Green water..HELP

[djmpj2]

Our tank has been green for about 2 weeks now. All water parameters are very good:

ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 8.1

Salinity 1.024
Phosphates - undetectable
Silicates - undetectable
Temp: 77-78

These are some things we have recently done to try to fix our problem:

We have added an additional 40 pounds of liverock from liverocks.com to bring our total LR to 75 pounds. We have replaced the gravel in our canister filter with live rock rubble. We are running a carbon bag in the canister filter. We pulled off our recently added Aqua C Remora Pre-Skimmer incase that was the problem. We have done a 20% water change. (We dont use tap water, we mix our own with distilled and test it thoroughly prior to adding). The water we took our was very green but you can even tell we did anything, the tank still looks green. We were told to reduce our lights to 5 hours a day by the LFS. We did that for a week and no change. Now back to our normal 10 hours a day. The tank does not get any natural sunlight.

All livestock seem fine and we feed once daily. We feed brine one day and mysis the next, back and forth.

I know some of you have offered suggestions in another thread but I belive I've done them all and nothing is improving this issue.

We need more ideas, please!

TIA
DJ

 

[Steppa]

If your waters green, then get a UV light. That will clean it up.

I have a 1500gal pond which started to turn green so I bought a UV light and in two days, it was looking clear as day.

 

[djmpj2]

I have the 30" Coralife Lunar Aqualights. I don't think we have the UV lights you've mentioned. Here are the specs on my light:

Double Linear Strip with 2-65 watt True Actinic and 2-65 watt 10,000K Compact Fluorescent Lamps Straight Pin Base with Cooling Fans.3-3/4 watt Blue-Moon-Glow LED Lamps 3 On/Off switches

If I don't already have what you are talking about, please tell me where do I get it and how do I add it to my setup? I've seen UV sterilizers, is that the same thing? Do you submerge them in the tank? They seem expensive!

TIA
DJ

 

[ASpec]

He is speaking of a UV Sterilizer. This is not a light fixture such as you have.

There are pro's and con's to using one, I'd suggest you read up on them before you run out and purchase one. There is a great introduction artcie written by LoganJ located at http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=39

Should you decide to purchase on you must understand the minimum and maximum flow rates, else they are useless. And I'd suggest the Coralife TurboTwist should you decide to purchase one.

 

[zacdl]

There is a DIY sterilizer you can make. I should maybe post it.

 

[seaham358]

Algae bloom of some kind.... I would do what the LFS says and keep the lights cut back, stop feeding every day try every other to every 3 days. How old are your test kits?? maybe have someone else test your water.
UV will kill free floating algae..... Do you have acess to a diatom filter? this will clean up the water or usa a magnum filter with diatom powder this will also work .
But you need to figure out why your having the bloom....
Any corals to worry about? Caluerpa in the tank?

 

[djmpj2]

I actually just got a new test kit. I was using strips and switched to Seachem. I also had my LFS test water and they said everything was great.

The only reason I went back to my 10 hours of lights is because Mike at Liverocks told me his LR is used to 10 and the 5 hours wouldn't be good for the new rock.

What is a diatom filter? Does it work in conjunction with my canister filter?

I'm not really crazy about buying another expensive addition to the tank (UV ster. or diatom filter) without determining what has gone wrong in the last 2 weeks. I just put $225 of liverock in trying to cure this green water.

We had diatoms a while back, but the water was clear.

DJ

 

[lando]

Can you get a pic of your tank? It does sound like an algea bloom but you can try cheap fixes first. First course of action...water change. Then try running some GAC and see if it clears the water up. If not, it is an algea problem.

 

[djmpj2]

I am at work so I cannot get a picture of it right now.

It is basically green water with some areas of milky white cloudiness.

I am running a carbon bag in the canister filter for about 6 days now. Been doing frequent water changes, with 20% most recently 2 days ago. It doesn't show an ounce of improvement after the water change.

Lando, I do belive it's an algae bloom, but don't know what caused it. Any suggestions on how to fix it? I have read the good and bad about the UV Sterilizers. I wish I could borrow one instead of buy one. What would you do if it were your tank?

I don't understand how the diatom filter works. Is that in conjunction with my canister filter? Does it hang on the tank?

DJ

 

[seaham358]

The lights help the algae bloom as well as wter quality issues.

Have you tested the distilled water? Is it possible some bottled spring water was used?

A diatom filter is a special filter that is used with diatom powder, it filters minute particles out of the water and will clear the water. But you need to find the source of the problem or it will just come back.
They run under $100 online.
With that much LR in the tank I would take the rubble out of the canister and run some more carbon and filter floss to help clear up the water. What kind of carbon are you using? Cheap carbon can cause problems.,just a thought!!!

