Algae question

[Dark Phoenix]

Yes, I know it's my own fault. The 50 gallon is too close to the windows,
now that it's summer and the sun comes up so far north. never even thought
about that when we put it there, and it's huge, hundreds of book holding
built in stand, in January. And the algae was no problem until about a week
ago.

Now the water is an incredible green cloud. (btw, this growth occured even
tho the ammonia reads 0)

I've been doing partial water changes to try and get it down, but it seems
to keep up. The drapes are now kept closed, and the tank lights off til
after dark. I just put in an airstone, fearing the algae would use up
oxygen.

Husband brought home some Algae Destroyer Liquid yesterday. Leery of things
like this, I only put in 3 tsp instead of the 5 called for. It did help
some. Did another partial change this AM. The label is most unhelpful,
saying use til problem is gone, do water changes twice a week between uses.
Does this mean wait a week to use again, changing twice, or what?!? How
often can I use this stuff safely? I know the plants are goners, but I don't
want to hurt the fish or the bio filter.

tia,

--
Laurie, Dark Phoenix

Error. Install universe and reboot.

[[email protected]]

algae on the back wall of the tank (the side facing towards the window) is a very
good thing cause it will act like a nitrate sponge. and if the filter ever turn off
will soak up wastes. pea soup \, or floating algae means your biofilter is not
keeping up with the wastes. what kind of filter do you have and is there anywhere in
teh filter you can shove some polyester batting? Ingrid

"Dark Phoenix" > wrote:
>Yes, I know it's my own fault. The 50 gallon is too close to the windows,
>now that it's summer and the sun comes up so far north. never even thought
>about that when we put it there, and it's huge, hundreds of book holding
>built in stand, in January. And the algae was no problem until about a week
>ago.
>
>Now the water is an incredible green cloud. (btw, this growth occured even
>tho the ammonia reads 0)
>
>I've been doing partial water changes to try and get it down, but it seems
>to keep up. The drapes are now kept closed, and the tank lights off til
>after dark. I just put in an airstone, fearing the algae would use up
>oxygen.
>
>Husband brought home some Algae Destroyer Liquid yesterday. Leery of things
>like this, I only put in 3 tsp instead of the 5 called for. It did help
>some. Did another partial change this AM. The label is most unhelpful,
>saying use til problem is gone, do water changes twice a week between uses.
>Does this mean wait a week to use again, changing twice, or what?!? How
>often can I use this stuff safely? I know the plants are goners, but I don't
>want to hurt the fish or the bio filter.
>
>tia,



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Dark Phoenix]

> wrote in message
...
> algae on the back wall of the tank (the side facing towards the window)
is a very
> good thing cause it will act like a nitrate sponge. and if the filter
ever turn off
> will soak up wastes. pea soup \, or floating algae means your biofilter
is not
> keeping up with the wastes. what kind of filter do you have and is there
anywhere in
> teh filter you can shove some polyester batting? Ingrid
>

It's a backpack, and Saturday I shoved some batting into it.

I'd been letting the algae grow on the one end where no one can look into
the tank, and also on the bottom. But this is pea soup. The ammonia reads 0,
which baffles me- I figured it would have spiked for the algae to be able to
grow like this.

I'm thinking about putting some opaque something or other on the end and
side by the windows, since there is still some light coming through the
drapes.

How often can I use the Algae Destroyer? I feel like it's going to take
forever to clear this up just doing water changes every day.
Thanks,

--
Laurie, Dark Phoenix

Error. Install universe and reboot.

[[email protected]]

ammonia is zero because there is algae.
what are your nitrates again? in your tap water?
pea soup is always an indication of high levels of wastes like nitrates. 50% water
changes or the next 5 days will bring the nitrates down, clear the water. algae
destroyer should not be used with GF. it kills the algae, but the wastes are still
in the tank. Ingrid

"Dark Phoenix" > wrote:
>I'd been letting the algae grow on the one end where no one can look into
>the tank, and also on the bottom. But this is pea soup. The ammonia reads 0,
>which baffles me- I figured it would have spiked for the algae to be able to
>grow like this.
>How often can I use the Algae Destroyer? I feel like it's going to take
>forever to clear this up just doing water changes every day.
>Thanks,



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

one other thing. you got gravel???


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Benign Vanilla]

> wrote in message
...
> algae on the back wall of the tank (the side facing towards the window)
is a very
> good thing cause it will act like a nitrate sponge. and if the filter
ever turn off
> will soak up wastes. pea soup \, or floating algae means your biofilter
is not
> keeping up with the wastes. what kind of filter do you have and is there
anywhere in
> teh filter you can shove some polyester batting? Ingrid
<snip>

I have the same problem. A big green wall of algae on the back of my tank
from sunlight. I have never had green water, so I guess the tank is doing
well. I have been looking for ways to solve this, but it sounds like I don't
need to. :) Incidently, I neglected my filter last month, and found that the
algae began growing everywhere. I cleaned the filter, and so far, just the
backwall is dirty. That's gotta me something. :)

BV.

[Dark Phoenix]

> wrote in message
...
> one other thing. you got gravel???

No gravel, just a few marbles for them to push around.

There is also Java Moss From Hell, and some hornwort. I think they finally
killed off the last of the anacharis. 4 3" fish in a 50 gal.

I (cringes) have no idea what the nitrates are in the tap. All I know is
that there wasn't any unsafe level of anything when it was tested when we
drilled the well about 3 years ago.


--
Laurie, Dark Phoenix

Error. Install universe and reboot.