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Green water algae won't go away

It’s mentioned above
a healthy supply of micro fauna can eat its way through an algae bloom quite quickly though
 
BigGRacing said:
It’s mentioned above
a healthy supply of micro fauna can eat its way through an algae bloom quite quickly though
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Presumably the poster is referring to daphnia, an excellent live food. Typical way of growing and maintaining daphnia is to feed them green water algae.

Cheers,
 
Thanks ceg, maybe that will help me as well.....hmmmmmm
 
Err...I don't think you want to trigger GWA in your tank just so you can grow daphnia. That's a bit of cart before the horse...
Maybe try that outside in a barrel - in the summer...;)

Cheers,
 
X3NiTH said:
nucleation point for algae
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Good point. Flocculation is a physical process that is usually caused by a polymer. I expect that these processes might even be engineered by algae to ensure that they remain in suspension.
ceg4048 said:
The most efficient way to cure green water algae (GWA) is to use UV.
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Agree. There are lots of other options, but this would be my first choice.
 
Simon Cole said:
Good point. Flocculation is a physical process that is usually caused by a polymer. I expect that these processes might even be engineered by algae to ensure that they remain in suspension.

Agree. There are lots of other options, but this would be my first choice.
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I always thought they had a family high lipid content and this was the buoyancy that keeps them in suspension, could easily be wrong though.
 
@not called Bob That is a good point. There are quite a few variables on the table for what causes algae to float, but would guess that lipids are denser than water, so I might be tempted to assume that they have air sacks (for regulation) and folds in their membrane that hold air bubbles. Also, I could conceive that they have life cycle stages that are not entirely free-floating. But given that blooms are attributed to soils and nutrients (which can be suspended solids too) I would assume that is why protein skimmers also work in some instances.
 
BigGRacing said:
It’s mentioned above
a healthy supply of micro fauna can eat its way through an algae bloom quite quickly though
Click to expand...
I added thousands of live daphnia to my stunning “pea soup” green water aquarium - my first aquarium so I was quite willing to believe the very nice man at the shop who sold me 2 v.e.r.y large bags of daphnia (he’s actually an excellent fellow that breeds killifish and maintains various live foods)
My fish were v.e.r.y happy for a few days

My stunning “pea soup” also happily churned along

That’s when I tried the flocculating clarifier ... I did get a nice clear aquarium ... once I’d finished removing all the dead fish and shrimp and did a few water changes ... and the green water did not return that year
(Warning: very soft acidic water + floculating agents may result in rapid and severe pH drop, likely the oxygen levels also dropped but I could only measure pH etc)

Of course the following spring, it began all over again - but this time I went with the diatomaceous earth ultrafiltration method - a much happier experience for the fish and shrimp
 
Can an undersized filter be the cause of green water?

I finished the 4-5 day black out, the water was clear, i changed 50% of water, i started the co2 at 1bpm to reach 30 ppm, i put in complete tnc fertilizer. In the afternoon, the water started to turn green again, I have absolutely no idea where this problem comes from, I have no other algae.

Something is bothering me, for the actual aquarium, I took back the gravel from the old aquarium which is absolutely the same, similar filtration, I just added a nutritious soil aquabasis+ in the new one. There were dead fish, the day I took out the gravel, one fish was gone, he was dying, I probably mixed it in the gravel even though I didn't see it, is it possible that decomposition is the cause of that, it's been at least 8-10 weeks ? I'm probably going very far, but I'm trying to understand where this imbalance comes from.

thx
 
eminor said:
Can an undersized filter be the cause of green water?
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Doubtful, very doubtful mate.
eminor said:
I finished the 4-5 day black out, the water was clear, i changed 50% of water, i started the co2 at 1bpm to reach 30 ppm, i put in complete tnc fertilizer. In the afternoon, the water started to turn green again, I have absolutely no idea where this problem comes from, I have no other algae.
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If there is only one specimen left in the tank, gravel, filter, walls of the tank hardscape, or plant it will multiply geometrically and infinitely, thank heavens....

eminor said:
Something is bothering me, for the actual aquarium, I took back the gravel from the old aquarium which is absolutely the same, similar filtration, I just added a nutritious soil aquabasis+ in the new one. There were dead fish, the day I took out the gravel, one fish was gone, he was dying, I probably mixed it in the gravel even though I didn't see it, is it possible that decomposition is the cause of that, it's been at least 8-10 weeks ? I'm probably going very far, but I'm trying to understand where this imbalance comes from.
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It's possible that contributed, yes, but I mean, people have fish die on them every day and they don't all get GWA.
eminor said:
I had a very strong light >50 lumens per liter
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This is most probable cause mate. No doubt.

Cheers,
 
alto said:
Mine came in the tap water

Have you spoken with local shops, other local aquarists?
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I used RO water when green water came, i new use tap water, other have done it with same water without algae, so i don't think it was the water, i did 30-50% water change every week
 
ceg4048 said:
Doubtful, very doubtful mate.

If there is only one specimen left in the tank, gravel, filter, walls of the tank hardscape, or plant it will multiply geometrically and infinitely, thank heavens....


It's possible that contributed, yes, but I mean, people have fish die on them every day and they don't all get GWA.

This is most probable cause mate. No doubt.

Cheers,
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So only UV can solve this right ? because i change at least 30% of water everyday to reduce the green color :/
 
eminor said:
So only UV can solve this right ? because i change at least 30% of water everyday to reduce the green color :/
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Well, I mean, water changes are always a good thing. The more the better, always. Of that we can be assured, but GWA is tenacious, so I'd prefer to say that UV is the fastest and most efficient way. You don't need to spend big bucks on a supercharged megatron UV by the way. We aren't trying to send them into orbit, we just want them to leave without a fuss. Check flea-bay or Amazon for best prices.

Cheers,
 
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