suspended algae

[Briarmoor]

My LFS told me that I had "suspended" algae when I described the greenish water I changed out of my 55g tank. I read somewhere to leave the lights on 24/7 to help cycle it faster and that is what caused algae (quit leaving lights on more than 8 hours over a week ago).

Why didn't the tank get regular algae, why suspended algae? The LFS seemed to think it would be hard to get rid of, even doing a large water change. What do you guys think?

So far, I don't see it after almost a 100% water change and adding Cycle and my mom's pleco that outgrew her tank (long story why he had to come here right now). I also bought a good test kit that uses solution. Ammonia and nitrite are zero after 4 days, so either the tank is cycled or the Cycle is working (no one sells BioSpira here). I do notice the tank is a little cloudy (not green, just cloudy) and wonder if that is a side effect of the Cycle.

P.

 

[freddyk]

Too much light and too many nutrients are the cause of this condition. The results of cycling are excessive nutrients, and you had the lights on for an excessive amount of time, and together this did the job nicely.

Cover the tank for three days to keep it in darkness and do consecutive water changes for the three days. This should clear up the problem.

If you were doing a fishless cycle and the tank is now at 0 perameters (and the test was not done after changing all the water) then I'd say it's probably cycled. The pleco will keep it cycled for you, but just keep in mind now that with any fish you add the bio-filter will need to catch up, so once the water is stable and clear, begin to add the fish in gradual intervals.

Some white cloudiness usually indicates bacterial bloom, if no other source of cloudiness can be tracked down. It's common in new setups, completely harmless, and will dissapear on it's own as the tank matures a bit.