Cloudy water

[krbooker]

You should add aquarium salt to your tank, 1 tbls for every 5 gal of water. It will be healthier for the fish and your tank. You said that you got this problem after you trimmed your plants back how long ago did you do this?

 

[Grrriph]

You should add aquarium salt to your tank, 1 tbls for every 5 gal of water. It will be healthier for the fish and your tank. You said that you got this problem after you trimmed your plants back how long ago did you do this?

Last week to the date

 

[krbooker]

I think I remember reading that you have had this tank for two years with no problems, are you sure that your filtration is working properly? When was the last time you disassembled your filtration motor and cleaned it?

 

[Grrriph]

I think I remember reading that you have had this tank for two years with no problems, are you sure that your filtration is working properly? When was the last time you disassembled your filtration motor and cleaned it?

3 weeks ago. It happened the day after I did a water change

 

[meegosh]

The only problem I see with doing a blackout is that it is a temporary fix, if it is an alage problem once you start putting the lights back on your problem will return.

Blackout is only the beginning of the fix. Once you have it eliminated, then you can start to fix the underlying issues. I'm guessing it has to do with the new lighting fixture and excess nutrients.

Algae needs light and nutrients to thrive. You can out compete the algae for nutrients with faster growing stem plants.

What size is the tank so I can figure out your wpg? CO2 is typically not needed until you hit the ~2.5wpg mark. At that lighting level you will also need to start dosing ferts to keep everything in balance. Adding CO2 doesn't mean the algae will go away on its own.

 

[krbooker]

I agree with meegosh in that the lighting system is most likely the problem. Your tank is too well situated for this just to happen on its own, so been as the lighting system is the only thing you have done differently most likely that is where your problem lies.

When you bought the new lights did you check to see if the energy level and the wave lengths were close to your old system? If not try checking those. Do you still have the old system or is it broken? If it still works try putting it back on for a while and see what happens.

 

[meegosh]

You should add aquarium salt to your tank, 1 tbls for every 5 gal of water. It will be healthier for the fish and your tank. You said that you got this problem after you trimmed your plants back how long ago did you do this?

I'd have to disagree with adding salt. Salt is completely unnecessary in a freshwater tank with your typical inhabitants. After all, they call them freshwater tanks for a reason.

Plants and salt don't mix too well either, even at lower levels. You may be fine with some of the hardier species but salt will wreak havoc on delicate stem plants.

 

[krbooker]

You are entitled to your opinion, but I have been using aquarium salt in all of my fresh water tanks for over 10 years now with absolutely no problems. Also if you check ALL water contains sodium to some level no mater how minute even fresh water.

 

[meegosh]

I never said it caused problems (only with delicate plants). I said it was unnecessary. Those same tanks probably would have had no problems with no salt added too. I'll save the money and spend it on something else.

 

[krbooker]

No problem.

 

[Grrriph]

Blackout is only the beginning of the fix. Once you have it eliminated, then you can start to fix the underlying issues. I'm guessing it has to do with the new lighting fixture and excess nutrients.

Algae needs light and nutrients to thrive. You can out compete the algae for nutrients with faster growing stem plants.

What size is the tank so I can figure out your wpg? CO2 is typically not needed until you hit the ~2.5wpg mark. At that lighting level you will also need to start dosing ferts to keep everything in balance. Adding CO2 doesn't mean the algae will go away on its own.

I have a 45 gallon in the taller side. 2x36W one at 6.5k and 10k. The reflectors are supposedly 160% more efficient but that's probably a joke, but idk. Ive have the light for a couple months with no problem and then BAM, cloudy, like 12 hours acter a water change. I don't add any ferts, besides the fish waste. I have one plant that wasn't surviving and another that was growin like crazy. Here's a pic of when I had the lights setup and added plants. Don't yell about the fish. I didn't know when I first got them 2 years ago. And the plants that's growing in my first pick was trimmed back a lot. If you can, can you tell me what plants that is? Thanks for your time.

 

[Grrriph]

Blackout is only the beginning of the fix. Once you have it eliminated, then you can start to fix the underlying issues. I'm guessing it has to do with the new lighting fixture and excess nutrients.

Algae needs light and nutrients to thrive. You can out compete the algae for nutrients with faster growing stem plants.

What size is the tank so I can figure out your wpg? CO2 is typically not needed until you hit the ~2.5wpg mark. At that lighting level you will also need to start dosing ferts to keep everything in balance. Adding CO2 doesn't mean the algae will go away on its own.

Do you recommend any fast growing stem plants?

 

[aqua_chem]

Hmmmmm, 36w you say? What kind of light is this? Are you sure it's not 39w, making it a T5HO fixture?


As far as stem plants go, I would recommend wisteria, water sprite, and hornwort. Hygrophila Polysperma is another fast grower, but it can be hard to get these days.

 

[Grrriph]

Hmmmmm, 36w you say? What kind of light is this? Are you sure it's not 39w, making it a T5HO fixture?

As far as stem plants go, I would recommend wisteria, water sprite, and hornwort. Hygrophila Polysperma is another fast grower, but it can be hard to get these days.

Yeah they're 36W CF

 

[Grrriph]

Yeah they're 36W CF

Do you recommend any other way to combat the algae? Getting new lights is out of the question, so what else can I do?

 

[roydooms]

Do you recommend any other way to combat the algae? Getting new lights is out of the question, so what else can I do?

Lessening the time of "lights on" and/or splitting the time might help. Lessening the time for sure will help. I set my light's timer 4 hours on, 4 off, 4 on, 12 off. That's when my tank had an algae breakout. I would also do a couple huge PWCs to reset the nutrients in your water and follow the regular dozing again.

 

[meegosh]

As far as stem plants go, I would recommend wisteria, water sprite, and hornwort. Hygrophila Polysperma is another fast grower, but it can be hard to get these days.

Hygrophila Polysperma is on the federal noxious weed list which is probably why you don't see it for sale very often. It is illegal to sell it across state lines. You can trade it within your own state though, so if you can find a local seller, you'll be fine.

I agree with the other choices. Wisteria and hornwort are nutrient hogs.

Source: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HYPO3

 

[Derekkaine]

If you dose with a product called waste control it will make it cloudy

 

[krbooker]

As I said b4 if what u have is a water born algae problem u can hook up an ultraviolet light filter 2 the line going from ur main filtration system to ur tank. The ultraviolet light will kill off any algae in ur water. The lights r good for 5000+ hours and should run u about 30-100 dollars depending on the size u get. For ur tank ud probably get away with the smaller size filter.

 

[Grrriph]

As I said b4 if what u have is a water born algae problem u can hook up an ultraviolet light filter 2 the line going from ur main filtration system to ur tank. The ultraviolet light will kill off any algae in ur water. The lights r good for 5000+ hours and should run u about 30-100 dollars depending on the size u get. For ur tank ud probably get away with the smaller size filter.

If I decide to get one, should I leave it on all the time or just when the problem comes up? Thanks for your patience.