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Holy Green Water Batman!

2K views 17 replies 5 participants last post by  redchigh 
#1 ·
Hi. We found a 14g bio cube missing it's pump, it's plastic tube, and the charcoal filter. We are waiting for the correct parts to come in to fix it. Until then, we have been using it as a barb tank. We have a 5g stingray filter in the front of it for now with bio-balls in the back half of the tank with some white thread pad thing. (No idea what it is.)

Our issue is a ravenous algae/green water infestation. We've done 90% water changes in a ROW, the tank has half grown and floating wisteria that would do a tank twice it's size just fine, AND only 4 barbs in there...We leave the lights on between 10-12 hours a day and SOMETIMES forget it and it stays on for 14...but even then it's only the blue one on that long. Every day by the end of the day, the green is back, and makes it tough to see the other side of the tank...and it's a small tank in comparason to other biocubes. I'm so confused. What can I do to help this tank along? It's almost completely cycled if not all the way there. There's no issues with nitrates/nitrites or phosphates, pH, or trace elements. The only change has been the need for 90% changes daily and its not doing a thing but giving us a few hours, and some really stressed fish. For that, we've been adding betta safe.

I might also note that I have the gentle barbs in the world that cuddle at night and have never fin-nipped. I would even wager that an aquatic frog or betta would live in there with them.
 
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#2 ·
#3 ·
Yeah cause THAT helps my REAL issue.
 
#4 ·
I thought it was funny. Rednee loves to wager and I hate to admit how many times I've lost to him, lol.

My LFS had a tank that was suffering that same green water. It was in one of their planted show tanks, it's a 100gl high. No amount of water changes was making a dent in this algae bloom. In the tank they keep a pair of platinum angels, a huge school of Harlequins and a three SAE. They did a 90% water change, turned off the lights and did a complete black out for what I believe was about three days. The fsh were fine through the black out and it solved the problem. Maybe you might try it??
 
#5 ·
The best way to kill them is as Kymmie said a total blackout of 3-4 days.
Plants will suffer but the algae will die for sure. No peeking no looking no nothing. 3-4 days of total darkness. Use a thick blanket or something that does not let light pass and cover the ALL the tank.
4 days later you will have ugly plants, starving fish and non green water.
Now how about that wager?
 
#6 ·
My wager is that cowgirl's algae will die but that her plants will not look that ugly when she is done.
My wager is a handful of cuttings from any plants in your tank that I want. If you win I will send you as many RCS as you want! Shall we pinky shake now, or later??
 
#7 ·
I don't want to do that to my poor fish and have them die. The stress of not eating for three days, I don't want to risk, and I've heard that it is only a temporary fix and the issue comes back. Why risk hurting my fish like that if it doesn't cure the issue?
 
#8 ·
Fish can go without food for three days, no problem. It wasn't a temporary fix when my LFS did it. It solved the problem. I visit this LFS on a weekly basis and this particular planted show tank is beautiful.
I truly think a three day black out wouldn't pose a problem at all if your fish are healthy to begin with.

Also want to add that if I had this problem in my Discus tank I wouldn't hesitate to do a 3 day black out. To me it doesn't pose a risk.
 
#9 ·
"lights on between 10-12 hours a day and SOMETIMES forget it and it stays on for 14...but even then it's only the blue one on that long"

Cut back your lighting, if need be buy a light timer from the home improvement store. BTW what do you mean by blue light? You saying that makes me wonder if your talking moonlights or if you have an actinic bulb on that tank.
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=500169#ixzz13R5EVr6q
 
#10 ·
Whatever light that tank has change it for a 24W Osram 865 if you can put one in. Cut back the lights time and get a timer as Mikaila31 sugested, that way your lights always go on and of then they should.
The blue light... I'm not sure what it is but it might help the algae, some lights actually help algae grow.
For the algae problem you can do one of 3 things:
1)Blackout, kills them all and for good, no fish will suffer, just feed them well before you do it, i kept my fish without feedign them for longer than that and there was not a problem, even humans, dogs, cats, etc. can go that long without food. In the wild nobody feeds the fish, they eat when they can if they can.
2)Buy a aquarium uv sterilizer, will solve your problem and if there is any comeback you can always use it again.
3)Use the redfield ratio that is explained here:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~buddendo/aquarium/redfield_eng.htm
Those 3 methods all work and they were posted from easy to hard.
 
#11 ·
If you're worried, you could try to limit the nutrients and light available.

What kind of plants do you have? Try some that are extremely fast growing... Duckweed, Anarchis, and Hornwort come to mind.

Feed your fish 1/2 as much as you usually do split up in small portions for a couple weeks, and don't feed at all on sunday. Get a timer for your lights, and leave them on for 8 hours a day. They're less than $7 at wal-mart, and you can find them for 4.

What kind of lighting do you have? Lower the light amount... Take one of the bulbs out if you can.
If it's not flourescent, then throw it out and get new flourescent (or CFL) lights in cool white 6500k.

The funny thing is I'm jealous... I wish I had greenwater.
 
#13 ·
Wow, lots to answer from overnight! :O


-I have a 14g biocube with stock lighting - white and moonlite blue actinct 24watts each.
-There is a medium ammount of ambient light, NO sunlight in the room.
-I have a large ammount of Wisteria which is growing quickly, and is enough to satisfy a 30g tank.
-I intend to get a few more plants on payday, along with more fish to balance out this issue. I was told that more plants and more fish would aid the issue, from the LFS.
-I feed the fish every other day with a 1/2 cm square of home made cichlid food and a 1/2 cm square of bloodworms (frozen)
-I can't afford a sterilyzer - Canada Student Loans has decided I get to try and live off 600 bucks a month and I have a saltwater tank to maintain as well.
-A timer is impossible - the plug is under the bed and inaccessable save for moving the entire thing (again) I will just have to be more proactive with shutting the lights off at 10pm instead of midnight (lol - I wake up late most days, lights don't go on till about noon)
-I spent a whole day with the lights off and the fish went bonkers

I have had friends tell me I need to re-cycle my tank, put up with the algae, with max fish in the tank (adding an extra couple inches of fish), keep using PRIME, cut back on lighting, overstock on plants I won't mind eventually losing, and attach a bubbler in the opposite end of a filter that's too big for the tank and add a micron filter...

Does this seem logical to you guys?
 
#15 ·
The outlet is behind my 100 pound solid wood head board, with about an inch of clearance past the floor and wall...I would have to completely rearrange my bedroom to add anything on.

So you're saying adding in the extra plants/fish/micron filter/bubbler won't help?
 
#16 ·
Fish no, bubbler no, micron filter i seriously doubt it. More plants may help to consume the nutrients that the algae is consuming now but not even them will get your water from green to clear.
Blackout is your best deal here since you said UV is out the window. Unles you try the redfield ratio i posted a few posts back.
 
#17 ·
Well Redknee you would have owed me money on THAT bet, because our algae issue is almost 90% gone now, guess how?...

-A bubbler.
-Lights not on as long.
-Better waterflow.
-Bigger plants.
-Salinity.
-Added a Pleco

I have changed nothing except added a bubbler, changed waterflow, plant more wisteria, add salt, and let it be.

I win :D
 
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