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I had a THICK pea soup in my 55gal planted. I did not do a water change, only evaporation top off. What I did do was dose h2o2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) 1xday/3days into the water column. I do not use filters so I put in a small powerhead to circulate and over the couse of the following week, it has cleared to normal.

Dave

Yes this hobbyist is sure that the combination of everything she did, got rid of the green water...obviously! But at least it was the natural way....

Last edited by songbird1963 at 14-Dec-2004 11:42

When I had green water, I dosed nitrate. This allowed my plants to grow better, use up the nutrients in the tank, and beat out the algae. The causes for green water are so numerous that you just have to try a couple of remedies before you find one that works.

---

They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Not intended to hijack the topic, but you might want to try using a syringe to place the h202 at the algae instead of a systemic treatment first. I had good results with hair algae.

Dave

I personally am about to try this Hydrogen Peroxid approach in my 30G tank to battle off algae. I have spoken with some others whom have done this with much success. With about 5ml or 1 teaspoon per 10G of water.

Hi Dave,
Perhaps you take me too literally when I said "dumping."
I went to the suggested site and read many of the
posts, including the originals and many updates.

From one of the cited entries I quote:

People, please don't arbitrarily dump this stuff in your tank. Hydrogen
peroxide is a very strong oxidizer, it can, and will, kill everything in
your tank if not used properly. Read! Read! Read! Check the archives.
Check the Krib. If all else fails, post a question before, not after the
fact.

Augie Eppler
Green Cove Springs, Fl

Endquote.

To me, "arbitrarily" is the same inference as "dumping."

The fact remains that while it is an accepted treatment,
if it is not done carefully, one could kill off everything
in the tank and not just the cyno bacteria. I would
not recommend adding it daily as one person was asking.
It would be far, far, better to resolve the underlying
problem and eliminate the cause(s), than to keep doctoring
the tank.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 08-Dec-2004 19:02

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Perhaps I should rephrase: I do not use mechanical filters. The plants are my filters and I have had much better success with this method than the other's I have tried. I have 1 Avacado Puffer (3" in a lush jungle growth of sunset hygro (cannot see through to the back of the tank), various crypts and dwarf hairgrass. My feeling is that puffer is of very little impact to the balance until I screw up the feeding and dump too many bloodworms in. Nutrients were started using potting soil in the substrate until the mulm buildup was enough to support the plant grouth.

As to Frank's accusation of "dumping" h202 in the water:
Pond keepers have been doing it for years. They just use barley straw to produce it. I would suggest a quick search of FINS, APD, and the Krib. They have provided me a good source of information concerning this treatment of algae.

I suggest the following to start

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/hydrogen-peroxide.html

Cheers
Dave





Last edited by nydiroth at 08-Dec-2004 18:14

Perhaps the hobbyist that isn't using filters is relying on the plants etc. to manage O2, waste etc. in the tank. I've read about and seen several tanks that do tht, but they require pretty heavy planting and not too heavy a fish load. Of course maybe the hobbyist just doesn't like the noise of a filter

Either way if the tank works...cool

"I blacked out my tank a long time ago and it worked, you couldnt see to the other side of my tank. My fish were fine and the problem never came back but I also stopped feeding them so much, watched the lighting, added a bit of hornwort and added a phosphate reducer to the filter....good luck."

This hobbyist was convinced the blackout stopped the algae growth. However, I'm convinced the other procedures may have done a lot more to regulate the algae than blacking out the tank.

Another hobbyist stated:

"I had a THICK pea soup in my 55gal planted. I did not do a water change, only evaporation top off. What I did do was dose h2o2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) 1xday/3days into the water column. I do not use filters so I put in a small powerhead to circulate and over the course of the following week, it has cleared to normal."

I would consider this action a rather unique way to cure the dreaded green stuff.

Hydrogen Peroxide: "An unstable compound H2O2 used especially as an oxidizing and bleaching agent, an antiseptic, and a propellant."

Considering the peroxide as an anticeptic and diluted in a large amount of water, I would guess the solution would be safe for trops. Would an overdose bleach all the trops blonde??

The same hobbyist stated he did not use filters in his tank and I find this to be rather unusual in these days of modern fishkeeping.

Perhaps he would like to tell us why he does not employ filtration in his tank.

--garyroland.




Last edited by garyroland at 07-Dec-2004 10:04

Hi,
I'm amazed to read of peoples' solutions to a green water
problem. It would seem that the solutions are as numerous
as the recipes for ones' favorite chili.

The facts are that Green Water is the result of too much
light (duration, intensity) and too much waste ( nutrients,
fish waste, dead/dying plants)in the tank.

Ensuring a 10 hour photo period, cutting back on excessive
feeding, perhaps reducing the stocking level, and regular
water changes will prevent it from occuring.

