Green water

[pleco951]

please help, i posted i few weeks ago about green water.
its been driving me crazy to look at a fish tank with a green tinge in it.
am i too idealistic for a 143 gallon tank to be crystal clear?
ive just updated my filtration, afta a comment on my last post, it currently is around 2100lph for a 540 litre tank.
it planted out but not o heavily, has about 30 fish in it and the last parameters (a few days ago) were:
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrate: 0.5
Nitrite: 0
Ph: 6

i did a series of 20% water changes around 3 in a row, yet to no aval.
i havent added any chemicals

pls pls help

 

[bs6749]

Your tank isn't cycled since you have ammonia present. How long has the tank been up and running? Did you attempt to cycle it? Once the ammonia and nirtite go away (after you take care of ammonia you will see nitrite) your tank will be in much better shape. It's not necessarily about the amount of filtration at this point, it's about the quantity of beneficial bacteria present and since you have ammonia in the tank the level of bacteria isn't where it should be yet.

 

[joy13]

You could get a few daphnia and have your own live food.

 

[pleco951]

i cylced the tank for about a month without fish, i have added some Stress Zyme every week since cycling to establish bacteria growth.

 

[Nyquil Junkie]

Buy a UV sterilizer

 

[missileman]

i cylced the tank for about a month without fish, i have added some Stress Zyme every week since cycling to establish bacteria growth.

What do you mean by you cycled it? Did you add amonia to the water?
If not you didn't cycle anything, and a month is too short unless you add live bacteria. Stress Zyme, to spite its claims, does not contain active bacteria and although it will speed up a cycle it will still take quite a lot of time.

 

[pleco951]

thanks, but no i didint add ammonia, the trusty old pet shop people told me that all that was needed was a good dechlorinator, and some stress zyme
i ve had the tank running about 2 months now, i have to admit that it has got slightly beter from the oringinal state, i guess its just a matter of paitience!!!
thanks

 

[pleco951]

by

 

[pleco951]

by cycling i mean letting the water filter for a month whille adding stress zyme when directed.
thanks

 

[jsoong]

Cycling refers to establishing the nitrogen cycle in the tank, where you have enough bacteria to convert ammonia (fish waste) to harmless (or less harmful) nitrate. Please read the cycling article in the articles section if you are not familiar with the concept. <And just running an empty tank for a month is not cycling.>

And having ammonia in the tank means the cycle is incomplete. This is the likely reason for the green water. Right now, you are prob. better off leaving the green water alone, as the algae is actually helpful in removing the ammonia & moderating its peak. <And if you look to nature, the ponds that are full of life are never crystal clear ....> Once you get your tank cycled, you can tackle the green water. <By then, it might be gone all by itself!>

 

[pleco951]

thanks heaps, will let it cylce properly
thanks for the help

 

[GhostKnife]

Your tank is NOT cycled. Its clear by the ammonia being at .5 and nothing else. Your water is more likely green because of a build up of bacteria. Adding stress zyme too much is not good either. Right now you need to read up on the nitrogen cycle. Your fish..30??? wow you will more than likely lose some fish because ammonia and nitrite are both deadly to inhabitants, hopefully not. I would suggest you fill in the people that helped you start your tank that they should find another hobby to lecture people about. Really shouldnt be working at a pet/fish store.

 

[gzeiger]

Free ammonia is very easy for algae (and other plants) to metabolize, which is why you'll find it listed in any commercial fertilizer. Until the ammonia is under control don't worry about the green water. It's a fight you can't win with so much fertilizer in the water, and a fight that will likely be easy to win later on.

 

[Hairy_Harold]

I'd say add some purigen