# tint of green.



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

I have a 90 gallon freshwater that I set up about 2 years ago ,I have about 5 African cichlids that are doing well.
I have an aqua clear 120 that has been and is still working great and I have a power head that really circulates water well.

I run the light about 5 hours a day sometimes 4.Well about 2 weeks ago I did my normal cleaning routine except this time (and dont ask why I know it was wrong)
I changed all my bio beads in my aqua clear.about 2 days later I notice my tank to be really green and growing algae ,I was guessing because I changed those beads and lost allot of good bacteria.
SO I took about 35-40 gallons of water out and really scrubbed my tank good to get rid of the green.
Now its about 7 days later and my fish are doing well but I still got that green look in my water but I can visibly see any algie on the glass.
Would there be a case the algae is on there and I cant see it,
If so what do I use to clean it off ?
If its not algae what is that green tint to my tank?

Troubled and need advice.


----------



## Guest (Jan 28, 2007)

Welcome to fish forum..
A few questions have you been testing your water regularly? How has it been testing? Most importantly how high have the nitrates been? High nitrates can lead to algae blooms.
Do you have any live plants in your tank?


----------



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

I test my water about every 3 months and its been perfect,I never had live plants..

Tank was doing great for a year..I am sure it has something to do with those bio beads,I just cant put my finger on it


----------



## SKAustin (Aug 1, 2006)

It sounds like you are suffering from an algae bloom. There can be a good many causes for this, However it is very unlikely that removing the bioballs is one of them. I suppose that removing the Bioballs could envoke a mini cycle and tip the water conditions to something more favorable for algae growth. Algae needs two things to grow, light, and a food source. If the tank went for that long without a problem, then I would look for the source to be either an increase of light, or an increase of food (nitrates). I would start with a few weekly water changes and more frequent testing. The source of an algae bloom can sometimes be a tricky thing to pinpoint. If you have too much of problem identifying the source, you may want to save yourself the hassle and just invest in a UV Sterilizer. Though i generally dont support correcting a problem without first identifying the source, the addition of a UV Sterilizer will likely clear up your green water problem with great haste. If you do take that route, mind your Nitrate levels as I consider algae blooms to be a good indicator that something else is awry. Over feeding, failing to remove dead fishes, inadequate substrate maintainance, and improperly cared for plants are all very common causes of poor water quality.


----------



## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

How frequently do you do water changes?


----------



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

I do a 30 percent every 3 weeks and a 50 percent every 8 weeks


----------



## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

that is no good, you need to do a 25-30% water change weekly, and since you have no plants to eat your nitrates, maybe even 30-40% weekly water changes.


----------



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

Been doing that routine for a year and my water tests were great ,never a problem at all


----------



## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

yes there is a problem. Due to the excess in Nitrates from lack of water changes algae starts to grow. Your algae would then eat some of the Nitrates making your water tests fine. When the excess nitrates rose high enough an alage bloom started. Your removal of the filter pad thingy wouldnt cause much problems but your activated carbon must have worn out so it wouldnt asorb the alage. UV sterilization is fine but can be very expensive. I would suggest you buying an algae eater like an Oto or a Siamese Algae eater to clean up the problem and you should do more frequent water changes. You say your tests are fine but you need to tell us the exact results.


----------



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

I had a plecostimis and 2 Chinese algae eater but my Africans ate them...I will start doing more water changes thanks for your help.

I just dont see any algae on my glass at all..its just seems to be in the water,all parts of my glass look really good.


----------



## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

I think what you have now is greenwater, it is a type of algae that doesnt go on your glass but stains your water and im pretty sure it is caused by ammonia. There are a few threads here that explain its removal so you should look at them since im no expert at green water


----------



## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

here is a link to a page that talks about algae

http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=895

Green water is not caused by nitrates but by ammonia so that would explain why it happened after you took out your bio-beads. But still do weekly water changes after your algae is gone to keep other algaes from comming


----------



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

well it looks as if I need the barley ,has anyone ever done this?


----------



## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

allan said:


> well it looks as if I need the barley ,has anyone ever done this?


Eric Triplett(The Pond Digger) had suggested the use of barley in ponds where green water is commonly seen. You might as well need it in your tank but you still have to monitor your water parameters especially phosphates. High phosphate level is one of those that cause green water.


----------



## allan (Jan 28, 2007)

im turning off my light and covering the tank with a blanket for 5 days and no food.
I heard this helps allot.

ill keep you informed


----------

