Crystal clear to green

lightyear

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Sep 24, 2010
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Hi guys,

I have a crystal clear iwagumi that turns green water algae. How do i battle this mess or eliminate this mess. any idea other than total black out? thats the last weapon i would consider since doing black out will hurt my HC and HG.

any thougths on how to stop this green mess?
 

Tug

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Feed on it!

Algae has a head start in every growing condition imaginable. Within reason, most algae should drop out of the N cycle anyway. Still lurking about. Waiting. New soils and green water comes up a lot. Larval shrimp and young fry will eat healthy biofilm, including green water.

Go ahead, adjust your lighting.
But keeping a tank dark for long periods of time sounds harsh.
You have CO2, try a low-medium light (a lot less light then thought ) over the tank. Less algae, but healthy plants.

Focus on adjusting your CO2. Getting better gas exchange, CO2 to the plants. Improving that, improves your plant's ability to gather light. Keeping lower lighting levels at first. Works that muscle in plants - Chlorophyll.
 
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Biollante

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Assuming For The Moment Tug Is Not A Shape-Shifter...

Hi,

Green water is one of those new tank things, probably an ammonia spike, something got out of whack. :eek: If it is an established tank then suspended stuff, organics got too high.

Assuming it is not Walternate striking from the other universe, the green water is just doing its job of getting things back to normal. :):)

Most outbreaks last two weeks or so if left alone, assuming the source of pollution is not increasing. :rolleyes:

UV-Sterilization will clear the green water though may not do much for any underlying problem. :)

“Dilution,” as they do say, “is the solution to pollution,” at least in our water gardens. :gw

Big water changes and what the erstwhile Tug says... :cool:

Biollante
 

lightyear

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Tug;56518 said:
Algae has a head start in every growing condition imaginable. Within reason, most algae should drop out of the N cycle anyway. Still lurking about. Waiting. New soils and green water comes up a lot. Larval shrimp and young fry will eat healthy biofilm, including green water.

Go ahead, adjust your lighting.
But keeping a tank dark for long periods of time sounds harsh.
You have CO2, try a low-medium light (a lot less light then thought ) over the tank. Less algae, but healthy plants.

Focus on adjusting your CO2. Getting better gas exchange, CO2 to the plants. Improving that, improves your plant's ability to gather light. Keeping lower lighting levels at first. Works that muscle in plants - Chlorophyll.


how aboout this idea: "AQUARIUM WATER TRANSFUSION" the concept is simillar to blood transfusion. Where I do daily 50% water change 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening and gets the water replacement from my mature tank with no signs of algae? lol like a blood donor in hospital? lol.
 

Biollante

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Uh... Not Really...

Hi,

I think you will find you are better off just doing straight water changes.

If you think the outbreak is do to poor cycling then it makes more sense to import mulm and filter material.

As the ever observant commentator on all things planted tanks and anti-conspiracy theorist, Tug pointed out in your aforementioned post all of this stuff, algae and so forth exist everywhere:(, when the conditions favor it (“it” can be good or bad) “it” breaks out.

Biollante
 

lightyear

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thanks for the inputs guys. I am crossing my finger that it will get back on shape soon with all these inputs in mind. I missed the view of my iwagumi. :(
 

gillt

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I started with emersed HC. My green water began a few days after filling the tank with water and after three weeks (including three consecutive days of black out) it only got worse--pea soup. I tested for ammonia and nitrite on a cheap non-calibrated kit and only detected a little nitrite, no ammonia. I came across a very long thread from a Russian aquarist who recommended willow branches to clear green water. I tried it and met with success. I used saplings or suckers gathered from a local park. I half-submerged them in the tank and as soon as root buds began to develop, the green water receded. In four days it went away completely. I still have the willow branches in my tank because they grew leaves and look nice. There's plenty of confounding factors involved in my anecdote, so I can't say what caused the green water to dissipate or how the willow branches played a role, if they in fact did.
Take it for what its worth: personal observation.
 

Biollante

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Russian Takes A Lot Longer To Say

Hi,

The Willow branches are nutrient exporters so they are simply cleaning up the pollutants.:)

Biollante
 

Tug

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Erstwhile plants and bacteria in the mulm help oxidize ammonia and begin to colonize the substrate. There are cases of green algae hanging around forever. Anyone raising fry is likely to have fresh green water cultures on hand. Interesting, leaf liter is often used to oxidize ammonia and raise CO2 levels.

