Green Water, HELP!!! - MyFishTank.Net Freshwater Saltwater Aquarium Fish Forum

Mahamotorworks · 11-28-2006, 09:21 PM

Well I got home from WOrk today and I have green water in my 75G tank. I need to know how to get rid if it. I have read that adding a willow branch will get rid of it. Has anyone else read this?

Is there anything else I can do to get rid of it? I am thinking 4 day black out. I will have to drag out the Big Blankets. I have some questions about the Black out. Do I need to feed the fish while I am doing a 4 day black out? I have vacation bloack if needed. Should I still add ferts to the tank? What else should I do?

Thanks
MAHA

TheMainer · 11-28-2006, 09:40 PM

What are your water parameters?

Mahamotorworks · 11-28-2006, 09:47 PM

75G tank set up 2 weeks ago.

Ammonia .25 to .5ppm
Nitrte 0ppm
NitrAte 5ppm
PH 6.6
KH 2* or 35.8ppm
GH 5* or 89.5ppm

160 Watts 65000K lighting13 hrs/Day

Dose with Grew Watson KNO3 3X week and CSM+B 2X week.

Any other info?

MAHA

Smalltank3 · 11-28-2006, 10:20 PM

Well how green is the water? Is it green enough in which you can't see the back of the tank? My brother in his 30 gal had this and he just did a 90% wc and it was all gone. He did lose a couple fish though. I would suggest atleast a 70% wc. I just did one and I did not lose any fish

I would do the 70% wc.

Mahamotorworks · 11-28-2006, 10:23 PM

Ya Cant see the Back of the tank. I will let the Ammonia get to 0 by itself then Change 80% of the water.

MAHA

Smalltank3 · 11-28-2006, 10:24 PM

Good. It should clear up after the big wc.

Mahamotorworks · 11-28-2006, 10:25 PM

I did a Big W/C Sunday like 70%. The water was clear for the rest of the day. Now it is green.

MAHA

Smalltank3 · 11-28-2006, 10:28 PM

It is probably a bacteria bloom. It happens to new tanks a lot. When your ammonia goes down to 0 it should be clearer w/o the wc.

Lonewolfblue · 11-29-2006, 03:00 AM

The ammonia is the source of the GW. After doing the water change, if it comes back, I recently had success getting rid of it with just a single dose of Algae Destroyer. I had it bad in a plant-only tank. No ammonia or nitrite either, and less than 20ppm nitrate. So I upped my CO2 and added Algae Destroyer, just 1 single dose, and the tank cleared up in 2 days, and has been crytal clear ever since. Most don't like adding chems to their tank, which I'm that way as well. But it just wouldn't go away and it was my last resort. It's also safe with fish, but not inverts. Plus, one dose is all it took. Never followed the directions on the followup dosing, as it was never needed.

Edit:
I just double checked, in fine print, says not to use with inverts.

TheMainer · 11-29-2006, 07:52 AM

Like others said above, it tends to happen to newly established tanks. From my experience and what I have read, I would suggest to wait it out. Eventually GW will kill itself off by absorbing all the nutrients in the water. Of course you need to have patients for this and not mind your tank looking like pea soup for a while. I would also suggest staying away from WC for a while because all you are doing is adding more nutrients for whatever GW is left in the tank.

There is some great GW reading at The Planted Tank Forum - Powered by vBulletin as well.

11-28-2006, 09:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mahamotorworks Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Thule, Greenland Posts: 1,722	Green Water, HELP!!! Well I got home from WOrk today and I have green water in my 75G tank. I need to know how to get rid if it. I have read that adding a willow branch will get rid of it. Has anyone else read this? Is there anything else I can do to get rid of it? I am thinking 4 day black out. I will have to drag out the Big Blankets. I have some questions about the Black out. Do I need to feed the fish while I am doing a 4 day black out? I have vacation bloack if needed. Should I still add ferts to the tank? What else should I do? Thanks MAHA __________________ 75G Freshwater: 3 Angel Fish and a lot of guppies. It is at my Brothers house while I am out of country. My Facebook Page

11-28-2006, 09:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
Mahamotorworks Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Thule, Greenland Posts: 1,722	75G tank set up 2 weeks ago. Ammonia .25 to .5ppm Nitrte 0ppm NitrAte 5ppm PH 6.6 KH 2* or 35.8ppm GH 5* or 89.5ppm 160 Watts 65000K lighting13 hrs/Day Dose with Grew Watson KNO3 3X week and CSM+B 2X week. Any other info? MAHA __________________ 75G Freshwater: 3 Angel Fish and a lot of guppies. It is at my Brothers house while I am out of country. My Facebook Page

