Dark Water

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

The past few months I have been struggling with my tank.All the fish and plants are healthy ,there have been no spikes in any of the readings,and I have noticed my tank water is going dark.
When I say dark, I mean just that, the water is crystal clear, its just , well, dark, like you are watching it through sunglasses.
I oringinally thought it was just simple algae so I added a diy co2 system and a lighting siesta,but it hasn't helped at all, just delayed the time it takes for the water to go dark.
As of this morning I have noticed an oil slick on the surface, like somebody has had greasy fingers in the tank, and there are little patches of black matter flaoting on the surface.
I have looked high and low on the web for any idea on what it might be, and it always comes down to algae's, but it never describes the symptoms I am experiencing.

Can anybody help me at least identify this stuff and then maybe I can start down the road to getting shut of it.

 

[aloaring]

I get film on my tank as well its not harmful the best thing to do is get your filter to agitate the surface as this will break it up and eventually remove it. I have also heard the platys like to eat it but i'm not to sure about that!! But i don't hink that shoudl cause your tank to go darker what does the water look like when you take it out of the tank? if its slightly brown than its becuase of any wood you've added as wood tends to leach tannins into the water. the only other thing i could think of is your lighting- is it working properly?

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

Ok, when I fill a jar with my tank water it has a turquoise tint to it, just like somebody has put food colouring in it, as I have no wood in the tank.
As for my lighting I have 2 20 watt lamps installed ( I think it works out to 1.75 wats per gallon) and I think they are working Ok.
When I lift the hood up ,there are black spots where the condensed water has dried up, any one heard of this?

 

[anvil63]

A couple of questions:

How long has this been going on?

Do you use charcoal in your filter? If yes, was it well rinsed?

What if any rocks/decorations are in the tank?

Charcoal if not rinsed can give your water a funny tint and can leave blackish residue on the glass as water evaporates.

Carl

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

Ok, in answer to your questions,

this has been happening since around december 05;

I dont have charcoal in the filter;

Asides from the natural coloured gravel, the only other rock I have in the tank is slate.

The only other decoration is a little sunken ship thing made from resin( the mrs makes me keep it)

 

[aloaring]

well your lights seem fine.
But a turqouise tint to the water, that doesn't sound right to me Defineately seems like there is something leaking colour in your tank. Might be worth taking out the slate and ship and giving them a good scrub to see if that is causing it. This is a mystery for the scooby gang defineately. If i didn't live so far away i'd come up and help you investigate mysteries like this drive me nuts!!

Ohh heres a question did you add anything new to the tank in december or was this this when the tank was set up?

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

Ok the tank was set up in May 05,and I have noticed this problem in december 05.As to your theory of somthing leeching into the tank, I dont think so, the horrid ship that the wife loves so much have been in there since the beginning and I dont think it is the slate.
When I noticed the problem in dec, I done a complete clean out of the tank, every thing came out (garishly coloured gravel, no fishing signs , plants, fish, water etc) and every thing was sterilised with boiling water and milton sterilising fluid.
New plants went back in with new natural coloured gravel, the no fishing signs went in the bin and along with 17 gals of water from my mates tank a week or so later the fish were back in.
I will try posting a picture or two of my tank and a jar of this odd coloured water (as soon as I can find the camera)
I am completely at a loss to explain this, at first I thought blue green algae, but it doesn't settle on any thing, nothing in the tank is slimey and nothing I have found on the web about algae, protozoa or bacteria describes the symptoms.

AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

[mark.w.jones]

If its bacteria I have read of some people having joy with UV sterilizers. I know theyre a little expensive but maybe worth a try. Blue water hey. hmmmmmmm. Never heard of that one before. Your garish gravel isnt' blue is it? Well the sea looks blue mainly because it's reflecting the sky. Maybe that's it.

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

lol maybe, as for the garish gravel, it went a long tome ago.
Its a nice natural gravel for me now.

 

[newfishaddict]

If its bacteria I have read of some people having joy with UV sterilizers. I know theyre a little expensive but maybe worth a try. Blue water hey. hmmmmmmm. Never heard of that one before. Your garish gravel isnt' blue is it? Well the sea looks blue mainly because it's reflecting the sky. Maybe that's it.

I dont know for sure but I dont think it is bacteria, it is likely somthing in the tank. I would just start removing stuff and do water changes and see when it stops...

 

[Dorkhedeos]

green? sounds like you have algae growing in your water. reduce the light, reduce nutrients in the water, take the co2 out, dont know why you added this when you already had a algae problem. do some water changes too

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

No, its not green, it looks like watching the tank through sunglasses, and like I have already stated when you put it in a jar its like a Tuquiose colour( bit more bluey though).
I will start experimenting with taking various decor out the tank and see if I can find out what is causing it if is something leeching colour or something more sinister.

 

[Qays]

What water conditioner do you use?

Do you add any chemicals to the tank?

 

[dgwebster]

where did u get your natural gravel from?

i know a store that sells additives to make ur water like that!!

 

[Taridan]

The other thing to do is check the local water that you add to the tank when you do water changes, and check with your water company. They might have changed / added chemicals that could be reacting with something in your tank.