# Green water Solution*



## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Just changed over from a 10 to a 20 gallon for a spare plant tank. The tank has been up and running for 3+ weeks now. Half of the water i used to fill it initially was from my cycled 125g. 
The first time I had green water, I just waited it out and eventually it went away. But that was when I had one tank. I now have 5 running, and this is just an eye-sore. 

Running a rapids mini canister filter(rated for 20g or less), 2x24w T5HO 9 hours total(turns off for 4 hours at noon. All of my tanks are on the same timers for lights and co2), pressurized Co2 1bps(duffuser is the hagen mini elite), eco-complete, and a heater. Flame/java moss, sunset hygro, HC,and glosso are currently in the tank. No fish added yet.


Should I do the normally suggested 3 day black out on the tank? 
or,
Would removing 100% of the water from the tank and replacing it all with water from my 125g be a possible alternative?

(Forgot to mention, its first 2 weeks set up, it was running on diy co2 and a different light. Some small batwing like fixture, no idea the wattage, but it was raised up quite a bit above the water.)


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

SunSun 9W 800lph UV sterilizer -- about $35 on fleabay. It will take about 3 days for the water to go from green to foggy. Give it a shot of flocculant / clarifier and you're good to go. Don't get the stupid little one that looks like a periscope despite it being $5 cheaper. It took two weeks for it to clear up the greenwater in a 10G tank.

You don't have to run the airhose, even though the box makes it sound like the filter will explode if you don't. It makes a great CO2 diffuser, if you decide to do so.

I'd give you a link, but I got in trouble for that . Look for the seller kool_goods, he's pretty well known around here.


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## inthewerks (Sep 13, 2009)

I agree with insta about getting a uv sterilizer. The green water is a micro algae so the best bet on getting rid of it is the uv.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

Get a daphnia culture they will take care of that green water for you. 

Craig


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## TriniGuy (Jan 27, 2009)

I have the same issue with green water. I am waiting for my UV sterilizer to arrive so I can wipe them out!


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Thanks for the replies, but i dont think i want to order a UV filter as of yet, great deal on it though! I thought you were allowed to post ebay links in the forum, as long as you kept them out of the Swap and Shop.
Daphnia culture seems like a good idea, but atm, I dont have the space or time for them after reading about how to care for them. ( not that they require much attention, I am just really busy working 7 nights a week atm..)

I am looking for the cheapest, fastest method to get rid of the green water.
No one ever mentioned if my second method was a terrible or good idea, "Would removing 100% of the water from the tank and replacing it all with water from my 125g be a possible alternative?"


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## sparkysko (Jun 11, 2004)

I've never tried removing 100% of the water, but I've tried removing 90% of the water and replacing it, and it never seemed to get rid of the green water. 

Could try 1/2 ounce of hydrogen peroxide. Possibly more.... I did 1 ounce in my 55 gallon, got impatient, and added a few more ounces. Freaked out the shrimp and I lost 10% of them. Snails acted funny for a few days. A lily leaf melted, but all my other plants didn't seem to mind... 

All the brush algae I had on my gravel, etc, turned grey within a day...

I would try the 1/2 ounce or an ounce of hydrogen peroxide, if that doesn't work, step it up a notch. If it still doesn't work, bump it up more, or take out the plants, and go full nuclear on it with a whole bottle of peroxide... I'd try preserving your biological filter somewhere else in the meantime, since it will nuke that too, but try to get some water flow while you're nuking things..


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Thanks for the reply sparkyso, I will give that a try this morning when i get home. Hope it works! If not i will change all of the water out I can.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Sorry to be a douchebag about it, but you're most likely just going to end up getting a UV sterilizer. My fiancee had to completely empty her tank, rinse all the rocks off 3x with hot chlorinated water, scrub the walls, bleach the filter itself, replace the filter bag, and lower her photoperiod to 8 hours to get rid of greenwater in her 5gal. She also doubled the plant-life and started regular Excel dosing. She is going through another cycle.

I bought the crappy $40 sterilizer at Petsmart and waited 5 days, since the SunSun one is too powerful for a 10.

End result is both tanks are crystal clear.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

insta said:


> Sorry to be a douchebag about it, but you're most likely just going to end up getting a UV sterilizer. My fiancee had to completely empty her tank, rinse all the rocks off 3x with hot chlorinated water, scrub the walls, bleach the filter itself, replace the filter bag, and lower her photoperiod to 8 hours to get rid of greenwater in her 5gal. She also doubled the plant-life and started regular Excel dosing. She is going through another cycle.
> 
> I bought the crappy $40 sterilizer at Petsmart and waited 5 days, since the SunSun one is too powerful for a 10.
> 
> End result is both tanks are crystal clear.


hahaha, no its all good Insta, I imagine if this water change fails(like it probably will) I will be snagging that UV filter off of ebay that you have mentioned. Thanks again for the input, this is my 6th tank, and so far it and the first one i ever setup are the only two that has had algae issues like this. 
Wish me luck, I hope i don't have to buy a UV filter, to be honest I don't have a place to plug it in unless I unplug something else.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Water change failed, as u predicted. Trying a 3 day black out. Should i turn the co2 off?

