Water turning green

palcente
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 20:04 pm
Location: Kent

Hi,

I am trying to find a solution to green water. It seems to be a persistent problem.

I changed around 80% of water which solved the issue and within 24 hours it was again tinted green. What is causing it and how can I get rid of the tint? It is not that much visible when the light is on, but during the day when the light is off it is very noticeable.

It is a 90L tank, with Oase Thermo (temp 23 deg) 350, with just plants and few snails, Fluval stratum plant substrate and couple of dragon rocks. I have a cheap LED light from Amazon and run it on timer for 8hrs. (4pm till midnight) - there is no direct sun access, tank sits in the corner of the room away from the north facing window. I'm on a water softener and unfortunately get 40ppm NO3 from tap around here - Aquarium is relatively fresh around 2 months, but it seems to be cycled. In the filter I have biohome media and couple of sponges. I used bio starter balls and had originally some activated carbon, but threw that away and put in some more biohome media. I want to put in few fish, but would rather sort out the green water first in case I need to change the water drastically.

Plants are growing well, I had diatome issues originally, but it went away...

Many thanks in advance!
Image

Image
User avatar
Drifty
Posting Legend
Posts: 1052
Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2020 13:44 pm
Location: Portsmouth
Has liked: 2115 times
Been liked: 761 times
Contact:

Try changing lights to 6 hours as for the nitrate floating plants or a moss ball will help
Create Not Hate
Image
User avatar
plankton
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 12206
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 17:02 pm
Location: S. Derbyshire
Has liked: 5033 times
Been liked: 3395 times

Firstly check that the glass doesn't have a green tinge, I spent weeks trying to sort a problem that I didn't have. ;)
If you are getting an algae bloom then do what @Drifty suggests and cut the lights to 6 hours and see if that stops it.
You can slowly build that up if it does, but don't go over the (current) 8 hours.
I have a sneaky suspicion that it's getting more light than you think during the day though.
User avatar
Stephen
Guru Multi TOTM Winner
Guru Multi TOTM Winner
Posts: 6016
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 15:42 pm
Location: Hereford, Herefordshire
Has liked: 1415 times
Been liked: 3407 times
Contact:

Here is something that puzzled me for weeks.
My water went green/brown and for weeks I could not put my finger on the reason.
I changed the water and it soon came back, I was scratching my head as it did not previously happen.
Then it came to me ...... I has put in a fresh chunk of bogwood and the colouration was tannins from the bogwood.

Do you have any wood in your aquarium?
If not then do what Drifty has suggested and cut back on the lighting period, say 4.00pm to 10.00pm.

All the best
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)

Powered by EHEIM
User avatar
Martinspuddle
Forum Jester & TOTM Winner
Forum Jester & TOTM Winner
Posts: 7036
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 18:07 pm
Location: Sceapig
Has liked: 4220 times
Been liked: 3889 times

Take one glass of aquarium water, one of tapwater. Place both in front of a white sheet of paper, compare. :]
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
:swim2: :swim2: :swim2: :swim2: :swim2: :woo: :swim2: :swim2: :swim2:
User avatar
fr499y
Admin - TOTM Winner
Admin - TOTM Winner
Posts: 8291
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2018 16:04 pm
Location: West Midlands
Has liked: 1773 times
Been liked: 4164 times

It doesn’t look green from the pictures, float glass does give a slightly green tint as you look through it.
Do you have any floss in the filter?
Dim the light slightly, I ran two of them at 85% brightness over a 100L tank.
palcente
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 20:04 pm
Location: Kent

Hi,

I cut the lights to 4 hours (fully dimmed), positioned the lamp a bit higher and did a 95% water change. Within 24 hours the water turned into this warm yellowish/greenish mess again... I did another 95% change and same thing happened within 24hrs. The problem is not there right after the water change - I did compare tap and aquarium water in a clear glass and there is no tint in tap water - it is crystal clear... Did some research and people suggest UV light.. but surely this has to be caused by something...

I have no filter media other than some bio rocks and sponge, no driftwood - just aquarium soil and dragon stones...

Glass is clear - no slime etc on it... I get a tiny bit of hair algae, but that will disappear in a moment once I put some fish in... just want to address the water, it gets darker and darker each day... photos below are not even 24h after full water change... snails seem to be happy... any more ideas ?

I some ordered floating plants, just waiting for them...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DuH9rCet7Bn4DpqU6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/otvJJWrNhoHrXZRS8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GnaP25nViRoDWpRF6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UyBC7CDA2SJEuxax5
User avatar
Drifty
Posting Legend
Posts: 1052
Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2020 13:44 pm
Location: Portsmouth
Has liked: 2115 times
Been liked: 761 times
Contact:

Give it time... I'm guessing this is a new tank... Do the water change maybe every 3 days for first few weeks to get that filter media going...
Over next 4 to 6 weeks you wont notices it also you have a planted tank...
as you can see in my bucket here...
Image
The water is little green so it normal for a planted tank...
Over time the greenness will die down...
Create Not Hate
Image
User avatar
plankton
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 12206
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 17:02 pm
Location: S. Derbyshire
Has liked: 5033 times
Been liked: 3395 times

Is the filter actually cycled?
Could these actually be bacterial blooms and not algae? It may be bacterial reflecting the plants greenery.
User avatar
Jon_D
Posting Legend
Posts: 1363
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 21:51 pm
Location: Teesdale
Has liked: 657 times
Been liked: 774 times
Contact:

@palcente My planted tank has been cycled now for almost 24 months. It has always had a green tinge in the water. I even bought a UV light to try and eradicate that with no real success. I guess it's just the chlorophil from the plants and I have now learned to live with it; as have the fish!
Post Reply