anybody have any ideas to get it clear. I would rather not use chemicals unless its a last resort. | 
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| is it near a window? what kind of substrate do you have?
also, did you do a head count on everyone? if anything starts to look strange in any of my tanks (the ones with more than one fish) i always do a head count just to be sure i didn't lose anyone.... | |
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Everyone is accounted for, no sunlight, medium sized natural (not dyed) gravel. was thinking of changing my bulbs back to the same kind I had before, this may clear it up ? Looks real bad compared to my other tanks, will post a pic when I get home. | |
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| what test kit are you using? could the filter be lagging or not doing its job? (just throwing out some suggestions but I would think your readings would be way out of wack if it was something serious wrong) | |
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| do you use carbon in your filter? | |
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| No carbon, I use API test kit. filter worked flawlessly so far. I think its algea related | |
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Might be the start of green water algea had a heck of a time getting rid of it. It will start out a little cloudy white, then it will turn green. if it does not turn green it might just be a mini cycle dew to cleaning the tank to well. If it turns into green water do a 50% water change, feed fish and black out the tank for 5 day's no light no peeking and 0 light! after 5 days do another 50% water change and it should kill it for you. Ohh I have a planted 75gal that I did that to and all the plants made it thru the 5 days.
Last edited by hop2jr; February 6th, 2009 at 11:34 PM.
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| The only other way is to buy a UV Starilizer and there about 100 bucks ouch! I reread your post and it is Green Water Algea from what you wrote. It took about 4 week to get it my 75gal staight but you are catching it early thats good. How many watts are your lights? CO2 or No? What K bulb are you using? I have 1-6500K and 1-5800K on mine. If you are over 2 watts per gal than you will never get rid of it without adding CO2 to the tank. | |
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February 6th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Here is some more info for you. Green Water eats ammonnium that is what Prime changes ammonia into if there is any in your tapwater, so if you do have ammonia in your tap water everytime you do a water change you feed the greenwater as while as cut it back. I'm not saying don't do water changes but what I am saying is you have to find the what started it in order to get rid of it. You said it started after the new bulbs where put in take one out and run with only one for a few days and see if it clears up. I think that is what started it was 1) To many watts/gal of light. or 2) the K bulb you are using did it . Try one grow light/plant light and 1-6500k bulb both will be good for plant but the 6500K is not good for algea.Good luck!
PS. try plantgeek.net for more info on algea. | |
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| looks to be turning green to me | |
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| wow, yeah that's a lot of green...
i second whoever said to try a blackout. turn off the lights and cover the glass with something | |
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Yep that is a site I remember. Ok 50% water change, Feed fish and say good bye to light for 5 days then uncover 50% water change and should kick its butt. Ohh if you can put extra media in your filter you want to put in alot of polyfiber it will help fitler the algea out as it die's after 5days of lightsout throw out the polyfiber. So you never answered my ? on your lighting get back to me on it. The last thing you want to do is have to do the blackout again believe me it painfull you'll want to peek don't do it!
Last edited by hop2jr; February 7th, 2009 at 02:41 AM.
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| It's not to bad you can still see the back of the tank it can turn into pea soup with 0 visablity at all. Ohh ya if you can fit a 10 tank under your 55gal check out this thread for an DIY algea scrubber here is a pick of mine in my 29 gal sump. Algea grows on the screen and not in your tank and you just clean the screen kncks nitrates down to 0 too.
Mega Powerful Nitrate and phosphate Remover - DIY!
PS
Also Seachem Florish Exel will help kill algea and really help your plants no harm to any fish. | |
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Will try the black out, do I need to feed the fish during this time ? or just before and let them loose some weight lol, I will gett he details before I start. I am replacing the bulbs also with what I had before (just in case)
edit: getting the bulb info
Last edited by Toxic; February 7th, 2009 at 11:18 AM.
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I had a similar problem. It looked white in the tank, but when viewed with a backlight it looked very green.
I solved it by using polishing pads and cleaning them daily. Then I put a couple of willow branches in the water to soak up the extra nutrients. Hopefully the trees still have leaves in your parts... Green Water
Last edited by Tavel; February 7th, 2009 at 11:53 AM.
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February 7th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| willow is not an option for me | |
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February 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Yes feed fish before only. The tank can have zero light for 5 days the fish will be fine but will be hungry after the 5 days feed them again and do a water change and your done. If you have a petsmart around you they have a 24watt UV Sterilizer for $60. bucks not a bad price and the pump is included that would kill it forever with out the need of a blackout. | |
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February 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Day 3 of the black out, I removed all the fish (before starting) and put them in my 30 gal until the black out is over. I did leave my 2 snails in the 55. I pick up some floss for the added filtration. I perfered this way over chemical if it works. | |
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February 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| I don't like chems of any kind either but you didn't have to take the fish out they would have been fine post a pic on day 5 if you can. Hope it works if not UV Sterilizer is the only other nonchemical oppition. | |
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February 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Will do with the pic, I just felt better about the fish. | |
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February 11th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Yep there like kids of a sort.lol | |
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February 11th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| One more day, have not peeked, I swear...I was tempted to kill the lights tonight and peek with my red hunting light, but did not know what the water would look like with the light anyway, so I will wait. but..... CURIOSITY IS KILLING ME ! | |
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February 12th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| lol Been there brother stay strong!!!lol | |
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February 12th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| You would not believe what awaited me when I came home. It worked really well Tank is clear, but my filter is a mess, getting pic's will post shortly. | |
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February 12th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Tank is almost clear, I flushed the filters out and ran them for another hour. The pick of the filters is the second go round. I changed filters.  
I have added some air ration in the tank pic
Last edited by Toxic; February 12th, 2009 at 11:14 PM.
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February 12th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Good news. I hope you did reuse the filter pads you want to have new ones in or the pods in the old pad might take seed again but I don't think you will have any problems. I joy the tank.
PS
I would add Water Sprite and 2 to 4 java ferns to the tank. The watersprite will soak up alot of the nitrates in the water and will grow tall and be a nice backdrop,the java ferns are just a easy nice plant to have. Nice swords too. | |
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February 13th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| I am still working on the plants in this tank, but don't have to good of a selection locally. | |
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February 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| Heard some good things about Dr Foster & Smith little pricey but heard that 55gal plant package is huge and all healthy palnts. Here is a pick of my 75gal had a friend make my a black and blue backdrop out of a nylon materal and velcroed it to the back of the tank so I can make it black or blue and can wash it every 6 months or so. Last pic is my 29gal | |
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February 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Wow Toxic! I have been following this thread and the suspense was killing me lol. I can't believe the before and after pictures! The blackout really worked.
hop2jr,
Your tanks look awesome too! Would you mind telling me about your DIY co2? I can't tell from your pic if you are using two 2-liters or one. I made the same thing. Mine has two 2-liters and one 16 once bottle to catch anything that might have made it's way into the tank.
While I had the co2 on the tank the plant growth was crazy fast but the fish didn't seem to be doing well. I cut back to one 2-liter and and then ended up disconnecting the whole thing. | |
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