Hello everyone, I made an account here because I'm very frustrated with a green water problem and could use some advice.
I have a 10 gallon fully planted tank. 8 cherry barbs (males), a dwarf hair grass field and a little patch of baby tears. And some rocks.
I have an aqueon 10-20 gal filter, a heater set at 74 degrees and a finnex light.
These are the parameters when the water is super green:
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrate: 0-5ppm
Nitrite: 0
PH: 7.6
GH: 6-11
KH: 0-3
The fish haven't shown any signs of stress or illness.
I used to use filtered water for my tank, I noticed that this problem started when I got lazy and began using dechlorinated tap water for water changes. To rid the water of algae, or slow it's growth, I've tried cutting down the phosphates by using mostly distilled water again and feeding less. I haven't been adding CO2 unless I do a water change, and I add very little (once a week I have to take out 50% because the water is awful). I've also started having my light on for only 4 hours or so a day. That said, the pants in my tank are growing just fine.
I've tried turning down the temp a little as well... but the algae is unstoppable. I've been trying to fix this for weeks. I've been looking at UV sterilizers but would much rather get to the root of the problem than to keep adding gadgets to my tank. Do any of you have experience with treating green water algae?
Thank you
I have a 10 gallon fully planted tank. 8 cherry barbs (males), a dwarf hair grass field and a little patch of baby tears. And some rocks.
I have an aqueon 10-20 gal filter, a heater set at 74 degrees and a finnex light.
These are the parameters when the water is super green:
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrate: 0-5ppm
Nitrite: 0
PH: 7.6
GH: 6-11
KH: 0-3
The fish haven't shown any signs of stress or illness.
I used to use filtered water for my tank, I noticed that this problem started when I got lazy and began using dechlorinated tap water for water changes. To rid the water of algae, or slow it's growth, I've tried cutting down the phosphates by using mostly distilled water again and feeding less. I haven't been adding CO2 unless I do a water change, and I add very little (once a week I have to take out 50% because the water is awful). I've also started having my light on for only 4 hours or so a day. That said, the pants in my tank are growing just fine.
I've tried turning down the temp a little as well... but the algae is unstoppable. I've been trying to fix this for weeks. I've been looking at UV sterilizers but would much rather get to the root of the problem than to keep adding gadgets to my tank. Do any of you have experience with treating green water algae?
Thank you