Tanks Turning Strange Colors. O_o;;;;

[soraxcloud]

Alright so a few days ago our power went out for ruffly 18 hours. My fish are still alive I bubbled them with a cup every 4 or so hours and that seems to have been enough to keep them alive.

But now several days later two of the three tanks are starting to turn strange colors. ;;;

One is turning green:
20 gallon with
two smaller pearlscales (I plan to move them later)
Three small algae eater fish
About 6 ghost shrimp
and my pleco I moved him cause I thought he might be able to clean up the greeness. >.<

And the other just started turning brown today. D:
29 gallon with
About 18 half size mollies (I need to find a good pet store that will take my babies. xD )
About 10 cory cats (including some smaller babyish ones)

The third one is fine and clear as it ever was...
29 gallon with
2 fancy goldfish
1 Male mollie (seems if I'm gendering them right I only got one boy out of the babies and I don't need/want more ;;
1 small loach
5 ish snails
Also a water lilly plant (may be what's keeping it clear I suppose *scratches chin*)

Anyway how would I figure out what's wrong? I just thought maybe my filter was dirty but I cleaned it and that didn't help. @_@
I may do a water change... I don't want to do anything drastic like empty the tanks cause I may be moving soon... I dont' wanna end up having to do it twince. D:

 

[Davo86]

Hi
Is the water turning colour or is there green/brown algae growing on objects within the tank?
Do you know the water parameters? i.e. ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

obviously when the filter cut out your circulation within the tanks was dramatically reduced and also as there was no filtration the nitrates would have increased.
Lack of circulation/aeration may be the cause for the brown algae, whereas the increased nitrate level would cause algae growth.
is the 'green' tank next to a window or have a light on for a long period of time

I would simply do 2-3 25% water changes this week and see how things go from there,

 

[twilight_angel]

better to put a picture of your tank...

it takes time to read what you had typed...

 

[twilight_angel]

better to put a picture of your tank...

it takes time to read what you had typed...

 

[soraxcloud]

Hi
Is the water turning colour or is there green/brown algae growing on objects within the tank?
Do you know the water parameters? i.e. ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

obviously when the filter cut out your circulation within the tanks was dramatically reduced and also as there was no filtration the nitrates would have increased.
Lack of circulation/aeration may be the cause for the brown algae, whereas the increased nitrate level would cause algae growth.
is the 'green' tank next to a window or have a light on for a long period of time

I would simply do 2-3 25% water changes this week and see how things go from there,

There is a good deal of algae growth in the one that is turning green. (why I moved the pleco) But it's not just green flecks on stuff it's the water too. >.<

Oh and in the brown on just the water is brown no spots.

Okay I'll try doing water changes as you suggest.

 

[Athena]

better to put a picture of your tank...

it takes time to read what you had typed...

: LOL - not everyone can post pics, Twilight - besides, sometimes it's good to have a full explanation and most of us don't mind reading through it all.

Athena

 

[Dave Spencer]

Lack of circulation/aeration may be the cause for the brown algae, whereas the increased nitrate level would cause algae growth.

I would simply do 2-3 25% water changes this week and see how things go from there,

SIGH! OK, I give up.

Dave.

 

[OldMan47]

The green water algae is not a problem for your fish. If you don't like the look of it you can start by cutting back on feeding and on the light period in your tank. This will reduce the available nutrients and light for the algae to grow and it will grow slower or not at all. Water changes will remove some, and if it doesn't grow back well, the water will gradually look clearer. If it really bothers you, a UV sterilizer will make short work of green water algae but they can be quite dear.

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, Soraxcloud,

don't know if this helps, and you probably know all this, but while problems don't always develop, aquarium filters can become toxic following extended power outages, as follows in selected quotes.
It's not always just a question of circulation, etc.
And the tank maintaining balance is the only one to have plants and snails?

http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=2402

'...When power is restored, be aware that the biological waste present in the tank and mechanical filtration pads may have started to be broken down anaerobically producing methane and hydrogen sulfide. These gasses can be very toxic to fish, so try to remove and clean the filter pads before the power comes back on. If the power outage lasted more than several hours, realize that your fish will be very stressed. Monitor them closely while disturbing them as little as possible for the first few days. If you see signs of ich or other diseases developing, take appropriate treatment action. Monitor the water quality as well and do not be afraid to do water changes to help get the water quality back to normal. ...'

http/okcaa.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=17093

'... Unplugged any filters that you may have on the tank, as any water and waste that is sitting in it will create a very toxic cocktail that you don't want in your tank. Once the power comes back on, clean the filter, remove the old water and hook it back up. ...'

