algae bloom and tired so many things!
Ok, I started a 20 gal. long filled with untreated well wate, a seeded up to 25 gal. sponge, API Stress Coat & API aquariuim saslt. Sponge on 200 fusion pump for up to 30 gal tanks. Plastic plants and some flat marbles scattered on bottom. Cycled 3 weeks. Took water to one LFS (private owned). Tested PH & Amon. Said was good to go with guppies. Got 3 male fancy & 3 female. Waited 2 weeks got 2 corries. All was going well for a month when I saw some light green algae on glass in one area. Took out 25% for first water change cleaned all glass and bottom. Rinsed sponge in old water. Filled with treated H20 with API stress no salt. Got a bactera bloom. That got corrected but then went into Algae bloom for the past month! Got test kit. PH 8, Nitrite (only had a Red Sea instead of the API and it is hard one to read!) but it showed over 50. Nitrate 0. Amon. .25. So took out 50%, & marbles, cleaned everything but left sponge alone, added gravel and plastic plants. Light is only 17 watt Flour. on 8-10 hours, only very little light from norht windows at an angle from tank. No direct. 2 days algae bloom. I feed very little, none on days I change water. Once a day what they eat in 1 mintue of Tetramin tropical flakes, once a week dried bloodworms. One guppy had babies but they escaped from the breeder tank! Got new one saved 3. So did more water changes about every 2 days. Week ago, also darkened tank, it helped but not good for fry as they need light. One got deformed, stunted and euthenized it. Found well water was very high in nitrates & suspect phopahtes. Was told to change out 8 gallons to spring water. (It had been treated with ultraviolet and ozination). That was Wed. Also 25 year aquariuist at LFS said to put in Nurtrfin and again day after water change. Yesterday still green cloudy, not real bad, fish swimming happily, all active but corries are a little slow but no clamped fins. Parms were: Ph 8.4, Am. .25, nitrites 0, nitrates 5-10. Today, same amount of green cloudy, parms are: Ph 8.2, Am. .25, nitirtes up to .05, nitrates up to 20.
I have Java Moss on order(2 weeks to come) as it is a low light plant and read here that will help. What do I do in the mean time. I bought 6 gallons of distilled to change incase as my well water is not suitable and since I am new, I hit new thread but got a warning the thread at the bottom to submit was old? So please excuse as this is the first time doing this! Thank you...gupgram