If this last attempt doesn't work, its on to a UV filter.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

How much nitrate in the tank? I dosed a bit for several days in a row and had the great pleasure of watching the contents of my tank reappear. Added bonus, GSA left the tank during the GW siege.

If you do a black out turn off the CO2. Plants aren't going to be photosynthesizing in the dark.


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## Tuiflies (Jan 14, 2010)

I did a 4 day black out after a 50% WC then another 50% WC when the four days were up and that did the trick for me. On another tank I just lowered the water level to half and added a bunch of floating Water Sprite for a week and that worked well too. I'd try those methods before going UV.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Sounds like a lot of work to get rid of something once that a $35 UV steriliser gets rid of permanently 

</troll>


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

ya, im done trying, UV is on its way.....Thanks everyone!


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Which one did you get?


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

The one you suggested, the SunSun submersible 9W UV Sterilizer, 216 GPH .


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Ah, good. It's ready to drop-in right out of the box. If you don't want a huge mist of air, take the airhose off and let it draw water through the air intake (I promise it's OK to do so, despite the box's warnings). Be warned that 216GPH feels like a conservative rating -- it moves enough water to launch a half-inch diameter column of water about 10" straight up if you position it correctly. I'd find a place where you can lay it sideways in your tank, and put it loooow if you don't want huge surface disruptions.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Any updates?


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Still waiting on the friggen uv filter..... Emailing seller now for tracking number to see where its at.....
Tank is Neon Green


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Look familiar? lol









I just waited mine out, didn't do anything (stopped water changes, just kept a normal photoperiod, etc). All it took was about 6 weeks of patience. Tank cleared up on its own and has been crystal clear for 2 years since, though.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Haha, yeah, that represents my tank very well. Looks like I can see through your water more than i can in mine


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

More like this?









Incidentally, I think all my fish loved it. The rams started spawning. :icon_roll It's just us puny humans that get all bent out of shape about a little algae


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

There's that sexy green im talkin bout, nice and thick!


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Green024, this gives you a great chance to do a time-lapse video of greenwater being cleared up by a sterilizer.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

insta said:


> Green024, this gives you a great chance to do a time-lapse video of greenwater being cleared up by a sterilizer.


I will try to snap a few over the next week or so, sure. I am very forgetful though...puffpuff

Figures, I emailed the seller last night, and the filter arrived today as soon as i awoke :bounce: 

















Day 1









Day 2


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Day 3
8h later









8h later









Day 4


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

:biggrin:

You're forever sold on them, aren't you?


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Very pleased with this UV filter. I can see the back wall again! Its been a while...

Now that i have a visual, I can re-root/arrange some of these plants.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

I'm pretty sure this thread should be stickied for "how to remove greenwater". Those pictures really don't lie. No water changes or anything in that time period?


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## sparkysko (Jun 11, 2004)

This thread inspired me to pick up the one from petsmart. Now I'm a big fan. Back when they were $100+ I'd rather just try other means, but ~$40 is worth it. I did the UV after the hydrogen peroxide treatment, and there isn't any algae anywhere. I'm half expecting a bacteria bloom from Hades once I turn it off.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

I'm not as big of a fan of the one from Petsmart, since it's the same price as the big kahuna one, and their claims of a 9W bulb don't inspire confidence (that leaves 3 watts to power the pump). The flow is very weak, the pump is prone to clogging by snails (feel free to ask how I know that). I'd estimate flow at somewhere around 40GPH. I haven't found replacement bulbs for it yet.

That said, I am using it in a fry tank. It works well enough and does curb greenwater (and is decimating my Ich infestation). The SunSun one would mulch all my fry before I had a chance to blink because of how much water it moves.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

insta said:


> I'm pretty sure this thread should be stickied for "how to remove greenwater". Those pictures really don't lie. No water changes or anything in that time period?


Not sure this is sticky worthy, but a helpful green water thread, yes. There probably is a past thread showing this, most likely better too =\.
one 90% water change like i said, and then we did another 50% the next week.well before the uv was in though.


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## insta (Jan 27, 2010)

Green024 said:


> Not sure this is sticky worthy, but a helpful green water thread, yes. There probably is a past thread showing this, most likely better too =\.
> one 90% water change like i said, and then we did another 50% the next week.well before the uv was in though.


If you send me more pictures and permission :hihi: (maybe of the packaging), I'll get a few pictures of mine at home and write a review of the thing as a new thread.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

Day 5








Day 6, Bout as clear as she is gonna get. Now to finish scrubbing.


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