11-28-2006, 10:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
Smalltank3 Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 958	Well how green is the water? Is it green enough in which you can't see the back of the tank? My brother in his 30 gal had this and he just did a 90% wc and it was all gone. He did lose a couple fish though. I would suggest atleast a 70% wc. I just did one and I did not lose any fish I would do the 70% wc. __________________ 10g Planted Community Tank Fish:3 Threadfin Rainbows, 1 Male Endler, 1 Female Guppy, 1 Male Cherry Barb, 3 Schwartz's Cories, and 1 Oto Plants:Amazon Sword, Apongeton, Java Fern, Moneywort, Rotala Indica, Taiwan Moss, and Watersprite 5g Hex Planted DP Tank Fish: Coming Soon 2 Dwarf Puffers and an Oto Plants:Aponogeton, Moneywort, Rotala Indica, and Taiwan Moss 1g Planted Betta Tank Fish:Male CT Betta and 1 Oto Plants:Moneywort, Rotala Indica, and Taiwan Moss

11-28-2006, 10:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Mahamotorworks Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Thule, Greenland Posts: 1,722	Ya Cant see the Back of the tank. I will let the Ammonia get to 0 by itself then Change 80% of the water. MAHA __________________ 75G Freshwater: 3 Angel Fish and a lot of guppies. It is at my Brothers house while I am out of country. My Facebook Page

11-28-2006, 10:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
Smalltank3 Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 958	Good. It should clear up after the big wc. __________________ 10g Planted Community Tank Fish:3 Threadfin Rainbows, 1 Male Endler, 1 Female Guppy, 1 Male Cherry Barb, 3 Schwartz's Cories, and 1 Oto Plants:Amazon Sword, Apongeton, Java Fern, Moneywort, Rotala Indica, Taiwan Moss, and Watersprite 5g Hex Planted DP Tank Fish: Coming Soon 2 Dwarf Puffers and an Oto Plants:Aponogeton, Moneywort, Rotala Indica, and Taiwan Moss 1g Planted Betta Tank Fish:Male CT Betta and 1 Oto Plants:Moneywort, Rotala Indica, and Taiwan Moss

11-28-2006, 09:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
TheMainer Little Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 207	What are your water parameters?

11-28-2006, 10:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Mahamotorworks Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Thule, Greenland Posts: 1,722	I did a Big W/C Sunday like 70%. The water was clear for the rest of the day. Now it is green. MAHA __________________ 75G Freshwater: 3 Angel Fish and a lot of guppies. It is at my Brothers house while I am out of country. My Facebook Page

11-28-2006, 10:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
Smalltank3 Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 958	It is probably a bacteria bloom. It happens to new tanks a lot. When your ammonia goes down to 0 it should be clearer w/o the wc. __________________ 10g Planted Community Tank Fish:3 Threadfin Rainbows, 1 Male Endler, 1 Female Guppy, 1 Male Cherry Barb, 3 Schwartz's Cories, and 1 Oto Plants:Amazon Sword, Apongeton, Java Fern, Moneywort, Rotala Indica, Taiwan Moss, and Watersprite 5g Hex Planted DP Tank Fish: Coming Soon 2 Dwarf Puffers and an Oto Plants:Aponogeton, Moneywort, Rotala Indica, and Taiwan Moss 1g Planted Betta Tank Fish:Male CT Betta and 1 Oto Plants:Moneywort, Rotala Indica, and Taiwan Moss

11-29-2006, 03:00 AM	#9 (permalink)
Lonewolfblue Super Fish Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wenatchee, WA Posts: 1,283	The ammonia is the source of the GW. After doing the water change, if it comes back, I recently had success getting rid of it with just a single dose of Algae Destroyer. I had it bad in a plant-only tank. No ammonia or nitrite either, and less than 20ppm nitrate. So I upped my CO2 and added Algae Destroyer, just 1 single dose, and the tank cleared up in 2 days, and has been crytal clear ever since. Most don't like adding chems to their tank, which I'm that way as well. But it just wouldn't go away and it was my last resort. It's also safe with fish, but not inverts. Plus, one dose is all it took. Never followed the directions on the followup dosing, as it was never needed. Edit: I just double checked, in fine print, says not to use with inverts. __________________ 5.5G Crypt tank, 10W CF Screw-in. No filter, and air wand for circulation 26G Medium Planted Community - 65W CF Lighting - Emperor 280 Bio-Wheel 55G Aggressive Community - Filstar XP3 75G Heavily Planted - Pressurized CO2, 520W Lighting, Filstar XP3 with spraybar Last edited by Lonewolfblue; 11-29-2006 at 03:04 AM..

11-29-2006, 07:52 AM	#10 (permalink)
TheMainer Little Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 207	Like others said above, it tends to happen to newly established tanks. From my experience and what I have read, I would suggest to wait it out. Eventually GW will kill itself off by absorbing all the nutrients in the water. Of course you need to have patients for this and not mind your tank looking like pea soup for a while. I would also suggest staying away from WC for a while because all you are doing is adding more nutrients for whatever GW is left in the tank. There is some great GW reading at The Planted Tank Forum - Powered by vBulletin as well.