To eliminate it once it starts, you should do the above,
and increase the water changes, not necessarly the volume,
to reduce, or dilute, the "soup" of green water and
high nutrients.

A complete blackout of the tank,and cessation of feeding
is a radical event that affects nearly everything in the
tank and is generally used only to remove cyno bacteria
(slimy blue green algae). When you black out the tank
you kill off the algae. Virtually every time a blackout
is recommended, the experts all say, when you uncover the
tank 3-4 days later, the first thing you should do is
a massive (50% and greater) water change.
The purpose of that is to remove (dilute) the dead
material (algae, accumulated bacteria) from the
water column. After that 3 - 4 day period the water is
then polluted with the dead algae and newly forming
bacteria.

"Dumping" Hydrogen Peroxide into the tank kills the algae,
and if done incorrectly can also adversely affect the
fish. The key phrase is kills the algae, once dead, you
need to remove the dead material from the tank through
a large water change. The sudden increase in dead bio
logical material in the tank can lead to other problems.

Some with reoccuring green water tanks use a UV system
to control or eliminate it. However tank still requires
regular water changes.

Regular water changes are our equivalent to Nature's
answer - rain, storms, flooding. That is how regular
water changes are done in nature.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 07-Dec-2004 16:45

Last edited by FRANK at 07-Dec-2004 16:46

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I have read all of these threads concerning white cloudy water... unfortunately I have GREEN cloudy water.

Basic Facts:
20 gal tank - tetras, rasboras, cory
set up over a year ago - been stable ever since
params all unchanged from my normal params

When it Started:
We had back to back 7-10 day vacations. I used a weekend feeder both times so as not to starve my fish, but I only used one so as not to mess up my tanks (did this earlier in the year with no problem). When I returned from my second absence the water was slightly green.

The Problem Builds:
Upon my return, I did the normal water/filter changes. Within a day the water got greener and cloudier. I have been continuing to do my normal weekly water changes (2-3 gallons) and my normal filter changes (new charcol weekly and new filter monthly) hoping that it was just a mini-cycle started by the weekend feeders. Unfortunately it has been getting progressively worse.

So... any suggestions?

Before answering, please keep in mind that I have read all the other threads and a great deal of literature concerning cycling.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

I blacked out my tank a long time ago and it worked, you couldnt see to the other side of my tank. My fish were fine and the problem never came back but I also stopped feeding them so much, watched the lighting, added a bit of hornwort and added a phosphate reducer to the filter....good luck.

My friend in Finland may have stopped the problem temporarily but I would hesitate to stop feeding trops and eliminate all light for them...

Algae spores have a habit, formed millions of years ago, of going dormant when forced to do so and will return, little by little, over the course of time.

Most aquarists discover a well balanced aquarium, bacterially speaking, will not have a problem with advancing algae (green water).

--garyroland.

We had same problem while ago. What we did, was that we made total black-out for the tank. All the lights off and we covered the tank with blanket. No feeding during black-out. Total black-out duration was three days. After black-out we did large water change (like 50 %) and the algae was extinct.

Thanks... I always do.

"Every few days" would be sufficient...

Not every day for a 20 gallon tank.

Be careful with the new water and match the pH and temp to the existing water.

--garyroland.

Thanks Garyroland and Nok. I will try the daily water changes.

hello,i found this on a website you may find it useful.
If the water in your fish's home is green, then algae is growing the water, which shows that the water contains too much dissolved fish waste. You change some of the water in your fish's home every day, until the water in your fish's home is clear again.

How much water should you change? Don't overreact and change too much water at one time. Change 20% of the water once each day every day until the green is gone, then change 20% of the water twice a week.

Don't change more than 20% of the water in one day, unless you have a catastrophe, and green algae is not a catastrophe
I work in an aquatics store and also own my own tank,and have found that this usually works! goodluck

Avoid direct sunlight falling on the tank.

Do not leave lighting on for more than 12 hours a day. Longer periods will tend to boost algae growth, rather than promote plant growth.

Minimize nutrient levels with frequent partial water changes.

Sometimes, a series of larger (about 30-40%) water changes every few days will cause this problem to disappear. Ultra-violet (UV) sterilizers as part of the filtration system will also destroy floating algae cells, as well as disease organisms.

Another short term solution is to use a Diatom filter, which can remove very fine particles from the water and should cure the immediate problem. However, remember that the root cause (usually too much light/excess nutrients), need to be tackled to prevent it from returning.

There you have the main causes of your "green" problem. Nothing new you probably haven't seen before but nevertheless the nutrients that are present in overabundance are feeding the algae and will continue to feed until controlled.

The water changes will make a difference at some point and you should consider cutting back on feeding until the tank slowly starts to clear.

There are those proponents who believe reducing lighting for a week will control the problem. I doubt it. When the light intensity is increased, the algae will return.

--garyroland.






Last edited by garyroland at 15-Nov-2004 13:50