Green Cloud

[Mike62]

I need some help from the forum with a water problem. Basically, whats happening is that I have a green cloud in my water. On Monday of this week, I attempted to deal with it by draining the tank completely, which I did. During the last 1/3 of draining, I really stirred up the gravel, releasing all the dirt and gunk down there, and it got sucked out as well. I washed off all the ornaments, and changed all media filter, sponge bottom, carbon middle and white topper. I then refilled the tank. It was clear as a bell....for about 2-3 days. Now, theres a green cloud in it again. Theres no algae build up on the tank walls, and my white lights are only on for 3-4 hours per day. All chemical levels are at 0, ph is about 7.2 or so. I orginally thought I had an algae problem, since the cichlids wont leave a bristlenose live for more than a day, but algae cant come back that quickly, and its not building up on the walls either. All the cichlids are still alive and well, still coming up to be fed, but the water is driving me nuts.

[fenlie123]

First, make sure your tank is not under direct sun light.

[Mike62]

It is not under direct sunlight, its a corner unit, and only one side could possibly be getting sunlight, and thats from a window that faces south. Even then, it would be very indirect.

[HappyGuppy]

Mike, you probably don't have live plants in your tank.  Live plants are good, particularly the fast growers, to out compete for the nutrients in your water.  The fact that your water is green is showing that you have plenty of nutrients in your water... and it is actually saving your tank.  My recommendation would be to get plants, particularly floaters (I can give you some awesome floaters if you'd like) or even duckweed would help.  If you don't want live plants then do a few massive water changes.  What I would do personally (though you make up your own decision) if you'd choose not to use live plants is to add 1ml/g of H2O2 (3% pharmacy grade) and stir up the water, and do a large W/C a couple hours later, and repeat this process twice more.  Then I'd do something to ensure that nutrients don't build up (which you obviously have)... personally I'd solve that problem with plants, which IMHO is the best solution.

If your cichlids eat plants (I think they do, but I don't keep them) then you could take advantage of plants (say duckweed which is nutritious) by setting up a confined corner in the back of the tank (sort of like a fuge) with a spot light over it.  Surely something could get rigged up with some plastic embroidery canvas and corks to float a caged area.

Personally, I firmly believe in biological solutions to problems... and that plants solve most aquarium problems far better than any tech.  Your green cloud is a micro plant, solving your nutrient problem (over feeding?  over stocked?).  If you consider the micro plants annoying then solve that problem by introducing macro plants.  Looks pretty and solves the problem your green cloud is already doing for you.

[brotherluv]

Which type of cichlids do you have?  To add to the above post...my Malawi cichlids haven't touched my anubias nana plants in over 4 months.  I also have tons of duckweed. 

[Benja]

Buying some water clarifier from a pet store will fix your problem.
You will need to buy filter wool also.
Follow directions on bottle.  This has worked for me in the past.

[cdylnicki]

keep your lights off and reduce feeding to a small pinch once a day.

Try Phosphate remover pad in your filter.

[Mike62]

If I go with the plants, and the clarifier and the phosphate pad, do I need to do a full scale water change? The reason I ask is the rascal cichlids are devilishly fast, and trying to net them out is a royal pain.

[fischkopp]

Green water is a sign of too much ammonia in most cases, its floating algae that can thrive if it available. Make sure you get your bio-filter up and running, provide enough capacity. Don't clean your aquarium, gravel (don't stir it up!), decoration and especially the filter too meticulously, allow bacteria to settle down and take care of the ammonia, feed sparsely. Introduction of fast growing plants will help with ammonia removal and will make live hard for algae. Water changes will help temporally, but only sufficient bio filtration will effectively solve the problem.

Don't use H2O2, it appears to help at first as it kills all algae, but it will also take your fragile bio filter bacteria down.

Good luck!

[Nerine]

don't use the clarify! just go with what fischkopp says!!

it'll take some time, but it will clear up just follow what he says!

[Mike62]

More help please. I put in plants, changed all the water again, and put in good replacements for the filter, including one to remove ammonia. The tank stayed clear. For about a week. Now, the cloud is back.

