Algae indentification and help please.

tpk212 · 10-14-2009, 02:28 AM

hey guys,

i have a 6ft by 2 ft malawi aquarium at work and the other day my water went green! so i cleaned out the fliters wiped everything down did a 30% water change and still it stayed green! does anyone no what this is? is it some kind of air borne algae? if anyone can help with the answer to what it is and how to get rid of it! i would appreciate it!

thanx a bunch in advance!

tpk212

l3fty999 · 10-14-2009, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpk212

hey guys,

i have a 6ft by 2 ft malawi aquarium at work and the other day my water went green! so i cleaned out the fliters wiped everything down did a 30% water change and still it stayed green! does anyone no what this is? is it some kind of air borne algae? if anyone can help with the answer to what it is and how to get rid of it! i would appreciate it!

thanx a bunch in advance!

tpk212

Well, as others here will say, we need pics, water parameters, etc, and then you will get an answer a lot quicker. It's kinda like solving a crime, we need clues before you get a useful answer.

Aaron

MyCoralFarm · 10-14-2009, 08:24 AM

Is the aquarium sitting next to direct sunlight ? the quickest solution to get clear water again is to put a UV Sterilizer. I had a similar issue after placing a frag tank under a huge sky light hope it helps.

squiers007 · 10-14-2009, 11:21 AM

What type of filtration are you using and what is your water change schedule? Also I just want to make sure everyone who posts on here realizes that this is for a freshwater tank not saltwater.

PEMfish · 10-14-2009, 03:10 PM

So you have had this tank set up awile? If so...
Algae suddenly started to appear. Something changed to cause this, we need to work to find what changed.

SubRosa · 10-17-2009, 11:57 AM

The main factor in green water outbreaks is usually too long of a photoperiod. It doesn't take alot of ambient light do this. Lets say you keep your lights on from 3 pm to 10 pm. That's 7 hrs. But the sun is up from 7am. Your actual photoperiod is 15 hrs in this example. If you don't have live plants there's no reason to run a light if you're not watching the tank. If you do have plants keep the total photoperiod under 12 hrs, maybe as short as 7 or 8 until the water clears.

PEMfish · 10-19-2009, 12:42 PM

Algae fuel could also be the culprit. Nitrate and phosphate are the two big ones. Replace your carbon and do a W/C being sure to suck up any debris.

elmafioso52988 · 10-19-2009, 03:53 PM

Have you tried carbon?

lowfi · 10-20-2009, 03:14 AM

you can try both a UV sterilizer (like mentioned above) or a diatom filter. You just had a microalgae bloom. AKA phytoplankton bloom...green water. Lower your nutrients like as in a reef tank, decrease photoperiod, or even try blacking out your tank for a couple days. should clear it up!

10-14-2009, 02:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
tpk212 Tunicate Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 14 View Gallery Karma Komment	Algae indentification and help please. hey guys, i have a 6ft by 2 ft malawi aquarium at work and the other day my water went green! so i cleaned out the fliters wiped everything down did a 30% water change and still it stayed green! does anyone no what this is? is it some kind of air borne algae? if anyone can help with the answer to what it is and how to get rid of it! i would appreciate it! thanx a bunch in advance! tpk212

10-14-2009, 08:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
MyCoralFarm RS Sponsor Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 21 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Algae indentification and help please. Is the aquarium sitting next to direct sunlight ? the quickest solution to get clear water again is to put a UV Sterilizer. I had a similar issue after placing a frag tank under a huge sky light hope it helps. __________________ www.mycoralfarm.com Be Your Own Coral Farmer and help reduce importation of wild caught corals Did you register your free account yet ? (click here) Last edited by MyCoralFarm : 10-14-2009 at 11:47 AM.

10-14-2009, 11:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
squiers007 Serpent Star Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 214 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Algae indentification and help please. What type of filtration are you using and what is your water change schedule? Also I just want to make sure everyone who posts on here realizes that this is for a freshwater tank not saltwater. __________________ Ph.D. student Marine Biology, Texas A&M University

10-14-2009, 03:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
PEMfish Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kane Co. Il. Posts: 3,048 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Algae indentification and help please. So you have had this tank set up awile? If so... Algae suddenly started to appear. Something changed to cause this, we need to work to find what changed. __________________ Paul `EM My new 48" reef chronicle; http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...chronicle.html My new planted; http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...-planted.html# Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot. I'll make the whole damn world jealous if given the money to do so. Don't make mistakes and learn from them, read and learn how to avoid mistakes. a)Fix the damn problem b)live with it -But absolutely no b*tching

10-17-2009, 11:57 AM	#6 (permalink)
SubRosa Torch coral Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 563 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Algae indentification and help please. The main factor in green water outbreaks is usually too long of a photoperiod. It doesn't take alot of ambient light do this. Lets say you keep your lights on from 3 pm to 10 pm. That's 7 hrs. But the sun is up from 7am. Your actual photoperiod is 15 hrs in this example. If you don't have live plants there's no reason to run a light if you're not watching the tank. If you do have plants keep the total photoperiod under 12 hrs, maybe as short as 7 or 8 until the water clears. __________________ Life is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy to those who feel.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

10-19-2009, 12:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
PEMfish Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kane Co. Il. Posts: 3,048 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Algae indentification and help please. Algae fuel could also be the culprit. Nitrate and phosphate are the two big ones. Replace your carbon and do a W/C being sure to suck up any debris. __________________ Paul `EM My new 48" reef chronicle; http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...chronicle.html My new planted; http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...-planted.html# Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot. I'll make the whole damn world jealous if given the money to do so. Don't make mistakes and learn from them, read and learn how to avoid mistakes. a)Fix the damn problem b)live with it -But absolutely no b*tching

10-19-2009, 03:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
elmafioso52988 Limpet Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 140 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Algae indentification and help please. Have you tried carbon?

10-20-2009, 03:14 AM	#9 (permalink)
lowfi Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 243 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Algae indentification and help please. you can try both a UV sterilizer (like mentioned above) or a diatom filter. You just had a microalgae bloom. AKA phytoplankton bloom...green water. Lower your nutrients like as in a reef tank, decrease photoperiod, or even try blacking out your tank for a couple days. should clear it up! __________________ Sean!

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