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My 90 gallons water keeps turning green! I did a 35% water change yesterday with gravel vac and today the green water came right back. When I look in from the side I can't even see to the other side of the tank. What should I do? Thanks

Connor333

Is there anything in the tank orniment or such that could be doing it?

What type of filtration do you have?

Is it a greenish tinge or a thick yucky green?

Also it could be your water but I dought it. Fill up a large clean glass and let it sit over night and see if there is any change.

There was some talk (not here) re water coming into homes via copper pipes. That water was coming out green.

If possible can you get your house water checked?

Sorry but that is the best I can do for you.

Keith

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Does it look like the picture below? If so, it is green algae that is free-floating in your water. The cause of my green water was a chemical imbalance. The plants of my tank had used up all the nitrate, so they weren't able to use the potassium, phosphate, and other nutrients. The algae could, however, so it took over my tank. Can you give us the readings for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and, if you can, potassium and phosphate?
Janna attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/419571.jpg"]

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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.

whoa, that's one green tank! The water isn't as green as Janna's tank but it is still pretty green. For filtration I have a Fluval 304 and an AQ 500. Ammonia=0, Nitrite=0, Nitrate=15. The algae was getting bad too but I just picked up a BN so maybe that will help. Thanks

What do you think?

Here's a pic from the side:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v165/Connor333/fish%20pics/?action=view&current=HPIM1120.jpg

[span class="edited"][Edited by Connor333 2004-08-24 16:04][/span]

Hi Connor333, I have this problem , not as bad as your's I can still see my fish very good, but when you look from the side it is greeny/yellow. All my chemical balances are good so i have put it down to 3 very large pieces of driftwood seeping the colour out. My tank is 3 month's old maybe another month it should be right I still do the clean and it get's better all the time.

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1) diatom filter
2) uv sterilizer
3) 3-4 day total blackout of tank
4) water changes and let it go away on its own

To keep green water at bay, the reason for the green water being there in the first place must be addressed, whether it be nutrient imbalance, direct sunlight, or a combination of things. Once you address that issue, the green water is still there for the time being, and I believe the above 1-4 are your options.

1) diatom filter - will filter the water and get rid of it, but may require running it several times to keep it gone. Around $80 USD for a small one.

2) uv sterilizer - more permanent- when the algae responsible for the green water pass through the sterilizer, they're toast. It runs non-stop on a pump or inline with a canister filter. Will mess with fertilizers if you have a planted tank to some degree. More expensive than diatom filter.

3) 3-4 day total blackout - placing something dark ( I've used a black trashbag before) all around the tank so that no light can get in. Aquarium lights are off at this time too. No peeking. Must maintain good aeration of tank during this time. Plants don't like this method and it can be stressful to fish.

4) water changes until it goes away on its own - might take months, but after you've discovered what caused the green water outbreak and corrected it, or possibly the water changes help to correct it, it will eventually just go away. I had a 20 long ( us gallons) that had green water real bad, and I just kept doing 15% water changes twice a week until it was just " gone" one day. Took like three months, but green water isn't fatal to fish or anything, and tank wasn't planted, so no rush.

Thanks for the replies. If I did the 3 day blackout, would it really harm my plants? Thanks

hm...actually I have the same problem (ammonia, nitrate and nitrite all zero) but would the problem be solved if I add some more fishes into my tank?
ammnoia-]nitrate/nitrite

just a thought..thanks in advance!

Running a diatom filter will not cure your green water. It only filters it out of the water until it comes back. I had to use my diatom filter once a week when I had my green water, until I found the cause of it. I tried a blackout, but it didn't help at all.

To cure green water, you HAVE to find the problem. You can't just clear the water with chemicals or filters. The green water will just come back.

I dosed nitrates for a couple weeks until my green water was gone. Since there are several causes of green water, this might not be the solution for you.

---

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.

When I did a blackout it didn't kill any of the plants, but I did notice that they looked a little weak. I don't know if they looked like that before and I couldn't see it due to the green haze or if it was a result of the blackout. Having deep hazy green water isn't the best for plants either though....

On a side note, I've known people that have blacked out their tanks and never had green water again... and I know some that have blacked out their tanks and had green water again less than a month later. It's not something you want to do every month, so it needs to be snubbed out at the source for a blackout to have any lasting benefit.

It seems to work the best ( a blackout does) when a 35% or so water change is done right after the blackout is ended , and then smaller water changes periodically throughout the following couple of weeks... like 10% daily.

My fish suffered no ill effects - no deaths, sicknesses, illnesses , but three or four days with no light nor food can be stressful, so if you have some sick fish or some frail fish you'd want to consider another option or losing them could be a possibility.

Anyway, hope that helps.

edit-

but may require running it several times to keep it gone

on the diatom filter , janna. No, it does not "cure" it, but it will keep the water clear enough to keep your plants from being choked out until the root problem can be fixed. The same goes with any temporary solution.

To keep green water at bay, the reason for the green water being there in the first place must be addressed, whether it be nutrient imbalance, direct sunlight, or a combination of things. Once you address that issue, the green water is still there for the time being,

meaning, the temporary fixes I listed are just that...temporary. OR after the root of the problem is fixed, whatever that might be, they can serve to kill off the algae that makes up the "green water" because fixing the source of the green water does not make it go away instantly.

[span class="edited"][Edited by jake 2004-08-25 21:43][/span]

Thanks guys. The water has gotten a lot clearer and I am cutting down on feeding. I think I might have been over feeding them a bit.