Jaide Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 My community tank water always looks green - I don't know what it is or how to get rid of it (see pic) - in the pic, I've actually just done a water change and cleaned the tank out! It's better but still very green. I have two smaller tanks that aren't filtered and have no problems with green water in them (and they have plants in them too). The community tank has 2x silver dollars, 2x angels, 6x khuli loaches, 6x cories and 1x BN. It's filtered and has one plant. I don't use the tank light much as the dollars freak out when I turn it on if the place is dark first - but the room gets plenty of light so the plant is growing happily (also have one of my smaller tanks in the same room). The fish seem fine - have had them in the tank for years and are not bothered by the green filament at the bottom of the tank or the colour. So, what can it be and how can I get rid of it? I notice there is a lot of greenish film sitting at the bottom of the tank which is regularly siphoned when I do a gravel clean, but a layer quickly builds up again - assume this is the culprit but no idea what it is. I also have wood in there for the BN - could this be the cause of the problem? I'd just like a clear tank for once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbunting Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Get a uveiw steralizer it makes green water into clear water but if the water is a brown tea like colour you then need a bio chem pouch if you are in auckland go into a holy wood fish farm there is 1 in Mt Roskill and Albany and they will ship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 While you could get a UV and all sorts of other chemical things to sort it out you are probably better (and it will be cheaper) to find out why it is happening and fix that.. If it is brown water then it could be your driftwood leaching into the tank? They do this for a while, I have heard carbon helps reduce this but haven't verified this, if this is the cause then you can either remove your driftwood and boil it to try remove the tannins or wait. If your water is a green colour then it could be some sort of algae in the water, this is caused by an excess of something, usually nutrients or light. Have you tried changing the food you are using on this tank? I had problems with green water and traced it back to the food I was using being too full of phosphates. Where are you getting your water from for your water changes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 do you have driftwood in the tank as this turns the water brown'sh green. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Once again, what colour is the water? Green water usually means algae. Use a UV sterilizer or cut back on lighting and feeding and do a large water change. Possible full tank black-out may be needed. Brown/Yellow/Tea Coloured water can mean that there are tannins in you water. These lower your pH and usually come from driftwood or peat in the filter White/Cloudy water is what I get whenever a start up a new tank. It's just the water before it's settled down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Too much natural light will cause the water to turn green - it doesn't have to be direct sunlight. to help get rid of it put some filter wool in the intake of the filter, this will turn green fairly quickly. Cover the tank with something dark for 3 days and stop feeding and it should clear up. A UV sterilizer will get rid of it but unless you keep the sterilizer running it will come back unless you stop the cause/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted June 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 I think it must be the wood - I bought it from a pet shop so hoped it would be tank-ready but guess it will still leak tannins? I can't boil it though as it has a plant and BN permanently attached to it The PH level is often low so guess the wood is the cause again, I always have to crank it up - I'm using baking soda now as I've run out of PH Up - but I'm sure baking soda does the job too. the tank water is yellow-green in colour, probably is hard to tell in the pic, but what could the dark green filament be at the bottom of the tank I have to siphon out every week? Anyway, I could remove the wood but then the BN needs it as part of her diet, which is why I bought it in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 lol at and BN permanently attached to it I have a BN attached to one of my pieces as well! My water is slightly yellow..I boiled it first but the water is still slightly brownish yellow ... every waterchange it gets less yellow. I have trouble keeping my pH low enough, maybe I need a bigger piece of driftwood. my PH creeps up to 7.4+ because of our high water supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 pH up is just baking soda I think (just a lot more expensive). Why are you using it? It is better to have a stable pH than one you keep altering with baking soda or chemicals etc. The brown colour from the wood is actually liked by many fish, though it doesn't always look so good to human eyes :roll: Although wood will lower the pH a little, it shouldn't make that much difference. Fish waste lowers pH. Are you doing regular water changes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 What does the ph go down to? Most of fish in your tank are from south america anyway, and proabably appreciate a lower ph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raewyna Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 There was another similar thread the other day. The book I have "Ecology of the planted aquarium" has a lot of technical info about everything that's going on in the tank. Anyway, the main message about green water algae is that the conditions in the tank are favouring the algae rather than the plants. If you get more plants, and get them growing really well, then they should eventually out-compete the algae. I have 4 tanks, all of which have had green water at some time, and only the newest one is still a problem. The one that was worst is now great with heaps of plants growing and crystal clear water. And sited between window and ranch slider. I know how frustrating it can be - you do a water change and within a day or so it's worse than ever. Be assured that so long as it doesn't reach saturation point it's not going to hurt the fish. It's only a visual problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 There was another similar thread the other day. The book I have "Ecology of the planted aquarium" has a lot of technical info about everything that's going on in the tank. Anyway, the main message about green water algae is that the conditions in the tank are favouring the algae rather than the plants. If you get more plants, and get them growing really well, then they should eventually out-compete the algae. I have 4 tanks, all of which have had green water at some time, and only the newest one is still a problem. The one that was worst is now great with heaps of plants growing and crystal clear water. And sited between window and ranch slider. I know how frustrating it can be - you do a water change and within a day or so it's worse than ever. Be assured that so long as it doesn't reach saturation point it's not going to hurt the fish. It's only a visual problem. That would help is the problem was 'Green water' the algae, But it seems to be the Wood leaching tannins. Which is completely different to algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted June 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 What is this green stuff? I cleaned out the tank yesterday and already there's another layer of it (clearly visible in bottom of tank without sediment) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 that appears to be algae clumped together. Did you wipe the bottom of the tank and sides to get rid of the algae on them? Just suck the floating bits out now. It will help get rid of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishybiz Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 Biochemzorb in your filter will have the tank crystal clear in a matter of hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted July 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 I have a tank I might move the wood and BN to (about 40 to 60 litres) which is currently empty. I thought I might add a Siamese Fighter or two as well as I understand they like wood or at least those sorts of conditions? What other fish like or tolerate wood in tanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 I would hazard a guess to say that no fish doesn't like wood. They don't really care. Plecos need it to help digestion. Some like hiding under it. In a 60L BNs and a Betta would just about do it. Depending on the temperament of the Betta. Perhaps half a dozen small tetra's or rasbora's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 The fighters love the water a bit yellow. It makes their colour a lot stronger. What kind of fighter would you be looking for? VT, CT, HM, Delta? If you would like a couple of little guys/gals for the tank let me know and I should be able to sort you out with something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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