Yellow green water, and mollies dying

Hello everyone,

So I've been trying my best to keep a aquarium nice so my kids have some quarantine fun. I do weekly water changes at 30%. Use pproper ph and aqua safe plus. And have a fluval hang on 50 gallon filter for a 20 gallon tank. I have 5 platys, 3 neon tetras, 2 mollies and 1 clown pleco. I have 2 1 month old platys in a separate breeder tank. I was doing great for a while and then my tank started turning yellow green I have no clue what to do. Any advice?

 

Is that driftwood real and recently added? If so it tannins from that, it's safe and can be removed by doing water changes or addin carbon to the filter.
If not it may be an algae outbreak. Your tank looks to be in a well lit area. Is it by a window? How long are your lights on?

 

Is that driftwood real and recently added? If so it tannins from that, it's safe and can be removed by doing water changes or addin carbon to the filter.
If not it may be an algae outbreak. Your tank looks to be in a well lit area. Is it by a window? How long are your lights on?

The driftwood is not real and has been there for over a month it gets removed every time I do a water change. also the tank only gets indirect sunlight the windows are off to the side The light in which I took that picture is the three LED recessed lights above it.They are hardly ever on but I put them on for the sake of taking that picture. I have a fluval LED strip light that used to be on a lot more but caused a algae outbreak about a month ago so I dialed it all down to about 10 hours of light at low levels. Ever since whatever is going on right now I have lost one Molly and the other Molly's seem not too well. The filter has a carbon element as well I'm currently looking into buying replacement and possibly doing cartridge filter instead.

 

Try reducing your light to a max of 6-7 hours a day.
Cartridges only need to be changed as soon as they start falling apart.
You can leave the driftwood in the tank while you do your water changes. If it's in your way make sure it at least stays wet so you don't lost any beneficial bacteria on it.
Not sure what else to recommend

 

Try reducing your light to a max of 6-7 hours a day.
Cartridges only need to be changed as soon as they start falling apart.
You can leave the driftwood in the tank while you do your water changes. If it's in your way make sure it at least stays wet so you don't lost any beneficial bacteria on it.
Not sure what else to recommend

Thank you I'll try it

 

It's most likely an algea bloom, when I used to leave my lights on for more than 10 hours that happened, now the max I keep it at is 7, lighting may not be the only factor, often overfeeding can contribute to increased algea growth

 

Good afternoon everyone, thank you for all help and advice. I am trying everything suggested and also running water tests. Visually doesn't look better yet but the water tests I think are pretty good. Here's what I got:

Ph test 6.6

Ammonia 0ppm

Nitrite 0 ppm

Nitrate 10 ppm

 

Is there a particular reason you're using Proper pH?

 

Because api test kit said for the mollies the water should have ph of 7.5. was wondering if that's why they were dying

 

Chasing a pH can cause more problems then it can solve. Fish typically are just fine adjusting to a pH that's already in the tank. If that product is supposed to be giving you a pH of 7.5 and the test you took shows a pH of 6.6 that could definitely kill your fish if the swing was swift enough. Makes me wonder if and when the pH was ever 7.5. You're better off just leaving the pH alone. I never mess with the pH in my tanks.

 

Chasing a pH can cause more problems then it can solve. Fish typically are just fine adjusting to a pH that's already in the tank. If that product is supposed to be giving you a pH of 7.5 and the test you took shows a pH of 6.6 that could definitely kill your fish if the swing was swift enough. Makes me wonder if and when the pH was ever 7.5. You're better off just leaving the pH alone. I never mess with the pH in my tanks.

Ok. I'll make today my last treatment, but I will say everything I read there are so many different answers. Ph wouldn't have anything to do with the water color right? Probably the reason my mollies died is what your saying?

 

You mentioned youvkight buy a cartridge based filter. That will be a downgrade from your Aquaclear 50.

I've got some cartridge based filters and the first thing I did was remove them and insert blocks of foam sponge in the reservoir.

Aquaclear filters are one of the most versatile hang-on-,backs you can buy because of the design of the media basket.

Your bag of carbon that was included with your filter is usually only needed when you want to remove residual meds after treating for illness or to remove tannins from driftwood. Otherwise, many hobbyists feel it's a waste of money to use carbon all the time.

In lieu of the back of carbon, a 2nd block of foam stacked on top of the first would provide additional mechanical and biological filtration.

