cloudy green water

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BK Buttikoferi

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jul 26, 2013
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This is my 20gallon high community tank. I have 11 lemon tetras, 5 blood fin tetras, 1 male fancy guppy and 3 female. My center fish is the crowntail betta. I use an aqueon 30 filter ph is 6.8 no ammonia issues and i dont keep it any direct sunlight. Water change 50% every week. Still cant clear up this cloudy water. No deaths of any fish and its been up for almost 2 months. Any ideas.
 

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It looks like an algae bloom. I would kill the lights and black out the tank for a couple of days. or you can get a UV sterilizer. Do you have any live plants?
 
Dear BK Buttikoferi
This is a the way to fix it.
There 2 main reasons

Algae bloom. (if its green)
There no way around it, you need a uv light. Its happen from contamination. One drop that all it need. Even from the air or direct sunlight. If you go for total Black out, I mean total, no peaking for 2 week. it's usually 50% chance it will work, If your lucky. Just go straight for a uv light. For 45$ you can have one.

Foggy, cloudi (white, grey)
Your water has lots of particle in the water. Dose particle are attach to bacterial colonies. Its a normal process in aquarium, but because you have to many Decaying plants, excess food or unclean filter, you can see it. Over time that cloudiness will resolve itself. But water change will help to remove they excess particle.

Also, the filter will not remove any of it because its to small. You could add a water clarificater. But make sure to add lots of cotton(forgot the name) in your first stage filter of your aquarium. Better yet, use a secondary filter that’s easy to clean. Don’t forget to turn off your main filter, so that you don’t need to clean it again. Its usually completely clear up after 4 h.
 
Dear BK Buttikoferi
This is a the way to fix it.
There 2 main reasons

Algae bloom. (if its green)
There no way around it, you need a uv light. Its happen from contamination. One drop that all it need. Even from the air or direct sunlight. If you go for total Black out, I mean total, no peaking for 2 week. it's usually 50% chance it will work, If your lucky. Just go straight for a uv light. For 45$ you can have one.

Foggy, cloudi (white, grey)
Your water has lots of particle in the water. Dose particle are attach to bacterial colonies. Its a normal process in aquarium, but because you have to many Decaying plants, excess food or unclean filter, you can see it. Over time that cloudiness will resolve itself. But water change will help to remove they excess particle.

Also, the filter will not remove any of it because its to small. You could add a water clarificater. But make sure to add lots of cotton(forgot the name) in your first stage filter of your aquarium. Better yet, use a secondary filter that’s easy to clean. Don’t forget to turn off your main filter, so that you don’t need to clean it again. Its usually completely clear up after 4 h.

Thank you very much. I will get the uv light. So what is the difference between a uv light and a uv sterilizer ? Do i need both. ?
 
First put some water in a white cup to verify it's got a green tint so you know if it truly is a green water algae bloom.

This is the UV sterilizer many on this site have used very successfully for algae blooms... Green Killing Machine Internal UV Sterilizer with Power Head at PETCO. This unit will actually kill off both algae and bacterial blooms.

Usually a 3 day black out is done for algae blooms, not 2 weeks. But it is a hit or miss method whereas using a UV sterilizer will clear a tank in a couple of days.
 
First put some water in a white cup to verify it's got a green tint so you know if it truly is a green water algae bloom.

This is the UV sterilizer many on this site have used very successfully for algae blooms... Green Killing Machine Internal UV Sterilizer with Power Head at PETCO. This unit will actually kill off both algae and bacterial blooms.

Usually a 3 day black out is done for algae blooms, not 2 weeks. But it is a hit or miss method whereas using a UV sterilizer will clear a tank in a couple of days.

Thanks i will pick one up and keep everyone posted.
 
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