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hey can any1 help me im really bothered bout the colour of my water it is a little bit on the green side????? iv added a bit of green water control and its passed abit, i have heard about that if your tank is having direct sunlight then that will cause the green water???? is this true or false????? and another thing there is a slight fousty smell to my water can you help me gt???? or any1????? cheers ashley

1 oscar 1 c,a,e 2 plecos
48" x 24" x 18" filtration= 1 fluva2+ 1 fluval 3 and a aqua pro 3 heating= 2 300w superfish heater with thermo

First some questions for you! How often do you do water changes and how much do you change? How big is your tank/how many fish? How much do you feed? Do you have lights on the tank? If so, how much time are they on? Is the tank near a window?

Green water is caused by a unicellular algae. Algae is present when nutrients in your tank are in excess. Allowing wastes to build up in the tank, overfeeding fish, or over fertilizing plants are common nutrient sources. Also, algae needs light. If you have a light on but no plants there is nothing to compete with algae for nutrients and it can easily take over your tank. If you don't have plants, only have the light on when you are home and want to see the fish. If the tank is near a window move it. Or if that is not possible, cover the sides of the tank getting the most sun (usually the back and maybe one or both sides) with construction paper or a tank background.

Chemicals are a short term cure at best. They may make the water clearer temporarily but they do nothing for the underlying cause of the algae, excess nutrients/light. So the algae just comes right back. based on your short description, I would recommend a big water change, about 50%, to dilute the algae. And then a 3-4 day blackout on the tank. You do this by completely covering the tank with a blanket and letting NO light in. Do not feed the fish, do not peek, just let the filter run. After three days check the water, if its not clear go another day or two, this is the most that most fish can safely handle. After removing the blanket do another good water change to get rid of the now dead algae, it will pollute the water if you leave it. Now that the algae is gone (hopefully) you have to make sure it stays away by not giving it good conditions again (nutrients/light). Feed the fish moderately once a day and do a good water change every other week depending on you fish load. These will help keep extra nutrients from building up in your tank. Also, adding live plants to the aquarium will help absorb nutrients and keep algae at bay.

Please answer the questions above and also give paramaters for the water if possible. pH, temp, ammonia, nitrate. Then we can give you more specific help.

Past what was already said, do you have an airstone? When I first got a bubbler for my tank the change in clarity of water was dramatic, and I didn't even think I had a green water problem.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Hi,
This article should help you in your quest to remove
the green from your water:

http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/greenwater.html

Frank


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