# I'm completely frustrated and about ready to give up



## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

Everything was going great for several weeks. My plants were lush and growing right before my eyes. Then the water started turning green and I can't get rid if it. I kept the light off for a week but didn't do a total black out. I then did a 90% WC, this gave me 2 weeks before I couldn't see 4" inside the tank. Since then I have done 50% WC every 5 days. The tank is so cloudy after 3 days I can't see 12 inches.

I don't know where to start and about ready to break it down and go plastic plants!

Please help, I really do not want to throw in the towel.


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## Qwe (Jul 8, 2013)

Why not actually try a total black out? Has worked for me, and many others...

Or you could try the willow branch trick. Cut off a willow tree branch, stick the cut end into the tank, and it'll suck up nutrients and starve the green water.

Or there's always the more expensive route of buying a UV sterilizer.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

*A little history...*

I started this tank on Dec 12, 2013.

Original water parameters and equipment:

RODI
CO2, approx 25 to 30 ppm
2.5 WPG t8 shop lights
PPS PRO Ferts
81 deg F
Fishless cycling at 1.00 ppm ammonia
Completed fishless cycle approx. Feb 1st

Upon completion of fishless cycle, I added 8 fish over the period of a week.

I added a more powerful light fixture to help bring out the red in some of my plants. A t5HO that has 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 wpg modes. I used 4.0 mode. 

I added aeration to keep water more favorable for my fish.

About 2 weeks after adding the fish and aeration the water started to cloud up. After the water clouded up enough I stopped aeration and moved fish back to their original tank. 

Since then I have been plagued with Green Water!

I have reduced the lighting to 2.0 wpg and stopped adding fertilizer.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

Qwe said:


> Why not actually try a total black out? Has worked for me, and many others...
> 
> Or you could try the willow branch trick. Cut off a willow tree branch, stick the cut end into the tank, and it'll suck up nutrients and starve the green water.
> 
> Or there's always the more expensive route of buying a UV sterilizer.


I have been doing some research and a total black out is probably going to happen this weekend.

I have an old Marineland HOT with a pleated micron filter that I've read that will remove the algae that comprises the green water. I am missing a couple parts though, so I either have to rig it up or order the missing parts: intake strainer, clips on intake, out flow tubes.

I have looked into a diatom filter as well as a UV sterilizer. My question is, do they work and if so, which ones work?


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## spidangular (Nov 28, 2012)

I also failed by trying to fix it with a thousand water changes. And then I left the lights off for a few days and that worked. Do a big water change before black out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NCSteve (Dec 17, 2012)

Lab_Man said:


> I added a more powerful light fixture to help bring out the red in some of my plants. A t5HO that has 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 wpg modes. I used 4.0 mode. izer.


This may be part of the problem. If you went from low-med light to high light it can cause all sorts of problems with algae or bacterial blooms.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Just get a UV. It will clear up in a few days and the water will be so clear you'll have to check to see if there is in in fact water in it.

NH3 release is usually the reason for GW. Your adding NH3 and then running lights to help the plants grow? It usually takes a few weeks but not surprised you have GW.


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## Cyanider (Mar 1, 2013)

UV sterilizer did the trick for me. Put it in the tank and within a week my green water was gone.


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## aquarist (Aug 29, 2012)

As stated above a UV sterilizer will fix your problem. I run them on all my aquariums and they work wonders!! Not only will it kill single cell algae it will kill and help prevent diseases and parasites. I buy mine from amazon they usually have some good deals. Depending on the size of your aquarium there are a few canister filters made by SunSun that have built in 9w sterilizer , I own one of these as well and it works great and save you from haveing to have yet something else plugged in.


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## ctaylor3737 (Nov 14, 2013)

They also make the green machine ones if you don't mind it in the tank. They are cheaper to. A UV filter will work and also get some purigen that will help to

-Chris


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## ctaylor3737 (Nov 14, 2013)

High light and,ferts all new tanks will face algae blooms sooner or later. Uv always stops mine and usually works within the first few hours. By the next morning your fish will look like they are floating

-Chris


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

OK, it sounds like I shouldn't jump off the ledge just yet.

