# HELP Algae Explosion!!!!!!



## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

Hi everyone! Please help. I tried to set up a CO2 thing last night which never ended up working right and when i got home from work today my tank is completely cloudy. I'm not 100% sure it's algae but it makes sence and everythign in the tank is slimey. I just did a 50% water change because I freaked when I couldn't see any of my babies. I don't know if everyone is even still alive!!!! Help..how do I clear the water without putting chemicals in the tank? I already have 2 filters running.


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

we need more information

1. Size of aquarium (# of gallons)
2. Is your aquarium set up freshwater or saltwater?
3. How long the aquarium has been setup
4. What fish and how many are in the aquarium (species are important to know)
5. Are there live plants in the aquarium?
6. What make/model filter are you using?
7. Are you using a CO2 unit?
8. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day?
9. When did you perform your last water exchange, and how much water was changed?
10.How often and what foods do you feed your fish?
11.Is your aquarium light incandescent or fluorescent and how often is it kept on?
12.What specific concerns bring you here at this time?
13. Water are your water test results for:
pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

Sorry I just got home from work and went in a panic. I have a 30H. 8 swordtails, 1 pleco, 2 clown(I know I just got them last week and they're very small), 4 guppies. Last night my Nitrite is 0, Nitrate about 40, hard water, pH around 6.8. Right now my Nitites are off the scale and my Nitrates are at abouty 40ppm, still hard water and pH jumped high also. I have an Eclipes powerfilter and a smaller internal canister filter that I just put in yesturday. I only have live plants and yesturday was my first attempt, and possibly my last!, at using co2.


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

My lights, floresent, are on about 10 hours a day and during the time the tank gets about 10 minutes sunlight. I had no idea my Nitrites jumped so high. Because I just did a water change? I didn't put my Cycle in...be right back!!!

Just noticed green all over the walls of the tank even though I cleaned it last night. I thought I was seeing things since I just cleaned the tank!


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## hamdogg08 (Feb 18, 2007)

Is it floating algae, or suspended in the water? If it's in the water, you can pick up a UV sterilizer for under $50 that will take care of the algae no problem. I'd take it out as soon as your tank is clear though.


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

its from the excess nutritent of all the nitrite and nitrate levels, do your best at lowering them, also nitrite is highly toxic to fish, a level of this means you havent cyled your tank yet


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

Would the level of jumped so high because of the cleaning, co2 & extra filter I installed last night? I got one new fish in the past week but I don't think that would be enough to kick it off, would it? Is there any way to lower the nitrite quick? I'm scared I'm going to loose everyone.

The algae is in the water. If I turn the light on it almost looks like powder swirling around in the tank. I can only see about 2 inches in.

Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate it


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

Holly said:


> Would the level of jumped so high because of the cleaning, co2 & extra filter I installed last night? I got one new fish in the past week but I don't think that would be enough to kick it off, would it? Is there any way to lower the nitrite quick? I'm scared I'm going to loose everyone.
> 
> The algae is in the water. If I turn the light on it almost looks like powder swirling around in the tank. I can only see about 2 inches in.
> 
> Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate it


cleaning = loss of bacteria = nitrite spike
CO2 = excess nutrients = algae
New filter, well internal filters are just no good.


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

I felt the smack on my hand for that one! :BIGshame: I should have known better. Ugg this is so fustrating knowing it's almost 11pm and I can't do a thing till I get home from work tomorrow night. I'm sure I will have lost most my fish by then. From the research I've done tonight, to me it seems like blue green algae. The only thing missing is it isn't blue or green in anyway...yet. I'm going to stop tomorrow night and pick something up for the algae. Hopfully my nitrite spike will come back down by then.


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

just do daily 10-15% water changes to get rid of the nitrite and add some hardy plants to lower the nitrate levels, chemicals wont be needed, and stop using the CO2


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

THANK YOU!! With all of your help and advise I'm proud to tell you that my tank is normal again! I didn't loose any fish although everything is still a bit slimey. I added a medium to my filter to bring the nitrite levels down, which are now are 0.5, and with water changes and "blacking out" the tank for 2 days the algea has come under control with no chemicals. I'm still going to do one more water change, pull the plants out to clean then and also clean up some of the slime tomorrow but all is looking great! I can't thank you all enough. I also can't believe how stressful the past 3 days have been!!!!


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

what is the medium? A good filter medium is a cartridge of activated carbon and a sponge, any filter can have this, just buy some filter sponge at your lfs, cut it to fit in your filter, then make an insision at the top of the sponge wide and deep enough to fit the cartridge of carbon, then change the carbon monthly but dont change the sponge, just clean it when you are changing the tanks water by gently squeezing it in the bucket of old aquarium water


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## daisycutter (Jan 4, 2007)

once the cause has been delt with live water fleas are good for clearing up algae blooms as they eat suspended algae


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