[ajm1961]

When I talked to Errol he mentioned that plants need phosphate to absorb nutrients. So, I don't think it's a good idea to put a phosphate pad if you also put plants in. This will inhibit the plants absorption of nutrients which in turn will make them available for algae.
Also, I'm wondering about how you went about your filter maintenance since this problem came up. I thought I saw earlier in the thread that you changed/cleaned these filters. To retain the bacterial levels in the seeded filters, you have to rince the media only with the aquarium's water, not tap water. I also would not change/rince all filters at once.
Perhaps you can add another filter (HOB or canister) that is "seeded" with bacteria that you can add to the system to help speed the cycling?
Just some thoughts.

[fischkopp]

You want to achieve balance between all living things in your aquarium, that in includes fish, plants, all microorganisms as well as anything else that is diluted in the water. First off, the ammonia pad isn't helping, to establish the biological filtration as it absorbs the ammonia that the bacteria need to develop; well until it reached its capacity and won't do anything at all. You are left with ammonia, the likely cause of green water. You need to get your tank properly cycled, which is a term commonly used to describe the processes involved to develop all bacteria in the tank that will convert ammonia to first nitrite and than to nitrate. But it takes about four weeks until all these bacteria are fully present and your tank is cycled. So you will have to wait it out and read up on "nitrogen cycle" in the meantime.

[charlie]

As fischkopp mentioned, you are probably having ammonia issues- how old is the tank ( when was it started)?
Have you tested or had your tank water tested for ammonia- nitrites-nitrates?
The mere fact that you mentioned in your original post that the cichlids wont` let the bushy nose live for a day or 2 is suggesting you are keeping or referring to African cichilds, if this is so, with the exception of some very slow growing & tough plants such as Java fern & Anubias , plants & African cichlids don`t work well together, they look at plants as an offering of a meal.
Another observation is that all the extreme water changes & stirring up of the substrate is likely enhancing the Algae bloom by releasing more free ammonia.
Suggestions are to reduce feeding, test water to verify cycle of tank, ease off the extreme water changes & cleaning & try a black out of the tank for a few days google black out of aquarium for more info.
These are just suggestions & may not be applicable to your issues.

[lepageg]

as other have mentioned, I will add to your original post.

dont take it the wrong way, we're all trying to help.

I need some help from the forum with a water problem. Basically, whats happening is that I have a green cloud in my water.

On Monday of this week,

I attempted to deal with it by draining the tank completely, which I did. FIRST PROBLEM, Should drain only 50%, removing more can destabilize conditions.

During the last 1/3 of draining,
I really stirred up the gravel, releasing all the dirt and gunk down there, and it got sucked out as well. SECOND PROBLEM, this will release tons of chemicals nutrients into the water that may not have been picked up in the syphon and also valuable bacteria. Hyphening is good if done on a regular basis and in moderation.  I don't but i try to keep an active sandbed, with either plants, MTS or fish that will work the bottom.

I washed off all the ornaments, and changed all media filter, sponge bottom, carbon middle and white topper. THRIRD PROBLEM, you just killed off all your good bacteria.  sometimes we mean well by over cleaning, a little dirt is good! means you have an active system.


I then refilled the tank. It was clear as a bell....for about 2-3 days. Now, theres a green cloud in it again. DOESN'T matter, YOUR TANK WILL RECYCLE AGAIN it will take about 20-30 days for the bacteria to reform to acceptable levels again. (new tank syndrome)


Theres no algae build up on the tank walls, and my white lights are only on for 3-4 hours per day. All chemical levels are at 0, ph is about 7.2 or so. the reading will start to rise in about 15 days then stabilize again in about another 5 or so days I orginally thought I had an algae problem, since the cichlids wont leave a bristlenose live for more than a day, but algae cant come back that quickly, and its not building up on the walls either. Thats cichlids for you. maybe your bristlenose died because of an ammonia spike, they are more sensitive than cichlids to water conditions. BTW, what kind of cichlids , how many and what size?

All the cichlids are still alive and well, still coming up to be fed, but the water is driving me nuts. Cichlid are tough as nail, DO NOT OVERFEED during this recycle period, DO NOT add anything to the tank, just increase surface aeration if possible, if you have an old air pump, now would be a good time to use it and keep conditions stable and most important of all...Be Patient. Let the tank recycle.

[lepageg]

as a side question.

What is your water source, well or city?