A UV sterilizer would work in a salt water tank too if the mood ever hit me to try salt water?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&pcatid=10824&ref=NA&subref=NA&cmpid=PPC-G-NA

So, for a 55 gallon tank the X3 would work? What about if I upgraded to a 90 or 125 gallon later?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9372&rel=1

Would this be the pump that you would suggest? I can't tell if the pre filter comes with it or not. the PM5 would match the 500 gallon output of the uv sterilizer. 

So, I would just need the tubing and a pre filter.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

Amazon.com: SunSun HW-304B 5-Stage External Canister Filter with 9-watt UV Sterilizer, 525 GPH: Pet Supplies

Would this work? This would be cheaper and I would be able to have filtration in addition.


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## randpost (Feb 9, 2014)

Lab_Man said:


> Amazon.com: SunSun HW-304B 5-Stage External Canister Filter with 9-watt UV Sterilizer, 525 GPH: Pet Supplies
> 
> Would this work? This would be cheaper and I would be able to have filtration in addition.


The sunsun 304b moves too much water and too quickly past the 9w sterilizer to be adequately efficient. It may still work, but it would take a long time.

I use a 9w Green Killing Machine and it works perfectly.

The Green Killing machine goes inside the tank and has its own pump. the water moves past the UV at the perfect rate. It took 24 hours to kill my algae bloom. I then took out the Green Killing Machine from the tank since it was't needed anymore. I haven't needed it again, but it's there if I ever do.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

I will be busy for several hours, so if I don't respond immediately, I will when I return. Thanks


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## aquarist (Aug 29, 2012)

Lab_Man said:


> Amazon.com: SunSun HW-304B 5-Stage External Canister Filter with 9-watt UV Sterilizer, 525 GPH: Pet Supplies
> 
> Would this work? This would be cheaper and I would be able to have filtration in addition.


Yup that's the filter I was talking about, that one will have a lot of flow so keep that in mind, it's rated at 500+ GPH, there is a slightly smaller one on amazon as well, I own that one and run it on a 55 gallon and it keeps everything clean but have to put an elbow on the outflow because it was pushing all my substrate around but I still use it. I bet it would work amazingly well with a spray bar I just have not had time to make one yet. It's a strong filter and only has a 9W light so won't get as quick of results as you would on a standalone but it will do the trick and once it's gone it should be strong enough maintain a clean environment.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

My wife likes the planted tank as much as I do and she has had it with the green water too. She is 1 million percent supportive of doing what we need to to do to rid our tank of this scourge!

Since we need a pump to supply water to the UV sterilizer we decided to get a canister filter. A canister filter has many advantages over a HOB, the question is, which one? I currently have a 55 gallon but will probably be upgrading to a 90, so can I get a filter that will do both effectively?

Here is what I am thinking of getting, what are the pros and cons as you see them.

As for the filter, here are my choices as I see them.


Fluval 406 or 306
Marineland 360
Eheim Ultra G 160

The UV sterilizer


Coral life turbo twist, either:
3X 9 watt rated at 100 to 200 gph
6X 18 watt rated at 200 to 400 gph

The question seems to me to match the UV to the filter. 

I am leaning toward the Fluval 406 with the 6X 18 watt. What do I need to hook up the UV to the output of the filter? The Fluval has a 1/2" OD hose and the UV has a 5/8 or 3/4" barbed fitting. I'm not a plumber what will I need to hook them up?


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

I would go with the 9 watt sterilizer which will be plenty for your tank even if you upgrade to a 90. The filter and uv will both use 1/2" tubing but if you go with a different size tubing you will need a reducer to reduce the tubing to the size you need. With uv sterilizers you will need to match the flow rate that the sterilizer is rated for otherwise it won't do any good if the flow is too fast through the unit.


