Green water and CO2

[Brian Anderson]

I just set up a 25 gallon tank about 1 month ago and everything was doing
well. I bought some fast growing plants (Amazon sword, water sprite,
cabomba, micro sword etc. I added a DIY CO2 and the plants were growing
like mad and bubbling, so I decided to add Flourish fertilizer. About a
week after that the green water started. I stopped fertilizing, removed the
CO2, made a 50% water change and kept the tank in the dark for approx. 3
days. That definetly helped, except the plants suffered some, but the
water is still a light green and still cloudy. I started with the lights
back on only 4 hours a day and then 6 hours, and the green is getting worse
again, so I have gone back to 4.
I am going to do another 50% water change.
My question is, should I start the CO2 again? Will this make a difference
or will it make the situation even worse?
All of the water parameters are fine, with no excessive iron or phosphate
levels, ph around 6.5, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia are low to none.
I have a fluval 104 filter and added a couple of bristle nose plecos about 2
weeks ago, before the green water started, just to clean the algae of the
plants leaves etc. and they have done a great job. Too bad they can't eat
it out of the water :). I want to get all the plants growing well before I
get any more fish.
I am at a loss on how to get rid of this green water permanently. I still
need to get more plants, I have about 8 right now but didn't want to get
anymore until I get this under control.
Thanks,

Brian

[Marvin Hlavac]

> I am at a loss on how to get rid of this green water permanently.


Hi Brian,

I think you are doing everything right and there is nothing much to worry
about. It is a new setup so it is to be expected that you may encounter some
algae. For green water problem some people recommend to completely darken
aquarium for 4 days which you have done with partial success. However, that
method may result in you not liking how your plants have grown during the
four days of no light. I prefer the UV-sterilizer method. UV-sterilizers are
inexpensive and they will solve the problem 100%. If you don't want to buy
one, chances are your friendly local fish store will lend you one for a few
days.

--
Regards,
Marvin Hlavac
Toronto, Canada

[Brian Anderson]

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.


"Marvin Hlavac" > wrote in message
e.rogers.com...
> > I am at a loss on how to get rid of this green water permanently.
>
>
> Hi Brian,
>
> I think you are doing everything right and there is nothing much to worry
> about. It is a new setup so it is to be expected that you may encounter
some
> algae. For green water problem some people recommend to completely darken
> aquarium for 4 days which you have done with partial success. However,
that
> method may result in you not liking how your plants have grown during the
> four days of no light. I prefer the UV-sterilizer method. UV-sterilizers
are
> inexpensive and they will solve the problem 100%. If you don't want to buy
> one, chances are your friendly local fish store will lend you one for a
few
> days.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Marvin Hlavac
> Toronto, Canada
>
>

[Aqua]

"Brian Anderson" > wrote in message >...
> 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...

[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...
>
>