Free Swimming Algae

[Protestthehero]

hi! my tank water has recently turned green the water is green and it doesnt get that much light, any solutions? thanks!

P.S. is it algae thats turning the water green? im pretty sure thanks again

[Jhhnn]

Definitely algae, indicative of high organic content in the water. The usual solution is to siphon off detritus more effectively and change more water more often.

[acroken]

newly started tanks that are not yet established have a tendency to have algae blooms. As john said, changing a lot of water will help as long as your tap water does not have phosphates in it. Watch your phosphates levels as this will contribute to the algae blooms. A lot of foods and water conditioners have phosphates in them so do not over feed or use any supplements that contain them . In time this should balance out and your tank should clean up. Things that help are no light, even black out your tank with covering so no light enters for a few days. Watch phosphates build up in your tank. A uv sterilizer will knock the algae out with out a doubt. Is this a planted tank?

Kenny

[hope]

Hi, I just came in searching for this very problem. My water is green, too! But I am not sure why. I have very few plants but do have wood, tried cleaning out my filters, change water every other day, about 85%. I think I upset the bio when I combined 2 tanks (added sponge filters from one to the other, thus increasing filtration), and I have a thin layer of sand on the bottom.

It is testing high ph, high amonia right now (I am changing water as I type). Is algae the kind of thing that - once you have it - you just have it? I really try to keep the tank clean, but within 2 days it gets pretty green again.

Sorry - not trying to take the post just trying to understand algae better. First tiime I've had the green in the couple of years I've been keeping discus. My tropical tank is algae free, by the way. Maybe heat has something to do with it

[acroken]

algae blooms usually during tank cycling. it will clear up as the tank cycles. slow down on your feeding for a little bit and allow your filters to catch up. I would be checking for phosphates in your tap and anything you are adding to your tank(food and additives) if it becomes a real problem invest is a uv sterilizer, but it should balance out and the algae should become manageable. less food, more water changes

Kenny

[hope]

thanks

[Protestthehero]

no, its not a new tank, its nearly 3 years old and i just woke up one day and the tank was green. there are no plants, just a large piece of drift wood. no substrate either.

[Jhhnn]

Definitely listen to Ken.

I take things for granted wrt tap water that I shouldn't, just because Denver tap water really is quite good, with nil for phosphates and nitrates. It's collected at high altitude above agricultural runoff sources. If I have green water, it's because I've added too many nutrients to a not fully cycled tank. It's only happened to me once, when I unknowingly killed the biofilter in a qt tank with kanamycin. The algae went nuts because of the high nutrients from the dead bacteria. In a cycled tank with a vigorous biofilter, the bacteria compete with the algae for some nutrients, keeping algae in check...

Algae comprises a large family of related organisms, and the spores are everywhere, from the stratosphere to the middle of the sahara, the heart of antarctica and all points in between. It's unavoidable, one of life's constants...

[srusso]

Both of you should call the water company. Also test your tap... Sometimes they add chems

[Wahter]

This is a photo of how bad one of my tanks got. I bought a UV sterilizer, hooked it up, and that took care of things in a week's time. You can also use a diatom filter.



Prior to using those two devices, I had tried doing large water changes (80-90%), blacking out the tank for a week, and using a flocculate (Seachem's Clarity), and those worked for a few days, but the green stuff always came back.


Walter

[mathao]

if you don't mind you could buy a common pleco and it should take care of the problem.