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...p;#entry1568171

(From old post discussion)

'... I’ve never had a problem with either of them until two weeks ago we had an overnight power cut, I came downstairs to find the power was still out and by the rate my freezer had defrosted it had been out all Night. The two tanks were in a state clouded over fish gasping at surface.

Nitrite 5.00
Ammonia 2.00

Did a water change 75%, got levels down to 0.25 nitrite 0.25 ammonia

Two weeks later still having problems have to do daily 50% water changes to keep the levels down to 0.25 each if I leave it for 24 hours it spikes back to 5 nitrite and 2+ ammonia

My mum said I may have wiped out my bacteria base,

Is this a possibility, I’ve treated the aquariums with Nutrafin Cycle to promote growth, used aquarium salt and ammonia chips in the filter, have I missed anything, should I continue with the water changes

Please any advise welcome im really pulling my hair out '

and the response, in small part:

'... A power outage generally won't wipe out the bacteria unless the filters dry out (more a problem with bio-wheels). I have accidentall left my filters unplugged for over 12 hours with no harmful effects at all. ...'


I personally figure green water/brown algae beats an ammonia spike any day of the week - could be worse.
And it sounds like you're doing all the right things anyway.


Hope it works out quickly and well for you.

 

[soraxcloud]

And the tank maintaining balance is the only one to have plants and snails?

'... A power outage generally won't wipe out the bacteria unless the filters dry out (more a problem with bio-wheels). I have accidentall left my filters unplugged for over 12 hours with no harmful effects at all. ...'


I personally figure green water/brown algae beats an ammonia spike any day of the week - could be worse.
And it sounds like you're doing all the right things anyway.


Hope it works out quickly and well for you.

Yes the only tank that looks normal is the one with the plant and snails. ;;;

A friend at work was telling me there power was out for more then 24 hours once and her fish were fine. So yeah I guess it all just depends on the tank maybe?

I... actually don't have a test kit! I know your all gunna kill me but all the fish seem fine though! It's probably just algae overgrowth maybe? Anywee yeah doing water changes to try and make it go away. The one that's turning brown actually only has small lights in it.

I would buy a test kit but I'm trying to save for possible movedge right now... xP

thanks for all your encouraging comments by the way! >w<

Dawwww the mollies are so cute! They were nibbleing my arm wail I was holding the pump to change the water! xD
I just fed them not too long ago so lets just pretend it's cause they like me. xP

 

[Syphoniera]

And the tank maintaining balance is the only one to have plants and snails?

'... A power outage generally won't wipe out the bacteria unless the filters dry out (more a problem with bio-wheels). I have accidentall left my filters unplugged for over 12 hours with no harmful effects at all. ...'


I personally figure green water/brown algae beats an ammonia spike any day of the week - could be worse.
And it sounds like you're doing all the right things anyway.


Hope it works out quickly and well for you.

Yes the only tank that looks normal is the one with the plant and snails. ;;;

A friend at work was telling me there power was out for more then 24 hours once and her fish were fine. So yeah I guess it all just depends on the tank maybe?

I... actually don't have a test kit! I know your all gunna kill me but all the fish seem fine though! It's probably just algae overgrowth maybe? Anywee yeah doing water changes to try and make it go away. The one that's turning brown actually only has small lights in it.

I would buy a test kit but I'm trying to save for possible movedge right now... xP

thanks for all your encouraging comments by the way! >w<

Dawwww the mollies are so cute! They were nibbleing my arm wail I was holding the pump to change the water! xD
I just fed them not too long ago so lets just pretend it's cause they like me. xP

In disjointed response:
We all know that;
Brown algae generally shows in new tanks (ammonia/nitrites) or plants with low lights - and too few plants.
Green water sucks up ammonia.
in the planted tank, the plants evidently sucked up ammonia before the algae could propagate that much.
You see my point...


It's funny how the fish that would probably eat us if big enough are those most endearing, but they often are.


I suspect that the people whose tanks were just fine had plants...


