Re: Green water and CO2

[Shawn]

I'm not a chemist. Can someone tell me what KNO3 is and where I can buy it
? I've been battling green water algae for a couple weeks now with no
success. I'm 2-day past a 5-day black out. I wrapped my 55gal in a heavy
blanket and duct-taped it shut. 5 days later I took it off and had crystal
clear water ! I was so happy. However, it's not been almost 3 days since I
took off the blanket, and the green water is reappearing. I was just
looking up UV sterilizers online but then I saw this post below, and I'm
wondering if that might be a fix without having to buy UV equipment. I'd
like to solve this problem as inexpensively as I can !

Thanks - Shawn


> > Thanks Marvin,
> > I have read up on UV sterilizers and was
> > wondering if they would be a solution. I will check it out and see what
> > happens.
>
> Before investing on an equipement. kepp Light and CO2 on, dose KNO3
> 1/4 tsp every other day.
>
> Just try
> Dominic

[Shawn]

I'm not a chemist. Can someone tell me what KNO3 is and where I can buy it
? I've been battling green water algae for a couple weeks now with no
success. I'm 2-day past a 5-day black out. I wrapped my 55gal in a heavy
blanket and duct-taped it shut. 5 days later I took it off and had crystal
clear water ! I was so happy. However, it's not been almost 3 days since I
took off the blanket, and the green water is reappearing. I was just
looking up UV sterilizers online but then I saw this post below, and I'm
wondering if that might be a fix without having to buy UV equipment. I'd
like to solve this problem as inexpensively as I can !

Thanks - Shawn


> > Thanks Marvin,
> > I have read up on UV sterilizers and was
> > wondering if they would be a solution. I will check it out and see what
> > happens.
>
> Before investing on an equipement. kepp Light and CO2 on, dose KNO3
> 1/4 tsp every other day.
>
> Just try
> Dominic

[Robert Flory]

Grants stump remover .... The BORG and LOWEs carry along with most other
hardware garden stores.. There are other brands of stump remover in some
areas. It is fertilizer, strong oxidizer, explosive in some conditions when
mixed with the wrong stuff.. so buy very small qualities or the FBI will
likely visit ;-)

it works ...
Bob

s. "Shawn" > wrote in message
...
> I'm not a chemist. Can someone tell me what KNO3 is and where I can buy
it
> ? I've been battling green water algae for a couple weeks now with no
> success. I'm 2-day past a 5-day black out. I wrapped my 55gal in a heavy
> blanket and duct-taped it shut. 5 days later I took it off and had
crystal
> clear water ! I was so happy. However, it's not been almost 3 days since
I
> took off the blanket, and the green water is reappearing. I was just
> looking up UV sterilizers online but then I saw this post below, and I'm
> wondering if that might be a fix without having to buy UV equipment. I'd
> like to solve this problem as inexpensively as I can !
>
> Thanks - Shawn
>
>
> > > Thanks Marvin,
> > > I have read up on UV sterilizers and was
> > > wondering if they would be a solution. I will check it out and see
what
> > > happens.
> >
> > Before investing on an equipement. kepp Light and CO2 on, dose KNO3
> > 1/4 tsp every other day.
> >
> > Just try
> > Dominic
>
>

[Michi Henning]

"Shawn" > wrote in message
...
> I'm not a chemist. Can someone tell me what KNO3 is and where I can buy it
> ?

KNO3 is potassium nitrate. The common name is saltpeter. It's a white salt
(visually indistinguishable from ordinary salt). You can get it at hydroponics
stores. To keep your plants happy, you should aim for a nitrate level around
10ppm. Get a test kit to see what nitrate level you have currently though
before throwing in any more -- in large concentrations, depending on
fish species, somewhere around 50ppm, nitrate becomes toxic. (Some fish
are more robust than others and will tolerate 100ppm, but don't ask me
which -- my tank never gets above 15ppm :-)

If you weigh out 162 grams of KNO3 and dissolve that in 1 liter of water,
you get a stock solution such that 1 ml of the solution in 100 liters of water
will raise the NO3 level by 1ppm. So, if you have a 500 liter tank at 0ppm
KNO3 and you want to bring it up to 10ppm, you add 50ml.

Dosing isn't that critical -- if you accidentally add twice as much as
intended,
you still end up not killing anything, so measurements within 20% or so are
good enough.

You can work this into US gallons: 4ml (well 3.8, really, but that's close
enough)
of the stock solution into 100 gallons will raise the KNO3 level by 1ppm.
The solution lasts indefinitely, no refrigeration needed. Label the bottle as
poison
though! I haven't tried, but I suspect KNO3 would taste awful, and I have no
idea
what would happen if someone swallowed it -- it may well be toxic.
Left-over soda bottles with their labels still on are probably a bad idea...

Cheers,

Michi.
--
Michi Henning Ph: +61 4 1118-2700
ZeroC, Inc. http://www.zeroc.com

[Graham Broadbridge]

"Michi Henning" > wrote in message
...

> The solution lasts indefinitely, no refrigeration needed. Label the bottle
as
> poison
> though! I haven't tried, but I suspect KNO3 would taste awful, and I have
no
> idea
> what would happen if someone swallowed it -- it may well be toxic.
> Left-over soda bottles with their labels still on are probably a bad
idea...

See http://www.chemsupply.com.au/MSDS/1CH5K.pdf


Graham.

