Cloudy Green Water Help.

[current516]

For a variety of reasons, mainly overfeeding my fish, I have very cloudy Greenish water.

Assuming I have fixed the problems causing the cloudy water, how do I get rid of it?

Water changes alone won't do it, will they? What should I do?[/code]

[rich311k]

What are your test levels including Nitrates. Phosphates, [acronym:3ed028406b="Carbonate Hardness"]KH[/acronym:3ed028406b] and [acronym:3ed028406b="power head or Measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions, depending on context"]PH[/acronym:3ed028406b]?

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Assuming you've solved what caused it (typicall high phosphates or excessive lighting period), reduce your lighting to 1 hr/day or blackout the tank for 3-4 days.

[current516]

I don't have a Phosphate test kit and the strips I was using ran out for Nitrates. I know, how are you supposed to help right? I am bring my water to my [acronym:e065dcd758="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:e065dcd758] tomorrow, they said they'll test phosphate and Nitrates for me.

[acronym:e065dcd758="Carbonate Hardness"]KH[/acronym:e065dcd758] is 3, When the lights been on the [acronym:e065dcd758="power head or Measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions, depending on context"]PH[/acronym:e065dcd758] is 6.8, when they're off it's 6.6.

Not enough info?

[current516]

I've been leaving my light on for 9 1/2 hrs. Could I still reduce it?
How many hours do my plants need?

[travis simonson]

A full blackout (no lights, tank fully covered) for 3-5 days is a great way to wipe out green water issues. Run additional aeration, do not feed or fertilize. Your fish and plants are large multi-cellular organisms that can handle this well becuase they have reserves to fall back on. Algae has very few reserves to fall back on and will die off quickly when its food source is removed. That's why blackouts are so effective.

[current516]

OK I started the blackout this morning.

Now I'm on my way over to the [acronym:eebb5af271="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:eebb5af271] to get my water tested for phosphates. I hope that's not a problem. According to Malkore's sticky, levels of .5 to 1.5ppm are good. What do I do if they are too high? It doesn't say in the sticky.

Thanks all! I'll keep you updated.

[BlazerFRS]

Water changes will reduce phosphates (like they would anyhting else in the water), unless you have phosphates in your tap water too... then you only option would be posphate absorbing crystals that go in your filter. [acronym:3fc05f61a8="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:3fc05f61a8] would have those.

[current516]

[acronym:793276dab6="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:793276dab6] tested my water, and say everythings OK.
Nitrate-OK
Phosphates .5 or less

So hopefully the Blackout will do the trick.

[acronym:793276dab6="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:793276dab6] girl suggested AlgaeFix, but I didn't buy it. I'm very wary of additives thanks to folks here at AA. Right on the back it said it would harm my shrimp.

So... Monday night, I uncover the tank. Will the water still be cloudy with, hopefully dead, algae?

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

It should be crystal clear, you just have to do a gravel vac to remove the dead algae on the bottom of the tank.. And you may want to feed the fish first just so you can get any uneaten food up aswell.

Good job avoiding those chems. typically algae removers that work on greenwater (clear is typically in the name) will coagulate the algae so your filter can pick it up, sad part is it also coagulates in the fishes gills.