Algae will not go away

[gjw9]

I've got a 75g freshwater that has been green for almost three weeks now. There is no ammonia or nitrites, I have done 40 percent water changes every third day, I have not fed the fish very much, I am now even trying something called AlgaeFix and the green stuff will not go away. On top of this, can someone tell me how I now have snails in my aquarium. I know I didn't but any, but they are there all of a sudden. The good news is I have not lost any fish, but the tank looks really bad. Please help. Oh yea, I tried a 48 hour blackout also. I want the green stuff gone.

 

[Menagerie]

What is the nitrate level? Have you bought any plants lately?

You will need longer than 48 hours for a blackout to effect the algae.

 

[Menagerie]

Since you have not bought plants, I'm not sure where the snails came from. Can you describe the snails?

 

[Lance M.]

The snails would come on any plants that you buy, but if you don't have any then they must be those spontaneously appearing snails... 8)

There was a person around here that had a huge problem with algae and since he knew the lfs owner very well, the lfs loned him a uv sterilizer (used for ponds) and the aglae was gone in no time and hasn't appeared since.

 

[treedae]

i used to have pretty bad algae probs, but now that I've introduced 6 hrs on/2 hrs off/6 hrs on/12 hrs off timer for my light I have negligible algae growth. This is supposed to be helpful b/c the more primitive photosynthetic process of the algae cannot adequately cope with an interrupted light source that more evolved plants can.

 

[mitche8359]

I've had snails come in on fish before. I know it sounds absurd, but that's the last thing I added to my tank before the snails showed up.

As far as the algae growth, I've been working on controlling that as well. I've been trying 4.5 hours on 2 hours off, 4.5 hours on, for a week now. The algae is not looking worse, possibly a bit better.

 

[TankGirl]

You can rent a diatom filter - that will cure green water, but as mentioned, excess nutrients and light will contribute.

If you bought a fish and when it was netted a tiny snail was on the net, then it got into the bag, and you (perhaps) dumped the bag contents into your tank wtih the fish, the snail could be introduced.