# Wanna boss me around re: GW?



## ThomE (Aug 26, 2004)

Get a UV unit


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## Aulonochromis (Jan 14, 2005)

Don't clean the canister every week. I haven't opened mine in 3 months.


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Thanks alot, *Thom*, but I'd just as soon try to avoid dropping another $100. Tho if I knew then what I know now, I probably would have gone UV instead of diatom.

*Wasser* - I hope you'll excuse me if I'm insubordinate and ignore your bossing!

*Aul* - the only reason I'm cleaning the filter is because when the GW kept coming back, I thought it might be the result of some that was left in the batting. Just trying to cover all my basis. 

Obviously something remains out of whack, because the GW keeps coming back after blackouts and diatom filtering. Just hoping some of you wiser sorts could kinda take me by the hand, as those dosing calculators tend to give me a headache. Of course, instead of wise persons, I attract wiseacres!


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## Aulonochromis (Jan 14, 2005)

By cleaning the filter and replacing the batting you are killing off beneficial bacteria that can result in an ammonia spike and ammonia=algae.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

That is a very good point!

It is now becoming a belief that green water is caused less by nutrient imbalances (although they do play a role) and more likely by ammonia and an ammonia spike. That would explain Wasserpest's usual good advice about just being patient, balancing out nutrients and waiting out the green water.

Waiting it out will eventually allow the ammonia spike to pass and also allow the green water to pass. 

Constant cleaning of your filter is going to damage and kill off some of the beneficial bacteria in the filter. That could be causing an increase of ammonia and causing your green water attacks. Right now I'd agree with letting your filter go a little while. Balancing your nutrients and not cleaning your filter is one of the easiest and least expensive options you have right now. I'd sit tight (hard as it may be) and give it a while to see if it will run its course.

Mike


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

I have always been a proponent of no filter cleaning. I don't ever clean any of my filters until the flow is slowed down considerably.


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Well heck - THERE'S some advice I'm willing to follow. Inaction!

Righty-o. I'll let the filter sit.

Like I said, I'll be out of town for 10 days or so, so we'll see how it looks when I get back.

Water was crystal clear last night and this morning. Should I do any dosing this week, or just let it sit? Normally, I would do a 20% change today or tomorrow, and dose flourish and TMG. I can test my water tonight. And I'll prabably recharge my CO2 before blowing town.

I indicated above that my reason for cleaning the filter was thinking that perhaps some residual GW algae stayed in there, allowing it to recur. Just out of curiosity - where does the GW algae "live" such that it comes back after an 8-hour course of diatom filtering. Is the filter unable to get it all from the water? Does it live on the plants? In the substrate?


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Your filter won't be able to pick up the tiny particles, unless you're running a very fine (micron) media in there. Algae is just algae, you give it a bit of light and some nutrients and it proliferates. There's no point in cleaning out your filter, since it isn't filtering out such fine particles.

I've been through two GW cycles now. The first time was due to lack of plants and the second time was deliberate for growing some live cultures. Best advice I can send your way is to do nothing. As others have said, you're already doing too much. Leave it alone. You can continue to dose the tank, and can err on the lower end of it (not sure how much plant biomass you have in there).


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## Aulonochromis (Jan 14, 2005)

My tank is clearer when I leave the filter alone, I always dread cleaning it, because it always seems to cause some problems-hazy water, algae, flashing fish. I only clean it when the flow is restricted.


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Well, 10 days sure did wonders for the GW - in the wrong direction! So I'm back to battling the soup.

Got in yesterday aft after a 10-hr overnight flight, losing something like 4 hours in time zones plus another from daylight savings - my body doesn't have any idea what day it is right now! 

Water was incredibly green - couldn't see the back of the tank. Ph was 7.2, NO3 10, and PO4 1. 

After unpacking did about a 30% H2O change and recharged the DIY CO2. Dosed flourish. Vacuumed up quite a bit of loose detritus during the change. Will crank up the Vortex and change some more water tonight during the game (Go Illini!) Will retest and probably dose NO3 and PO4. 