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

ctaylor3737 said:


> High light and,ferts all new tanks will face algae blooms sooner or later. Uv always stops mine and usually works within the first few hours. By the next morning your fish will look like they are floating
> 
> -Chris


Everybody always wants super fast plant growth , stop dosing ferts do some heavy water changes until the green water goes away.
Then after your tank is balanced start on a dosing regime that you can ajust to your tanks needs . 

Or you can buy a uv, I have 2 uv lights collecting dust with a ballanced tank they are not needed.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Aqguy said:


> Everybody always wants super fast plant growth , stop dosing ferts do some heavy water changes until the green water goes away.
> Then after your tank is* balanced* start on a dosing regime that you can ajust to your tanks needs .
> 
> Or you can buy a uv, I have 2 uv lights collecting dust with a ballanced tank they are not needed.


Ah yes, the never ending pursuit of balance. What is that exactly? To me it can sometimes be a very narrow range of parameters in terms of plants, stock, layout which one might not want in their particular setup. It can be like walking a tightrope. I'd rather just use a UV and enjoy the view then do water changes that might or might not cure the GW. You don't necessarily need a UV, but if your having issues it's a win, win in terms of water clarity, fish health and you could even play in the mud a bit (rearranging things and substrate get's stirred up) and not have to worry again if the water is going to get green.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

Yes, I am guilty of wanting to have a beautiful planted aquarium. I did my due diligence and read everything that I could and tried to apply it to my aquarium. 

But once things got out of whack I haven't been able to get things back into balance. I have performed several 90% WC twice a week over the past several weeks and the green keeps coming back within 2 days. I have done total black outs too.

To me this tank is about the beauty of a planted tank. What I have currently is a green tank that I can't see 3 inches into the water. I am almost ready to break it down and throw in the towel, so if I need a UV sterilizer to enjoy my tank then so be it.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Water changes rarely solve GW. Sometimes they do overtime, but that's usually a result of several factors that include growing plant mass and a larger bio-filter that matures. There is no downside to a UV. Don't let anyone tell you it will destroy any of the fert either. For all practical purposes it's a non-issue.


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## LetsGoFishin (Jul 1, 2013)

Lab_Man said:


> My wife likes the planted tank as much as I do and she has had it with the green water too. She is 1 million percent supportive of doing what we need to to do to rid our tank of this scourge!
> 
> Since we need a pump to supply water to the UV sterilizer we decided to get a canister filter. A canister filter has many advantages over a HOB, the question is, which one? I currently have a 55 gallon but will probably be upgrading to a 90, so can I get a filter that will do both effectively?
> 
> ...


 I bought two Fluval 305s last fall on Ebay, new in box for $85 each. They work great on my 50 gal which is now moderately, approaching heavily planted. I feel they provide the minimum flow required for my tank. On any tank of this size or larger I will definitely use a minimum of two canister filters from now on. Two will give good circulation, added reliability, and let you work on one or clean it while the other helps to carry the bio load. 

I ran a 9w Coralife UV sterilizer for green water a while back. They do work wonders very quickly. After running it for 6 months at only 12 hours a day the bulb went out. I have not replaced it since and feel it is really not necessary once a tank becomes stabilized.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

You have a 55 gallon tank, with a 4 bulb T5HO light on it. That is extreme overkill for light. One T5HO bulb, if the light fixture is a reasonably good one, is adequate for growing plants. Two bulbs is as much light as you are ever likely to need for any plants, and it requires that you use a high level of CO2 in the water, keeping the same amount in the water every day. But, you used an aerator, which is also a good way to remove CO2 from the water, so you went to high light, with very low CO2. That will generally lead to algae problems.

If you stick to 2 bulbs running at a time, at most, get rid of the aerator, make sure you are not under fertilizing the plants (over fertilizing isn't going to cause algae), and do a good job maintaining the tank cleanliness, and the algae problems should not return. Using the UV is probably as good as any method for getting the existing green water algae killed, but be sure to do a couple of big water changes soon after, to remove the dead algae. I also suggest switching to fertilizing per the tables in http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=21944 so you can be sure the plants are not being stunted from lack of nutrients.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

I ended buying the Eheim Pro 3 Ultra G 160 and the UV Twist 6x 18 watt sterilizer. 

