Water color

[Tek]

I have 7 juv in a 50gal, filter one sponge filter w/power pump 100g/h and a 300g/h AquaClear. Water chem pH 7.2, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40 and kh in nornal rang. W/C 30% T.I.W, but water always in Green Tea color. Feeding with Brimp Shirm, Blood worm or Treta color bit 3 times a day. Discus are good and health, but can't crystal clear water.

[Westie]

What kind of lights are you running? Different lights will cast different hues if not a true water quality issue?

[Mack]

If it doesn't bother the fish, who cares! I had a similar problem years ago (and I did care) so the lfs lent me a diatom powdered filter and it cleared the water in an hour.

[Carol_Roberts]

If you have wood in the tank it may be leeching the color.

[Tek]

If you have wood in the tank it may be leeching the color.

Yeah.. it has 3 pieces in.. It's using to create hidding place. Is any good to have 3 pieces of 10" long woods in?

[anne]

It could be suspended algae - green water is usually properly nasty green, but with lots of water changes perhaps it isn't taking hold as much as it is otherwise. Do you have strong light, or leave them on for a while? Could that be it?

[Tek]

It could be suspended algae - green water is usually properly nasty green, but with lots of water changes perhaps it isn't taking hold as much as it is otherwise. Do you have strong light, or leave them on for a while? Could that be it?


No light, the tank at my room. If i need light, i open my blinder from window or from room light. It properly the woods.

[scans]

Yeah.. it has 3 pieces in.. It's using to create hidding place. Is any good to have 3 pieces of 10" long woods in?

Most wood will leach color into the tank turning it a light tea color.

[Carol_Roberts]

I don't have anything in my tanks except discus, heaters and filters

[Cosmo]

New driftwood will always leach a tea color into the tank water, soaking the wood beforehand will lessen the effect, but it will continue doing so for quite some time. Common wisdom is the fish actually enjoy the effect it has on the water.

Tea color isn't green though, so you could be building up an algea problem. Nitrates are a good algea food, and 40 is a very high reading, especially for a Discus tank. You might consider doing more WCs to keep the nitrates down. Phosphates are also a good algea food.. are you adding anything that contains phosphates (such as Discus Buffer?).

If in fact you are dealing with a building algea bloom, HEAVY duty WCs, a UV light, or even a diatom (in that order IMO) are your best bet to nip it in the bud (so to speak)..

Personally, I've found I don't like diatoms with BB tanks... no matter how long I cycle the thing it always ends up depositing a small amount of diatomaceous earth into the tank and makes the bottom look like it's just been covered by a light snow :(

Using a UV will prevent algea bloom nicely, but nothing replaces a good regimen of regular WCs... although if you don't kill the food source, WC's alone will make it difficult to clear up the problem.

Jim

[discusgirl]

Tek,

I've been there... does your tank get any natural sunlight, even indirectly? If so, that's your culprit. I had a small tank in my office that got sunlight which bounced off a building across the street. Until I got a UV steralizer, I was stuck with yucky green water.

I'd only run the UV steralizer for a day or two until the water cleared then I was good for a month or so.

Try that, it may be that simple. Good luck

;)

[discusgirl]

No light, the tank at my room. If i need light, i open my blinder from window or from room light. It properly the woods.

Tek,

I think that this is your problem. See my earlier reply.