Regarding the pH additives, I would suggest to hold off on that and check your pH in your tank a couple of times after a water change.

This is so you can track your pH to see if it stays stable or if it fluctuates on its own.

I've got hard and well buffered water, so our pH stays steady at 7.8.

We keep community fish, African cichlids and Central/South American cichlids. Each tank has fish that probably would "prefer" to have either a lower or higher pH than what I have, but I do not try to adjust tmit with additives.

Fish would rather have a stable pH that doesn't fluctuate. Fish will adapt to most pH and breeders with large operations will not adjust their pH.

Big box pet store and most LFS' wont try to adjust their pH in most instances.

Regarding the green water, I would suggest to thoroughly vac the gravel at every water change, and maybe increase the amount to 50%.

I suggest the vac of the gravel to remove excess fish waste and uneaten food which can contribute to conditions that favor algae blooms.

Our first tank was a 20g with gravel. I hated the gravel because it acted like a black hole, sucking down all the uneaten food and detritus.

Our tanks have sand now, and nothing sinks down into the substrate.

 

You mentioned youvkight buy a cartridge based filter. That will be a downgrade from your Aquaclear 50.

I've got some cartridge based filters and the first thing I did was remove them and insert blocks of foam sponge in the reservoir.

Aquaclear filters are one of the most versatile hang-on-,backs you can buy because of the design of the media basket.

Your bag of carbon that was included with your filter is usually only needed when you want to remove residual meds after treating for illness or to remove tannins from driftwood. Otherwise, many hobbyists feel it's a waste of money to use carbon all the time.

In lieu of the back of carbon, a 2nd block of foam stacked on top of the first would provide additional mechanical and biological filtration.

Regarding the pH additives, I would suggest to hold off on that and check your pH in your tank a couple of times after a water change.

This is so you can track your pH to see if it stays stable or if it fluctuates on its own.

I've got hard and well buffered water, so our pH stays steady at 7.8.

We keep community fish, African cichlids and Central/South American cichlids. Each tank has fish that probably would "prefer" to have either a lower or higher pH than what I have, but I do not try to adjust tmit with additives.

Fish would rather have a stable pH that doesn't fluctuate. Fish will adapt to most pH and breeders with large operations will not adjust their pH.

Big box pet store and most LFS' wont try to adjust their pH in most instances.

Regarding the green water, I would suggest to thoroughly vac the gravel at every water change, and maybe increase the amount to 50%.

I suggest the vac of the gravel to remove excess fish waste and uneaten food which can contribute to conditions that favor algae blooms.

Our first tank was a 20g with gravel. I hated the gravel because it acted like a black hole, sucking down all the uneaten food and detritus.

Our tanks have sand now, and nothing sinks down into the substrate.

My last water change was a little more than 50% shortly after is when the mollies starting acting unwell and then dying.

I won't mess with the ph anymore and I vacuum every water change but it's only a 20 gal tank, so if I take to much time vacuuming I remove more water than I want to. Also the brown fluval pebble substrate was for the plants, and obviously the blue and black was just a visual.

My plants really haven't flourished so I'd be fine with switching to sand. If I do this though how do I get rid of the current substrate without getting rid of all the water that has been established?

 

You may have to rotate the area you give a good vac to. You're right, you probably will suck out most the water by the time you vac all the gravel. Maybe left side one week and right side next week.

Regarding your question, what do you mean about "getting rid of all the water that has been established"?

If your referring to the beneficial bacteria, it colonizes in your filter media and substrate, not the water column.

Even if you remove all the substrate and replace it with sand, just dont clean your filter for the next 2 weeks or so. That way all the colonized beneficial bacteria in the filter will keep the cycle going.

Thata why I suggested to add a second foam block to the filter, to add more surface area for the BB to colonize on. This will keep your cycle a bit more stable.

You can rotate cleaning the foam blocks as well.

Here is a link to a thread on the forum regarding adding media in your filter.

Also, you might want to consider adding a small sponge filter. This will supplement your biological filtration and allow you to drop it into a 5 gallon bucket when you needed an instantly cycled temporary quarantine tank.

 

Ok, so just 2 foam pieces, no carbon or nitrate pouches in the filter I'll try it

 

Yeah, I think you will be good. Unless for certain cases, most times in my opinion chemical filtration is not needed.