Fish are all fine, and plants all growing like gangbusters. Bacopa and pennywort are poking up above water surface, and emersed ends of pennywort are flowering! Ludwigias and anubiases are all doing exceptionally well. May be getting time for a serious pruning - see if the LFS will give me some credit.

Now that the snow is gone, I've got to whip this tank into shape before I get distracted by outside gardening needs.


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## Jason Baliban (Mar 3, 2005)

Get a UV sterilizer. Some say a diatom filter does the same thing. It may, but i just had a bout with with minor GW for 3 weeks and I got a UVS last night. Within 24 hours the tank is almost clear again.
jB


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

The only time that I have ever had a GW breakout (knock on wood) was when I was setting my photo period too long. I had a breif period of time when I wasn't using a timer on my lights and I took a trip out of town for a week. When I returned, my water was pea green soup. I actually bought some algae remover tabs that acted like alka seltzer and gave off a purple hue within the tank for about 24 hours. I dosed the tank 3 times (with no plants in it) and also stripped my filters of their media. Once things cleared up, then I put new media in my filters, and then put the plants back in my tank. I haven't had a problem since. I am pretty sure that in my case, the photo period was too long (24 hours a day for about a week).

The other thing that you might want to do is hold off dosing the tank with ferts right after the big water change. You might be helping the remaining algae by immediately restaring the whole process again. I think that the UV steralizer might be a good idea, but it isn't really nessecary for a tank that doesn't have the GW that often. It is a lot of money to spend and I think that running it all of the time is not nessecarily a good thing for your tank either. It is going to kill more then the algae in the tank (i.e. beneficial bacteria).

One thing that I might try is just going with the RO water for a while and not mixing the tap water. For whatever reason, the water company might be pumping more phosphates along with the water which might be helping the algae along. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I have read that Water Sprite is good for using some of the things in the water that helps algae as well. If this is the case, then you might want to consider that plant to help absorb some of the things that the algae might be using.


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## Kris (Feb 27, 2004)

my gw was like yours originally was, eds, and per this thread, i am sitting tight.
the light hasn't changed, wc as normal, more precise dosing. it is sitting tight too.
i have so much going on in life right now that more than that isn't going to happen, but i can do nothing!  
i was hoping your return would bring news that the gw was gone and could stay this course.
sheesh. good luck!


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

No good news, *Kris*. Other than that I've gotten to be a complete pro at setting up and tearing down my diatom filter! 
Testing several times a week my ph is pretty constant from 6.8-7, and I seem to be keeping my NO3O4 pretty consistent at 10:1. 
So I've just relegated myself to running the filter a good bit of every Sat or Sun, and keeping up with the water changes. My plants are doing great - just did a major trim over the weekend. _I think_ that over the course of a week the green gathers a little more slowly than before, but I may well be fooling myself.


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

I just did a blackout for the second time. It works great for me(huge plant growth)! I did it both times at the first sign of green water, so I don't know how it would work on a tank as bad off as yours.? :icon_conf


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## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

Well whaddya know!
I know I oughtn't tempt fate, but I think the GW has left town after sticking around for maybe 6 months.
For the last couple of months I had just gotten into the habit of running the diatom filter weekly.
It seemed to be kinda weakening - tho it would reappear over the course of a week, it didn't seem to be coming back as strongly as before.
I decided to really blast it over Memorial Day weekend. Did a 50% water change and ran the Diatom for a good 8+ hours on Saturday, and then repeated the process on Monday. Also used Algaefix following the water changes (anticipating the gasps of horror!)
GW hasn't returned in the 2 weeks since, including after a 6 day vacation.
Oh yeah - I stopped the incessant testing of my water.
So I have no idea whether my Memorial Day offensive did the trick, or whether the GW just ran its course and died on its own accord.
I'm just glad it is gone.


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## Jason Baliban (Mar 3, 2005)

Round of applause!!!
It is always a good feeling. Now you can sit and enjoy your tank.
jB


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## lumpyfunk (Dec 22, 2004)

Jason Baliban said:


> Round of applause!!!
> It is always a good feeling. Now you can sit and enjoy your tank.
> jB


And for some reason, it is always better just after you have beaten GW roud:


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