Green Water - Nitrate to blame?

[mattmathis]

I have a 10 gallon tank shrimp that I have been cycling. I woke up this morning to a Green Water Algae Bloom. It is not really bad now. Do they get progressively worse?

It has been finished cycling (fishless) for 3 days, and I have been adding a drop or two of ammonia every day since then. It usually takes 1 day for the ammonia to drop back to zero. Nitrite stays at zero. The nitrates are really high, around 80. I was waiting until right before I got my shrimp to do the large water change.

I read that high nitrates could cause algae blooms. Do you think that is the problem? Should I do the large water change now? And then do another right before I get the shrimp?

Thanks!

 

[timwag2001]

a large water change would be a good thing. followed by a blackout. green water is usually caused by ammonia.

if the water change and blackout dont work you can use a uv sterilizer. that works awesome.

i've also heard of using willow branches somehow

 

[blue71]

I had that problem, water changes didn't work for me, so I tried a UV sterilizer, definately worth the $40 at petsmart, here is a website address, I had the large version but you could use the small one in a 10 gallon,
Internal UV Sterilizer with Power Head and UV Sterilizer Lamp Replacements - UV Sterilizers - Filtration & Circulation - PetSmart

 

[Blueiz]

How long are you leaving the lights on in the tank, is it near a natural light source?

Algae is caused by an imbalance of nutrients in the tank, not one general specific thing for all tanks. There is a high probablity that your nitrates are causing this bllom, and because it is green, to much light. Remember, lighting is a nutrient as well .

 

[timwag2001]

here is where i heard the willow branch trick
James' Planted Tank - Algae Guide

 

[mattmathis]

Thanks all, I was doing a lot of re-planting the day before, I heard that might have something to do with it.

I did about a 90% water change two days ago, and rinsed out the filters with water from my 75 gallon tank. It was a little cloudy after the water change, but not green. Now it looks pretty clear. Do you think this thing will come back?

Fingers crossed.