I run a 10g , a 50g "pond" on our covered deck, a 55g African tank, a 65g community tank and a 75g South American tank and none of them run carbon or other chemical filtration. Water stays clear and everything stays cycled.

Be warned though, no amount of filtration will remove the green water.

You will have to figure out what is causing it and eliminate that. I would wager that lighting has to do something with it.

Consider leaving your aquarium light off for the next week and drape a large towel over the tank so the side facing the indirect sunlight is blocked.

Only let the side of tank facing away from any windows not be covered up with a towel. Fish will be fine with only whatever room light is normally there.

Between the reduction in light and extra WC's, hopefully the green water can be finally concurred.

If not, you may have to consider UV treatment or relocating the tank somewhere else in the home.

You shouldn't have to settle for green or murky water.

Your goal should be crystal clear water which should be obtainable with some patience.

 

I'll try covering it, but i have windows everywhere in my house and right now the tank is 10 ft away from a sliding door on one side and blocked by kitchen cabinets and 8 ft away from the kitchen window which isn't directly facing it either. If I throw a over it I only have 3 sides I could choose the 4th is up against the wall. I will try covering the largest sides. Also the water changed color a bit today almost seems orange red. The water also has a smell to it can't really put my finger on what it reminds me of, I guess pond would be the closest smell.

 

Sea chem purigen.

 

Some type of weird algae bloom.

Usually it wont affect the fish. If there is an air stone in the tank, fish should be good. Bloom might lower oxygen content slightly, but air stone will ensure it doesnt get low for the fish.

 

There is a air stone

 

So I'm really trying everything everyone has offered for advice and I'm still doing my water changes.

I have a question though, is there any chance I have a tannin problem with fake drift wood? I have removed some of the plants. I have not been using the light I put it on for the sake of the photo.

 

So I'm really trying everything everyone has offered for advice and I'm still doing my water changes.

I have a question though, is there any chance I have a tannin problem with fake drift wood? I have removed some of the plants. I have not been using the light I put it on for the sake of the photo.

Fake as in plastic? ...no it cannot.
Did you try purigen in the filter yet?

 

I legit leave my lights on for two hours a day. In my one show tank. Well now I do four hours a day. 12:30–2:30 and 4:30–630. I could be wrong and have only been doing this for a year but I think that will help a lot. My other tank I keep the lights on in started growing BBA. It’s not shown back up but the main diff between the two tanks is the lighting times.

 

Also I wind up changing like 80% of my water every time bc I vacuum everywhere. Is this bad? I also sometime even refill and dose and then vacuum again to get it all cleaned up. I thought it was better to do a larger change and vacuum it all? I am asking bc the op didnt want to do too large of a change and still wanted to vacuum as much as she could.

 

"My last water change was a little more than 50% shortly after is when the mollies starting acting unwell and then dying. "



My advice until you figure it out, buy spring water and do an 80% water change.

I had a bad water change last year and lost many fish. Finally figured out it was because the local water source had upped their chlorine for summer! (I'm in Georgia and our water source is Lake Lanier)

I'm serious, when my tank water goes nasty, I use spring water. When I started my 20 gallon long in FEB , a month later I had issues ( too many fertilizer tablet, took me a minute to realize) , I did the same thing - restarted tank with spring water. Yes, it's expensive but it immediately stabilizes your tank in terms of water quality.

Just an idea.

 

have you tested your water source? Is it the same source each time? Your low nitrates and only a 30% water change (what you originally posted) don't jive well, but are possible.
Forgot to add: Do change your carbon. Do change your media bags regularly to avoid not being able to change them.

 

Fake as in plastic? ...no it cannot.
Did you try purigen in the filter yet?

Sorry no I haven't because seemed like everyone else was saying to stop chemical treatment that was my next step though

 

I legit leave my lights on for two hours a day. In my one show tank. Well now I do four hours a day. 12:30–2:30 and 4:30–630. I could be wrong and have only been doing this for a year but I think that will help a lot. My other tank I keep the lights on in started growing BBA. It’s not shown back up but the main diff between the two tanks is the lighting times.

Right now I'm not using the lights at all per recommendations

 

Sorry no I haven't because seemed like everyone else was saying to stop chemical treatment that was my next step though

Use the purigen.
It is amazing.