New/used tank green algae water.

[Seeker_7]

Yesterday, my friend and I bought 2 tanks from someone. They had purchased a house and the previous owner left the tanks there. Mine is 65 gallons. The new home owners pretty much just fed the fish for the last year and that's it. No water changes, filter changes, just food. The tank was in direct sunlight too.

I inherited 3 rainbow fish and lots of bright green water. The glass looked good yesterday, but after draining it to move, the water left a bright yellowy green film all over the glass. The fish are beautiful and seem fine and I've moved them to a tank I have set up at the house already with clean, healthy water and no other fish.
My question is this: With the severe algae problem happening in there, is the filter contaminated with the algae? Do I need to clean it and start all over seeding it with stuff from my other tank? (I also have angelplus active sponges in my other tank just stewing away.) Can I fill the tank back up and run the filter with it as is even though the tank was green? It's a Rena Filstar XP2.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Rivercats]

First off is the water itself green when you put it in a white cup? Or is the glass just have a green algae coating? Green water is an algae bloom and has to be handled differently than algae on the glass. If the glass is algae laden simply wipe it off or use an algae magnet to clean it. Don't worry about the second as for as filling the tank back up. I can tell you what to do for an algae bloom if that is the problem.

As for the filter I would trash the old media and use media in your established tank to jump start this tank. You still might have a cycle but it should be bad. Just monitor you ammonia and nitrites daily and do a WC whenever the get above .25ppm until the tank is fully cycled.

 

[Seeker_7]

The water itself was green. We emptied it most of the way to move it. The substrate smelled HORRIBLE and the water smelled awful as well.

 

[Rivercats]

Okay if the water was green and you filled the tank back up you have 2 choices. The quickest and most efficient way to kill all the free floating algae that causes an algae bloom is to use a UV sterilizer such as this one which many people on the forum use and have had great success killing off algae blooms... Green Killing Machine Internal UV Sterilizer with Power Head at PETCO.

The other option is to do a 3 day total blackout. You have to completely cover the top, sides, and even the bottom of the tank if it's exposed to any light and leave it like this for 3 full days. On day 4 you can uncover the tank and only run lighting 6 hours daily for a few weeks. Don't peek if you use this method as it will break the blackout cycle and you'll have to start over.

 

[Seeker_7]

I haven't filled it back up yet. I was waiting to find out if the filter media was contaminated or if I would be better off using it for any good bacteria that may be on it. If I change all that out and replace with good, seeded material and deep clean tank, will I be ok algae free? I know I will essentially be starting from square 1. I'm fine with that. It was a great deal and beautiful tank.

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[Rivercats]

I would not use the old media and start with fresh. Personally I would deep clean the gravel, fill the tank, but still do a 3 day black out because if even 1 single free floating algae is left a bloom can happen.