Tank is yellowish/green

[Ralphie126]

Hey guys, I am not sure where to post this but i'm doing it here. Anyways, I have a 36g bow and my light just blew out last week and i bought a new one. I put it in and then all of the sudden my tanks turned a weird color, yellowish/greenish. I am not sure what to do......

 

[librarygirl]

So the water is a yellow/green? What kind of light and what's the wattage? How long are the lights on? Is there any sunlight getting to the tank? Did you add any new driftwood?

 

[Ralphie126]

yea, the here is the light, Aqueon® T-8 Full Spectrum Daylight Fluorescent Lamp - Lighting & Hoods - Fish - PetSmart it is the 24 inch model

 

[Ralphie126]

no there is no sunlight nor driftwood

 

[Ralphie126]

should i try to get a new light?

 

[librarygirl]

I don't think it's the light. It's 25 watts for a 36 gal so that isn't too much. Is this the same light you used before? If not what was the other one? Any live plants in the tank? How long do you keep the lights on each day?

 

[Ralphie126]

Yes it is the same light I have always had and the one I had b4 did not do this. I do have several live plants. The light is on for about 14 hours per day

 

[Ralphie126]

Here are some pics

 

[Aquarist1234]

Looks like an algae boom if you ask me.

 

[Ralphie126]

how do i get rid of it?

 

[Aquarist1234]

how do i get rid of it?

Any commercial algae remover will work fine.

 

[Interloper]

Or turn the tank lights off and let it clear...

 

[aoessand]

wouldnt water changes and a lil scrubbing clear that right up way faster than lights or chemicals?

 

[barterking85]

wouldnt water changes and a lil scrubbing clear that right up way faster than lights or chemicals?

That would be the first step after which I would try a black out. How long has the tank been setup?plus 14 hrs is a bit long for lights to be on try 8hrs that was the magic number for me

 

[TangoTank]

I had an algae bloom on the 2nd day after filling my tank. I don't have any direct sunlight & left the light on 4-5 hours, maybe, IDK--haven't turned the lights on since!! I didn't have any plants, EVERYTHING was brand new, no seeded media. I blacked the tank out 3 or so days before beginning my Fishless cycle. I am still doing a Fishless cycle & I have a minor bloom now. I've changed the water 2x since the beginning & it gets very clear, then slowly comes back, it hasn't gotten as bad as the first time. Just thought I'd share my algae bloom experience w/ you. I have not tried any algae removal products. I have heard it's* not harmful to the fish (don't quote me though!!) and there are **diatomic filters that help remove the algae bloom* (again, don't quote me... but it's a start of where you can go from to try to solve the problem). Oh, and algae love phosphates, could your water source be high in phosphates?? I used Spring Water the first time filling my tank & come to find out, that particular brand is drawn from close to phosphate mines! YIKES!! So I use tap city water now but I think once the algae bloom is there, it takes awhile to get it out.

*heard the Algae Bloom is not harmful to the fish

**EDIT: So they're not diatoms but I've read diatomic filters will help remove the algae bloom--might not be true though!

 

[Aquarist1234]

Algae is not harmful to the fish, it just doesn't look good.

 

[Ralphie126]

Alright thanks guys

 

[BillD]

A green algae bloom is not caused by diatoms. It is caused by single cell green algae. It is not harmful to the fish, and a few experienced fish keepers who I trust, believe it is good for fish health. This may be true in that the algae has removed nitrogenous compounds from the water and are carrying it in their tissue. A large water change will help reduce it, although it may take several, and the photo period should be reduced from 14 to 8 hours.
You can look at it this way; removing the algae is another way of exporting nutrients from the tank. If you leave it in the tank to die, by a blackout perhaps, you will be adding all that nitrogenous waste back to the tank as the dead algae breaks down.

 

[librarygirl]

I agree, 14 hours is a lot, reduce it to 8 as Bill D suggested. Do some water changes to get rid of the green water and reduce the light, see if that helps.

 

[TangoTank]

A green algae bloom is not caused by diatoms. It is caused by single cell green algae...

Since they're not diatoms... I've read that a diatomic filter will remove an algae bloom, no??