Adding extra LR will not cure the problem only help with filtration. My guess is there is a water quality issue here somewhere. Not all test kits can pickup small traces for silacates and phosphates.

 

[djmpj2]

OK, consensus.. how long each day should we run the lights as to diminish the algae, but keep the live rock in good shape?

We don't test each gallon of distilled separately, but test the whole batch of SW once it has mixed for 24 hours. In addition to the normal ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, we also test for Phosphates and Silicates using the Seachem tests.

Assuming anything is possibly, we might have grabbed a jug of Spring Water off the Walmart shelf when buying our distilled water. We are usually pretty careful, but I guess everyone makes mistakes. Since we cannot think of ANY other reason for this algae bloom, maybe that's it.

We just put the LR rubble in the canister on Saturday, per advice rec'd here. I don't really feel like switching it back to the tank already. Is there any harm in leaving it like that for a while?

If you were me, which would you do to solve your green water problem? Assuming you could only choose one, since the wallet is not bottomless here (by the way, you know that saying about boats, if you have to ask you can't afford it? That should be the motto for Salt Water Aquariums!!)

1. diatom filter?
2. uv sterilizer?
3. RO/DI unit - which probably won't even help at this point, but might prevent future issues.

DJ

 

[seaham358]

ro/di and lots of water changes
ebay for around 100

 

[djmpj2]

Just got back form the LFS. They retested the water and all is perfect. They are just as stumped as me. They were sure they were going to find high nitrites (over feeding) or phosphates. They found neither.

They did try to convince me to buy either a UV Sterilizer or a Diatom filter. They said it MIGHT help. I didn't want to do it until I got some opinions here. They did suggest the two brands I am currently thinking of getting (Coralife for the UV and Vortex for the Diatom). I can't do both. Which should I get? Should I start a new thread looing for opinions?

TIA
DJ

 

[seaham358]

Some how we need to figure out why you have a bloom... Water tests are all ok.
IMO both will help clean the water... IMO a diatom will do it faster and only needs to be ran when you have a problem. You also need the diatom powder that goes with it.
A UV will kill free floating algae and you need to follow the flow rate for the unit you get so it will work correctly. Having no sump you will need to get a hang on back type of UV, you will also need a power head just for the UV. You maybe able to have it hooked up to the canister if the flow rate is not too high.
UV will help kill any paracites in the tank that pass through it , but a Diatom can also aid in this by catching them in the filter.
Do a google search for the diatom filter. I just got one from petsmart and they had some good prices on them.

 

[djmpj2]

If I order a diatom filter I will probably order from www.diatomfilters.com which is a subsidiary of Aquatic-Store.com

They seem to have great prices.. the best I've seen. I don't know whether to get the Vortex D-1 Diatom Filter w/ Stand for $66.99 (which does up to 55 gallon tank) or the Vortex XL Diatom Filter for $89.90 (which does 55 and above). I have a 55 gallon tank, so I am right on the border. Is this one of those things were more power is better? They also sell the Diatom Filter Powder in 1, 3 and 5 pound bags.

I read somewhere that when you start up a diatom filter, it will produce a cloud of white into your tank from the powder. I don't want to go from a green tank to a white one. Is this something to be worried about?

TIA
DJ

 

[seaham358]

IMO the D-1 will be fine. I used the D1 on my 125 and it worked very well at cleaning the water when my UV light pump failed and baked the light sending all kinds of nasty crap into the reef.
There can be a white cloud released into the tank but the filter will clean that up it will not stay there. If you follow the directions and go slow there won't be much of a cloud. If you get the extra $12 valve this will help control the cloud at start up because it recycles the water already in the unit till the filter gets coated with diatom powder.
I want to say the 1lb bag will give you 5-6 charges.
The D1 they say is built to run up to 8 hours the XL can run 24/7. I guess some people use these as full time filters.
I ran the D1 for about 15 hours with no problems, Im sure it can run longer if needed. It just what they had on the site.

 

[djmpj2]

Thank you Seaham, you've been extremely helpful. That's exactly what I needed.
I think I'll go ahead and order this.

DJ

 

[seaham358]

I am not saying that this is a cure all..... There is still some reason for the bloom.

But the filter should help clear the water up till you figure out what is going on.

 

[djmpj2]

For those of you following this thread..

I ordered the diatom filter but haven't rec'd it yet, but my green water is GOING AWAY! We are very happy. Still don't know what caused it, but whatever it was, hopefully we don't repeat the mistake!

Thanks go everyone who offered advice!

DJ

 

[seaham358]

Sounds like the algae bloom is over.... Its possible it used up what ever nutrients it was feeding off of in the tank. Thats good news...