Thing is, if the filter was spewing out toxins, what's being propagated may not even show on those tests.
'Out of all the billions of organisms in the world, why did these have to stroll into my filter...' lol.
Life - including bacterial/fungal/algal life - isn't predictable, in any sense at all.


I... actually don't have a test kit either.
The cheaper ones are notoriously inaccurate and I can't afford anything good yet.
Have to get one eventually, I guess, though, because I'm in the process of changing over to the Walstad low-maintenance, soil-based planted tank, 5 smaller done so far, and I'm finding it impossible to break my frequent water-changing habits, which isn't good for the tanks/plants, or the water bill, or the conservation effort...

You might want to try a Google on the Walstad.
In case you're interested, I'll tack this on, with a few lines of quotes.
Might want to read the whole article since the proof is in your healthiest tank right now - and if you have fish which prefer soft water, (obviously can bring GH up with added minerals), it's especially ideal.
How can you tell I'm a new convert - the most annoying kind...
But it's so exciting, to one with no life.


http/www.aquabotanic.com/plants_and_biol..._filtration.htm

PLANTS and BIOLOGICAL FILTRATION

by Diana Walstad



by Diana Walstad



Plants are much more than tank decorations; they help keep the fish healthy. Nitrogenous compounds, particularly ammonia and nitrite, are extremely toxic to fish. Hobbyists have for many years relied heavily on the bacterial process of nitrification (i.e., ‘biological filtration’) to convert these toxic compounds into non-toxic nitrates. Hobbyists and even retailer of aquatic plants too easily ignore nitrogen uptake by aquarium plants or assume (incorrectly) that aquarium plants mainly take up nitrates.



Aquatic Plants Prefer Ammonium Over Nitrates



'Many terrestrial plants like peas and tomatoes do grow better with nitrates than ammonium [Ref 5]. Thus, some botanists assumed that aquatic plants would similarly take up and grow better with nitrates. However, actual experimental studies suggest otherwise.

Scientists from all over the world have studied nitrogen uptake in aquatic plants under a variety of experimental conditions. I was able to locate published studies on 33 different aquatic plant species. Only 4 of the 33 species preferred nitrates (Table 1). ...



I hope what I've written makes some degree of sense, because I'm falling asleep sitting up, and a surprise is always nice.

 

[soraxcloud]

I understand the falling asleep wail typing thing dun worry. xP

I was wanting to plant more plants in my tanks but I want to get some nice fun planters first. I got this awesome decorative jar and though "Oh that would be awesome to put a plant in!" It looks really cool! >w<

Kinda wanna take pics of that tank now. xD

Edit: Urhurhur pictures.

Da whole tank
http/img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/sor...ud/DSC00321.jpg
Fishie says "You have no idea how to use your camera do you?"
http/img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/sor...ud/DSC00323.jpg
And some (I think) happy fishies. x3
http/img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/sor...ud/DSC00336.jpg
http/img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/sor...ud/DSC00337.jpg
http/img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/sor...ud/DSC00338.jpg

They really seem to like the red light my camera makes when focusing alot. ;;;

Also you can kinda see the green tank behind this one they sit back to back. >.>

 

[TylerFerretLord]

SIGH! OK, I give up.

Dave.

 

[Syphoniera]

$&%#@*@ computer won't let me see the pics!!!
Hope I can find this later...

 

[Syphoniera]

Finally got to see your pics - that is a REALLY nice pot.
And what a cool dragon - I love it!
They coordinate well, too.
That tank should really be something when it's planted and all, though I guess goldies make it a little tricky...

My potted plants are in ugly plastic food containers, variously concealed not quite well enough behind slate, driftwood and rocks - I'm envious.
And they're in this narrow 35g ,so there's little room to work with without fouling the set-up, and tricky finding things that I like, are cheap, will provide root space and'll fit, as I need to find odd and low shapes.

Since you're into goldies and plants, thought you might be interested in seeing this.
Shurik has two of the most amazing tanks, and I wish she'd start another one just so I could see what she comes up with...
http/www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumap...0-gal-tall.html

Not even in my dreams could I do up a tank like that, but it's nice to see they exist...
And there might be ideas you can use about planting (more importantly, staying planted) with goldies, although providing fruit and veg regularly is supposed to help...