# Cloudy/Green Water Help Please!



## davec1988 (Feb 24, 2017)

Hey Everyone! I was hoping to get some advice/information on a cloudy aquarium battle I've been dealing with for a week or two now. I attached some pictures so you can see what I'm dealing with this is after a water change that didn't seem to do much. Basically I had an ICH outbreak that was completely my fault due to not using a QT tank with new fish bc I trusted the seller. I used Paraguard and fought that battle for about two weeks also. That cleared up, although it took long, very nice. No loss to fish or shrimp. After the Ich outbreak I change the filer pads, I was using Filter floss in the tanks to treat ICH since carbon is a No Go. once ICH cleared I changed both of my pads. I tried to separate them a few days apart as to not have a complete recycle. Up until yesterday I thought it was a bacteria bloom but it hasn't gotten any better. the only time it seems to even clear up a little is after I put in a little Excel. Which leads me to believe its possibly Algae or green water ? When I get a cup and fill it with tank water the water doesn't appear to be green but after filling up a bucket when doing a water change it does?? Not to sure what to make of it. Any help advice or thoughts would be appreciated bc I've exhausted all mine. My tank is:

20g Tall
Marineland 150biowheel filter
Aqueon 20 Filter
I use the stock pads with Purigen in one of the filters. 
I have a finnex planted + light but the 20" size for a 10 gallon
I does excel typically every other day and its about half a cap full
Fluval Stratum Substrate
Crypt Wendtii is what is planted 
with a bamboo plant resting in water column and some golden pathos

Fish are: 
8 Harlequin Rasboras (which are their very temporarily as they will getting moved in with my Giant Danio tank here shortly)
3 Amano Shrimp
3 Cory Catfish (peppered, panda, and a juvi Juli)
1 male swordtail
1 Clown Pleco

I know my stocking for this isn't Ideal and it is changing a little here soon within a week if that just need the time. Regardless I've been keeping fish for a few years and very meticulous when it comes to cleaning and water changes etc. My maint schedule is typically 20-30% WC every week on all my tanks as well as over filter. I also attached a picture of my Goldfish tank just to prove I can keep aquariums clean !! haha Anyway thanks again for any advice! this is a doozey


----------



## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi davec1988,

Welcome to TPT!

Green water is certainly what it looks like to me. Typically green water outbreaks are a result of 1) too much nutrients 2) too much light. I didn't see where you mentioned your photoperiod (how many hours your light is on). Are you dosing any fertilizers? Is there a window in the room with the tank?


----------



## davec1988 (Feb 24, 2017)

Hey Roy, 

Thanks for the reply. My Light is a Finnex Planted + and I does excel every other day. I really don't do much else I do have Fluval stratum as substrate which is supposedly nutrient rich and I use seachem root tabs every 3 months or so I switch them out. The Tank has some indirect sunlight hit it very minimally if at all. I am leaning a little more towards green water as well just because it doesn't seem to be going away as it would with a typical Bacterial bloom. This would be my first time handling Green water at an algae bloom, are there any options other than black out for a few days that are affective? Maybe adding some floating plants or something along those lines? Water changes don't seem to help much at all. 

I'm Always open to trying new things so fell free to throw them my way! Thanks again


----------



## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

davec1988 said:


> The Tank has some indirect sunlight hit it very minimally if at all.


Hi davec1988,

You didn't mention the photoperiod, how long is the light on each day?

It is amazing how much light can be added to a tank from windows either as indirect light and/or direct sunlight. Here we are in the middle of April; ever since December 15th the days have been getting longer and longer so more and more ambient and/or direct sunlight is hitting your tank. About half a century ago I worked in retail aquarium shops before going to college; this time of year 'green water' seemed to always be an issue. Folks don't always think about longer days.

Assuming the photoperiod is not excessive, try closing the drapes in that room for the next week....has the problem been reduced? If not, we'll try cutting back on the photoperiod of the Finnex.


----------



## davec1988 (Feb 24, 2017)

Hey wow I didn't sorry about that Its on a timer its on about 3 hrs in the am shuts off for a siesta than on for 5 if I'm not mistaken in the evening. I did mess around with the timer a little also to reduce so hopefully that helps. As for the extra sunlight that is something I didn't necessarily account for I did close the shades on the main window but it may be receiving light from another window as well ill give that a try and see if it helps at all! Do you think I should invest in some wisteria or water sprite? something I can float to help with the intensity of the finnex and compete for algae?

Bump: Siesta is 4 hrs also


----------



## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

A cheap UV sterilizer will clear the free floating green algae water.


----------



## davec1988 (Feb 24, 2017)

Do you have any suggestions only UV sterilizers I know of is the Green Killing Machine I think its called, that you seat like Petco and I believe the smaller one is like 60 bucks


----------



## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

I can't personally recommend any specific one as I have not tried them or looked up reviews (so I can't say which last longer/works better), but any cheap UV sterilizer should do since killing free-floating algae spores (green water) doesn't take much wattage/exposure time. Even a cheap Aquatop one should work fine as long as circulation is decent. 

If you wanted, you could get a cheap canister filter with a UV built-in and those would work (if the standalone UV you are looking at cost nearly as much as a canister + UV, might as well get the filter. Or save money and just get a cheap standalone UV).


----------



## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

davec1988 said:


> Hey wow I didn't sorry about that Its on a timer its on about 3 hrs in the am shuts off for a siesta than on for 5 if I'm not mistaken in the evening. I did mess around with the timer a little also to reduce so hopefully that helps. As for the extra sunlight that is something I didn't necessarily account for I did close the shades on the main window but it may be receiving light from another window as well ill give that a try and see if it helps at all! Do you think I should invest in some wisteria or water sprite? something I can float to help with the intensity of the finnex and compete for algae?
> 
> Bump: Siesta is 4 hrs also


Hi davec988,

A UV Sterilizer will definitely stop the green water but it doesn't necessarily address the cause. I would close all the drapes in the room and just run your Finnex. Floating plants will certainly help cut down on the amount of light in the tank, a floating some watersprite or other plants will help to suck up extra nutrients as well.

Any changes in foods you are feeding, or the amounts you are feeding; some foods have a lot of phosphates and can contribute to this problem as well.


----------



## awesometim1 (Oct 31, 2013)

I would definitely suggest getting some more plants because if there isn't enough plants, algae will flourish instead. So you need more plants to soak up those nutrients. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