[T]

"Graham Broadbridge" > wrote in message
u...
> "Michi Henning" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > The solution lasts indefinitely, no refrigeration needed. Label the
bottle
> as
> > poison
> > though! I haven't tried, but I suspect KNO3 would taste awful, and I
have
> no
> > idea
> > what would happen if someone swallowed it -- it may well be toxic.
> > Left-over soda bottles with their labels still on are probably a bad
> idea...
>
> See http://www.chemsupply.com.au/MSDS/1CH5K.pdf
>
>
> Graham.
>
>

Depends who drinks it Michi... Salt Peter in low doses has a tendency to
affect male seuxal function... Kinda gets ya down if you know what I mean..

I never really viewed algae as a serious problem or a problem at
all...If the water is turning green you might want to cut the feedings for
you fish down, add extra filtration, and do more water changes..All three of
these suggestions have worked fine for mew in the past.. And well the
present.. The other thing you might think about is adding some plants, to
use up some of the excess waste as well..

Tim...

[Graham Broadbridge]

"Shawn" > wrote in message
...

> I'm not a chemist. Can someone tell me what KNO3 is and where I can buy
it

KNO3 is pottassium Nitrate. You should be able to buy it at a hydroponic
supplier.

Are you sure you need it?

Graham.

[Shawn]

No - I'm not sure I need it ! I don't know what the h*ll I need anymore !
My green water algae outbreak is driving me bonkers. I saw a post a few
days ago from someone saying to dose with 1 tsp KN03 every other day to get
rid of it.

I see so many opinions, everything from total darkness blackout to total
takedown of aquarium with chlorine disinfection, dip all plants and start
over again to barley straw extra to uv sterilization.

The only only I've tried at this point is the total blackout. I wrapped my
55gal tank in a thick comforter, duct taped it down so NO light was getting
in, and left it that way for 5 full days. My poor fish ! I took if off on
day 5 and voila ! Crystal clear water ! I thought I had it beat. My fish
looked OK. My higher plants still looked healthy. But about 4 days later,
the water starts looking a little green, 2 more days later more green, now
it's pea soup again.

My tank used to be such a joy. It's been running for 5 years with no
problems whatsoever like this. No I can't even stand to look at it. It's
ugly. Diatom filters seem expensive and problematic what with all the
changing of active ingredients etc etc. I don't want to take it all down
and disinfect. Besides, I have to put the fish somewhere, and even if I
stuck them all in a 10-gal for the day with fresh water, just the small
amount of water on my net or on the fish could contain green water algae
cells which would then go right back into my big tank and start everything
all over again.

I don't know what to do. Do you have any advice ?

Shawn



"Graham Broadbridge" > wrote in message
...
> "Shawn" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > I'm not a chemist. Can someone tell me what KNO3 is and where I can buy
> it
>
> KNO3 is pottassium Nitrate. You should be able to buy it at a hydroponic
> supplier.
>
> Are you sure you need it?
>
> Graham.
>
>

[Robert Flory]

I'm assuming stump remover is only sold on the west side of the pond.
That's what I use.

bob
"Graham Broadbridge" > wrote in message
u...
> "Michi Henning" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > The solution lasts indefinitely, no refrigeration needed. Label the
bottle
> as
> > poison
> > though! I haven't tried, but I suspect KNO3 would taste awful, and I
have
> no
> > idea
> > what would happen if someone swallowed it -- it may well be toxic.
> > Left-over soda bottles with their labels still on are probably a bad
> idea...
>
> See http://www.chemsupply.com.au/MSDS/1CH5K.pdf
>
>
> Graham.
>
>

[Robert Flory]

Hence the famous creek ion Wyoming, US of A.....

Killpecker Creek ;-)

bob
"T" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>
> "Graham Broadbridge" > wrote in message
> u...
> > "Michi Henning" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> > > The solution lasts indefinitely, no refrigeration needed. Label the
> bottle
> > as
> > > poison
> > > though! I haven't tried, but I suspect KNO3 would taste awful, and I
> have
> > no
> > > idea
> > > what would happen if someone swallowed it -- it may well be toxic.
> > > Left-over soda bottles with their labels still on are probably a bad
> > idea...
> >
> > See http://www.chemsupply.com.au/MSDS/1CH5K.pdf
> >
> >
> > Graham.
> >
> >
>
> Depends who drinks it Michi... Salt Peter in low doses has a tendency to
> affect male seuxal function... Kinda gets ya down if you know what I
mean..
>
> I never really viewed algae as a serious problem or a problem at
> all...If the water is turning green you might want to cut the feedings for
> you fish down, add extra filtration, and do more water changes..All three
of
> these suggestions have worked fine for mew in the past.. And well the
> present.. The other thing you might think about is adding some plants, to
> use up some of the excess waste as well..
>
> Tim...
>
>

[Graham Broadbridge]

"Shawn" > wrote in message
...
> No - I'm not sure I need it ! I don't know what the h*ll I need anymore !
> My green water algae outbreak is driving me bonkers. I saw a post a few
> days ago from someone saying to dose with 1 tsp KN03 every other day to
get
> rid of it.

Okay, first of all, do some tests (or get your LFS to test for you).

The important numbers are nitrates, iron and phosphate.

Nitrates should be under 20ppm, iron under 0.1 ppm, and phosphate as close
to zero as possible. Assuming one or more is higher, you need to reduce
them.

Reduce nitrate and phosphate by daily water changes of 10-15% I don't
expect that your iron will be too high but if it is, water changes will fix
that too. It may take a while for the water changes to reduce levels
significantly, especially if they're high to start with.

Once the water chemistry is right, the green cloud will dissapate itself
after a week or so. If not you could use a floculant to cause it to drop to
the tank bottom and vacuum it out.

Graham.