green water?

[neo9]

hi
i have a 4 foot tank and i've been keeping discus for about 6 months now.
i currently have 5 discus in the tank and they're healthy. i also have 2 plants in there an anubia plant and java ferns attached to drift wood. i have a wall unit filter aswell. i also change my water every 2-3 days, at about 30-50%. and i feed them a beef heart mix 2-3 times daily
well here's my problem, its currently summer, and for some reason my water turns green within 2 days. it looks extremely dirty.
can someone help me keep my water clear?

cheers neo,

[Howie_W]

Hi neo,

You're experiencing what many of us have gone through at one time or another...an algae bloom. This is the result of an imbalance between lighting and the amount of nutrients in your water necessary for photosynthesis.

For starters I would step-up to daily water changes to remove some of the algae, and at the same time make sure all exposed sections of glass in your tank are wiped down regularly and are spotless.

Do you have any other fish in the tank? I find the best way to maintain algae build-up is with a variety of plecos...bristlenose do a great job of keeping driftwood and larger leafed plants and surfaces clean, and otos do well with many plants as well.

It's helpful to read up on the relationship between lighting and your water column...here's a good place to get you started;

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=24469


HTH



Howie

[nacra99]

Is your tank lighted? If so, in addition to Howie's post, i would reduce the time the lights are on. Try a max of 10 hrs a day and if that doesn't work, decrease the time the lights are on by an hour each time. The Anubias and Java Fern shouldn't be affected too much by the change in lighting. If your tank is right up against a window or gets direct sunlight, i would suggest shading the tank from the direct sunlight.

hth
Marc

[neo9]

thx
i hope that this information helps
i use geo liquid, does this balance all the parameters in my tank?

[Carol_Roberts]

I have no idea - what is in geo liquid? If it contains phoshates it could be adding to the problem . . .

[Howie_W]

thx
i hope that this information helps
i use geo liquid, does this balance all the parameters in my tank?

No. Geo Liquid is basically designed to boost trace elements in your water to help nitrifying bacteria. IMO dumping a mix of chemicals in you tank is a waste of your money, as opposed to finding a happy medium between lighting, clean water, and proper tank maintenance.


Howie

[strawman]

Hello Neo

Several years back I had a simular problem during the summer. The problem was, in the summer time the sun was at a lower angle and it would shine right through a window that was next to my tank. The tank was getting just a small amount of sunlight but enough to turn the water green in just a few days. Winter it was fine because the sun angle changed and it missed the window. Hope this helps you out

[neo9]

thx for all the help
i blocked the light coming through the window before i go to bed and open it when i have up
its been 2 days and the water is still clear :)
thx for all ur help