Whether I need the UV sterilizer or not long term in unimportant. I have been struggling for several weeks now with green water and right now I am disgusted at the moment with how things are going.

Bottom line, a canister filter seems to be superior to my HOB that I currently have so if this was the catalyst to make me buy a canister than so be it.

When the time comes to replace my ceramic diffuser I will replace it with an in line CO2.

Thank you to everyone that helped me through this.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

Hoppy said:


> You have a 55 gallon tank, with a 4 bulb T5HO light on it. That is extreme overkill for light. One T5HO bulb, if the light fixture is a reasonably good one, is adequate for growing plants. Two bulbs is as much light as you are ever likely to need for any plants, and it requires that you use a high level of CO2 in the water, keeping the same amount in the water every day. But, you used an aerator, which is also a good way to remove CO2 from the water, so you went to high light, with very low CO2. That will generally lead to algae problems.
> 
> If you stick to 2 bulbs running at a time, at most, get rid of the aerator, make sure you are not under fertilizing the plants (over fertilizing isn't going to cause algae), and do a good job maintaining the tank cleanliness, and the algae problems should not return. Using the UV is probably as good as any method for getting the existing green water algae killed, but be sure to do a couple of big water changes soon after, to remove the dead algae. I also suggest switching to fertilizing per the tables in http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=21944 so you can be sure the plants are not being stunted from lack of nutrients.


Hoppy, thanks for replying.
I ran the light fixture for a few weeks until green water showed up. I have since reduced the lighting to two t5HO light bulbs. Ya, the aerator during the day while I was running CO2 was a very unwise move. After things get back to normal, I will resume the fertilizer regimen.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

*Update on 3/14/14*

I apologize, I was going to take a picture of how bad the green water was when I got the UV sterilizer working but I didn't think it would clear up so fast.

I got the Eheim Ultra G 160 canister filter and the Turbo Twist 6x 18 watt UV sterilizer going yesterday at noon.

Thirty hours later it is clearer than it has been in several weeks!!

Thank you everyone who helped me. :bounce:


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## aquarist (Aug 29, 2012)

Glad you got your tank worked out! The Coralife UV sterilizers are beastly, I have the 12x turbo twist hooked up to my 180 gallon and you can hardly tell theres water in there when the circulation pumps are turned off.


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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

Glad you got rid of the GW. It can be a pain once it gets going, but UV lights certainly kill it off quickly.

With the lighting you have, be sure that you adjust it according to how densely planted the tank is. If your plants aren't using up all of the available planting area on the bottom of your tank then they likely can't use more light and adding more will promote problems.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

*learned my lesson*



Zapins said:


> Glad you got rid of the GW. It can be a pain once it gets going, but UV lights certainly kill it off quickly.
> 
> With the lighting you have, be sure that you adjust it according to how densely planted the tank is. If your plants aren't using up all of the available planting area on the bottom of your tank then they likely can't use more light and adding more will promote problems.


Don't worry Zappins, I learned my lesson. I am waiting on more plants to even think about upping my lighting. I would rather have greenish plants that could be red than red plants and out of control algae.

I have been waiting on the weather to warm up before ordering more plants. I had a big order all get frozen a month ago.


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## ufimych (May 30, 2011)

I had a similar problem in the past. This is what I would do. First, use a power filter or right size. Second, do not feed fish too much. Third, keep the lighting strong and plant fast growing plants, such as hornwort, sanitaria and water sprite, whichever does the best under existing conditions. I keep two 30 g tanks and three 10 g tanks, algae problems are minimal, usually BG algae are controlled by snails and otos and hair algae by amano shrimps. I change water rarely, only when I remove some muck accumulation on the substrate.


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