Green tank

[angnak]

I have a 37gal Eclipse Goldfish tank, I know they are disgusting animals, but I can not seem to keep it clean. The water keeps turning green.
It has been setup for almost two years and about a month ago it just started. I can do a 90% water change and in 2 days it is back.
I thought it might be my lights were going bad and starting to turn yellowish and promoting algae growth so I changed them and nothing.
I also change the filter everytime I change the water. I use to be able to to only change the water once a month or two. All the water parms are fine. I only test ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and ph. Also, I have heard that goldfish like cold water, but can they live in 70 degree water or is that to warm? Sorry so long.

 

[jlindseyjr]

Actually, I think 70° is the high end of cold water. As for your algae, something must have changed, although it could be almost anything.

 

[grimlock3000]

First up, try you want to NOT change 90% of the water at once, that is very bad for for the fish. Do not change the cartridge all the time either, just rinse it in tank water to preserve the bacteria.

How many Goldfish are in there? Goldfish create massive ammounts of waste and those Eclipse hoods are good but not the best filters around. Any more than 3 Goldfish could be too much for that tank.

 

[TankGirl]

Right, it might be that as the goldfish have grown you are getting increased nitrates, which is promoting algae. You also might just have your lights on too long. A better plan of attack would be doing 15% water changes about every 3 days, and leave your filter alone. Make sure you are not overfeeding, as well.

Also, if you have a Magnum filter, or can borrow one, those can be used as diatom filters (there is a sticky thread somewhere - forgive me - about using this to cure green water).

 

[angnak]

Well I really don't change that much water. It was an exaggeration. I do about 50%. There are three in there and they are about 3-4 inches. I have had two of them for about two years now. So I would assume they are fully grown. The other one we got as a charity case and it the same size as the others. I will try the 15% changes. Do you mean to rinse the bio wheel out or the carbon/floss filter? I only change the carbon/floss filter.

I have a couple of algea eaters in there right now, but it is very hard to keep them alive for more than a couple of months. (this has been the case since I got the fish) Someone told me that it may be due to the temp being so cold, so that is why I am wondering about the 70 degrees. Anymore suggestions about what temp I should keep it at?

 

[TN Tanks]

Things you can do:

Get Phosphate media pads and cut them up and place in your filter. They will get rid of all the bacteria's food, so it cant spread.

If you dont mind spending around 50 dollars, get a Hang On Tank ( HOT ) Magnum filter, they do about 250 GPH and with the active carbon + that phospate pad, it will clear it right up. You can also add pre treatment to your media filter to seal the small pores so the algea cant take hold.

Im not a goldfish expert in any way, but this did fine on a larger scale for my 150 gal. ( I used a 350 gal Magnum... ect. )

 

[TankGirl]

When I kept goldfish I did not use a heater at all, but the tank stayed at the ambient room temp, which seemed fine for them. I don't think you should try to mix tropicals with the goldfish, and instead try to solve the problem causing the algae in the first place, which is a matter of keeping the nutrients they need out of the water. Many water systems have high phosphate (mine included) so the phosphate removing pads are a consideration. You can test for it and see. Keep your nitrates low and your lighting duration limited and that should help a great deal.

Do not rinse or otherwise touch the biowheel. It is meant to house beneficial bacteria so there is no reason to ever fool with it. You also do not need to clean or change your carbon floss filter pad until it is hopelessly clogged and the water is running over the top of it, rather than through it (flaw in my mind of the Eclipse system, especially with high waste producers like goldfish). When it gets clogged just swoosh it around in a bucket of tank water that you just removed, so that the beneficial bacteria present on it will not be killed off by chlorine in the tap water. Then just put it right back. Carbon is not necessary to use regularly, so for my Eclipse I just ignore it, or cut a slit in the filter and dump it out before I put the filter pad in.

Whew! I hope I have not put you totally asleep with this - diarrhea of the fingertips....

 

[angnak]

Thanks everybody.

 

[angnak]

 

[jsoong]

Goldies can live in 70 degree just fine. The fancies (ie double tailed) like the temp even higher, in the mid 70's (some would go as high as 80).