When adding plants or disturbing the substrate I change the water at least three times that day, followed by a smaller water change in two days. Use your tap water, watch your CO2 and adjust your lighting.
 

dannyfish

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gillt;56534 said:
I started with emersed HC. My green water began a few days after filling the tank with water and after three weeks (including three consecutive days of black out) it only got worse--pea soup. I tested for ammonia and nitrite on a cheap non-calibrated kit and only detected a little nitrite, no ammonia. I came across a very long thread from a Russian aquarist who recommended willow branches to clear green water. I tried it and met with success. I used saplings or suckers gathered from a local park. I half-submerged them in the tank and as soon as root buds began to develop, the green water receded. In four days it went away completely. I still have the willow branches in my tank because they grew leaves and look nice. There's plenty of confounding factors involved in my anecdote, so I can't say what caused the green water to dissipate or how the willow branches played a role, if they in fact did.
Take it for what its worth: personal observation.


Wonder if i use duckweed will it help to get rid of gree water ?
i also facing a sudden green water recently...don't know what changes i had made that causes it..
sigh
 

Tug

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Why worry about establishing bacteria when you have plants?

The main reason not to try a water transfusions is the health of the donor. You might run the risk of incurring algae in the established tank refilling it with tap water.

By using tap water every morning and changing the water in the new tank, you are adding CO2 (as much as 15ppm). The frequent water changes keep the CO2 levels reasonably constant keeping most algae issues at bay. Steady, stable levels of CO2, appropriate light and nutrients. That is what you want.

lightyear; said:
how aboout this idea: "AQUARIUM WATER TRANSFUSION" the concept is simillar to blood transfusion. Where I do daily 50% water change 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening and gets the water replacement from my mature tank with no signs of algae? lol like a blood donor in hospital? lol.

However, to add bacteria to a new aquarium, some mulm from an established tank contains lots of bacteria. Even a sponge or some other biological media from filters in established tanks - lots of bacteria. Bacteria form on solid surfaces, so transfusion water is less likely to add any significant amount.
 

lightyear

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Sep 24, 2010
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Tug;56584 said:
The main reason not to try a water transfusions is the health of the donor. You might run the risk of incurring algae in the established tank refilling it with tap water.

By using tap water every morning and changing the water in the new tank, you are adding CO2 (as much as 15ppm). The frequent water changes keep the CO2 levels reasonably constant keeping most algae issues at bay. Steady, stable levels of CO2, appropriate light and nutrients. That is what you want.



However, to add bacteria to a new aquarium, some mulm from an established tank contains lots of bacteria. Even a sponge or some other biological media from filters in established tanks - lots of bacteria. Bacteria form on solid surfaces, so transfusion water is less likely to add any significant amount.

very informative.

one last question, does it mean that if I turn off my c02 at night and turn on at the morning I am encouraging algae due to co2 fluctuation?

Currently i turn off my co2 a night, and turn it on in the morning. is it better to leave it 24 hours a day at 2 bubbles per second in 7 gallon?
 

lightyear

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Sep 24, 2010
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guys I had solve my green algae issue.

this is weird but it works and idea was derived hybrid of many techniques:
1) daily water change 20% then continue ferts for the last 5 days.
2) daily dose of ferts
3) high co2
4) the secret weapon: I took the ornamental plants in our flowerbase then place it in my tank hangin. LOL. it cleaned the algae well.

tank is good
 

Tug

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Reducing levels of CO2 at night is better for the fish and consistent levels of CO2 are only important during the lighting period. Turning you CO2 off at night is still a good idea as long as it comes on in the morning to bring the CO2 levels up before the lights come on.
lightyear; said:
... if I turn off my c02 at night and turn on at the morning I am encouraging algae due to co2 fluctuation?
 

lightyear

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Sep 24, 2010
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Tug;56589 said:
Reducing levels of CO2 at night is better for the fish and consistent levels of CO2 are only important during the lighting period. Turning you CO2 off at night is still a good idea as long as it comes on in the morning to bring the CO2 levels up before the lights come on.

hey tug, one more thing if you dont mind. just got home today and my tank is starting to get green water again, I cant believe it. The cause of green water is nitrogen, I am doing 50% water change from the past 4 days. Therefore I am assuming that I got minimal ammonia or nitirites or nitrates already so it should not come back anymore.

heres my current setup.
-7gallons
- iwagumi heavily carpeted with HC, HG, and Giant HG.
- 48 watts
- 8 hour photoperiod
- 2 bubbles per second co2 pressurized
- daily dose of yamato green
- river sand
- 300 lph filter circulation
- temp 28 degrees celcius
- feeding every other day
 

Tug

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With Yamato green as your only source of nutrients, other then fish waist, I expect you have low levels of nitrogen and phosphates. Algae don't need much (witness the green water) but low levels, while plenty for algae, only cause plants to suffer. With all the nutrients in good supply your plant can spend more energy on gathering light. Which would allow you to reduce your lighting. I would think half the light you are using is all you should need. Low N and P as well as too much light pop out as the potential problems you face. CO2 not withstanding.
 
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