My Tank Keeps Turning Green

[vinylman]

I have a shark, 2 pleko's, gourami, snake looking guy (long orange and striped) not sure what he's called. and about 5 neon's.
Which kind of plants would you reccomend?

Matt

To start with, just buy several handfuls of cheap plants. Any plant you put in there will help, but try to get some floating plants. Always remember that all you need for algae is water and light. This is why we all recommend that new tanks are VERY well planted and lighting times are restricted to around 10 hours maximum. Also, if your filter takes two sponges, don't clean them both at the same time; clean one first, then clean the other a couple of weeks later, then just keep alternating like that. If you only have one sponge, cut it in half then clean each half alternately.

 

[matt123]

getting plants and a diatomic filter tonight. Does the other filter also stay on with that one?

 

[matt123]

I cleaned out the inside of the tank to clear it of the algae on the glass. How do I know if there is algae on the rocks? Do you change them or does the gravel vaccuum take car of that?

 

[Irf]

No - algae on the rocks is also quite obvious because it's green, and most rocks are, well.... a sort of rocky colour! Unless you are talking about brown algae. I guess if that is the problem then you cal feel the rocks and if they are slippery and brown algae comes off on your hands then you need to take them out and scrub them a little.

Irf.

 

[matt123]

ok, im really stumped. In the past couple weeks I have cleaned the algae off the glass, done water changes with my tap water (because pet store guy said it's better than the bottled water I ALWAYS use) took out the carbon and biomax, and only wrinsed the sponge in tank water. Yesterday did a water change and today 3 dead fish. 1 Tricolor shark, and 2 algae eaters. What is the problem? My water went from dark green to now cloudy, but pretty clear. Now that it's clear fish are dying. Shouldn't it be the other way around? When I removed the dead guys their scales were green. Any ideas? Are the rest going to die? I am down to about 5 neons, a snake looking guy (orange and black, about 2 inches long, forgot the name) and a gourami. Please help. Don't want them all to die.

Matt

 

[Amunet]

Are you making sure to put in dechlorinated water when you do your water changes?
Making sure the replacement water is about the same temp as the water in your tank?
You really need to get your hands on your own liquid testers so you can check your water parameters yourself.
So sorry to hear that your fish are dying I really hope whatever is wrong gets fixed quickly so none of the survivors end up dead!

 

[paul-discus]

Also where is the tank positioned if you don't mind my asking and what lighting are you using?

 

[smmetz]

He is using a 15 watt bulb (flourescent) that came with the tank.

I had the same thought as Amunet, hoping that he knew to use a de-chlorinator for the tap water.

Also, if your tap water has chloromine instead of chlorine, make sure your water treatment chemical handles chloromine. Chloromine is chlorine and amonia that is somehow chemically bound together. It is becoming more and more popular as local municipalities are switching form chlorine water treatment to chloromine. I've seen products that claim they take care of chloromine, but they really just take care of the chlorine part leaving toxic amonia in the water. In a cycled tank, this amonia will only stay in the water for less than a day, so you might never know it was there, but it is bad for the fish.

 

[matt123]

I just used the tap water, and tried to get it to the same temp. Should I just go back to bottled? What were you guys talking about doing with the tap water? Someting I need to buy? Thanks in advance for your help.

Matt

 

[Christine1014]

Hi Matt. Look for anything that calls itself a tap water conditioner. I use Prime, which is manufactured by Seachem. There's probably a whole shelf of these kind of products at your pet/fish store, though. Just read the label carefully to see what all it does - as stated above you want something that specifically says it neutralizes chlorine and chloramine and ammonia. Some do just that, some remove one but not the other, some (like Prime) also neutralize heavy metals and contain stress coat. My tap water's horrible, so I need all the help I can get!


Also, a couple people have mentioned home test kits, so you don't have rely on your local fish store to test your water. Definitely good advice. For about $30 (US) you can get the API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc) Master Test Kit. Lets you test PH, ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates. Test regularly, especially when you're having problems.

Good luck!!

 

[gpgscott]

Wow have you been through it,

The diatom filter is neat but it only removes particles which is what the single cell algae is. I think the key here is early in this thread when you spoke of phosphates, this is not in my knowlege naturally occuring have you tested your water source. Lighting is not the issue, I have an 8000 gallon outdoor pond in full sunlight and the only time I get an algae bloom is right after fertilizing lillies. You need to find out where the phosphates are coming from. Your fish are probably dieing as has been earlier suggested due to a lack of oxygen. Scott

btw if the phosphates are in the water supply and it is your drinking water this is hazardous for your health as well!!

 

[vinylman]

Matt, please don't replace any of the fish you've lost until everything is sorted out. Start using dechlorinated tap water for your water changes and cut down on your feeding regime for now, believe me, they won't starve. Have you got any plants yet?. When you do a water change, bring the dechlorinated tap water up to (roughly) the same temperature as the tank water with some boiled kettle water; it doesn't have to be exactly the same temperature; use your hand to judge, it won't be too far out. If you've had any advice on your problems from your LFS, please let us know what it was. Good luck and keep asking questions here.

 

[matt123]

I have put in two plants since last time i posted. I have not done any type of water changes since the day after the 3 died. That was about a week and a half ago. Water is still a little cloudy. When should i do another water change? I will use the tap water conditioner next time though. Thanks.

 

[mark.w.jones]

So in a nutshell. You overstocked, left your lights on too long, threw your beneficial sponges away and then did a water change with water you hadn't dechlorinated in a tank with no plants?! Im only pulling your leg but thank god you found us. You really need to sort out your stocking levels asap I would say, as that + messing with your filter is what first caused your algae problems.

What stock do you currently have? (alive )

I have a 10 gallon and theyre not the easiest sized tank to keep happy. Ive had many disasters along the way but currently have a very stable tank.

As already mentioned, you really need fast growing easy to grow plants. Buying any old thing will just add to your problems. Slow growing plants are an algae magnet as they don't use nitrates + macro/micro nutrients quick enough to out compete algae. Look to get hornwort, limnophila sessiliflora, thai onion plants, straight vallis as they all grow dead quick and are virtually bomb proof.