File :-(, x, )
why does my fish tank look like this? Anonymous
i dont know what to do, the gravel was washed, it got cloudy at first and it cleared up so i was sure my tank was established, now its cloudy and green and i have tryed everything, the fish seem to be doing ok, only 1 has died and it was before my tank looked like this... wtf... i have tryed every product on the market and nothing has worked
does anyone know whats going on?
>> Anonymous
Hhhmmm...let me ask a few things first...

What did you wash your gravel with?
Did you do a water change too? If so, how much?
What do you have in your tank? (fish and plants)
Did you check your filters? Change them?
>> Anonymous
-i washed my gravel with just water, in a big colander
-i do a water change every week somewhere between 25 and 30 %
-i have 6 fish, i had plant bulbs, but i took them out when the water started to turn green
-i change my filter every week, just like it says on the box

lately i have been doing a water change every 5 days, just because i feel bad for my fisheys
>> Anonymous
It looks like some algae issues.
If you have it close to a window that gets lots of sunlight that could cause it. You may want to try an algae controller, something that kills algae.
or also a $150 UV sterilizer would do the trick too I'm sure.
>> Anonymous
i have tried the algae eliminator and it doest seem to work at all
could it be because i may still have some broken bulb pieces in the gravel? their was one large bulb and the bigest fish in the tank knocked it to pieces

they are next to a window, but the shades are never open so i dont think thats the issue

UV sterilizer huh? i never hurd of that whats it look like and how does it work?
>> Byere
Say... do you have any plecos? It's a type of fish that helps to keep the tank clean. They start pretty small, but they can grow quite large and they really help. 1 or 2 of them in your tank (once you've sorted out this problem) should help to avoid this catastrophe again.
>> Anonymous
>>221823
Keep your light off and see if that helps at all. Also, if you try to find an algaecide, make sure you're getting one that specifically states it will take care of green water. There are tons of different types of algae and not everything works against all of them.

>>221906
I wish I could reach through my monitor and give you a sound beating. If the OP went to the pet store and bought one or two typical plecs, he's looking at one or two fish that can get almost two feet long a piece. Not to mention, they won't eat the algae that's present in the OP's tank. They'd have to be fed separately and wouldn't end up contributing at all. Your run of the mill plec will usually stop cleaning once it starts to get bigger, too. A couple of ten inch long shit machines is not going to help the OP's tank at all.


Also, are those goldfish in there? Like.. five of them? How big is that tank?

UV sterilizers are really expensive last I checked. They're like filters, but instead of typical filter media they route the water through a set UV bulbs to basically kill the algae.

Anyway, green water is a very common problem. Google is your friend.
http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/green_water.htm
>> Anonymous
Your filter sucks or you don't treat it well.
What kind of filter do you have?
Algae growth of that kind is induced by too high nitrite/nitrate levels.
>> Anonymous
Throw the entire thing including fish out of the window, and get some real pets.
>> Anonymous
You need to find out what your ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are ASAP and make sure that things are properly balanced.

UV sterilizers probably won't help much. They only kill whatever cells pass through the unit. They won't do anything to destroy the algae in the tank, gravel, etc.

The algae is a symptom of an underlying problem. Find out what your chemistry problem is first then the algae will go away.

My guess is you didn't cycle the tank before adding the fish. Consequently your nitrogen levels are out of whack and that is what's causing the algae to grow like mad.

Regardless, find out what the real problem is before you start throwing more chemicals in there. Right now you're shooting in the dark. Get an aquarium test kit and find out what the real problem is. Once you know the problem you can fix it.
>> Anonymous
keep up with the weekly (bi-weekly is better) water changes, as green water doesn't really effect the fish at all.
Don't feed the fish as much, and keep the tank lights off for a few days, and you might see a change.

Also, It is most likely the window that's the problem if you aren't overfeeding or leaving the aquarium light on for long periods of time. Unless your shades block out 100% of the light, then I'd suggest moving the tank somewhere else, or getting shades that do.

Another thing you could try is getting some hardy plants in there, as the plants will compete with the algae and volvox for nutrients, and make it that much harder for them to establish themselves. Good luck!
>> Anonymous
>>221935

not bad advice but i still agree with 221934 said. hes gotta walk before he can run. get the basics figured out first!
>> Anonymous
1. Get those open sewer pipe and toxic waste barrel aquarium ornaments
2. Put in tank
3. ???
4. Profit!
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>221937
Agreed. Green water isn't a bad thing - in fact, it's quite good for fish! Funny thing about plants - waste products are FOOD for plants. Your fish will probably be healthier in a green-water aquarium than a clear-water aquarium.

However, if you want to get rid of the green water (assuming you don't use under-gravel filters - don't!):
Get a bucket and fill it with clean tap water at about the same temperature as your tank. DECHLORINATE!
Remove your filter pads and put them into this water
Put your fish into this water, as well!
...Empty your fucking tank. If you have a heater, turn it off before you do this!
Boil the rocks, if possible (unless you use undergravel filter...)
Clean the tank. Clean. Like a fucking dish. Same with your filter!
Re-fill tank and filter with clean dechlorinated tap water that is around the same temperature...
Put your fish back into the tank!
Grab your filter pads and swish them around in that bucket to knock off all the gunk, junk, and swish out some of the algae.
...Stop over-feeding your fish and keep it away from direct sunlight.


Or just get the neat hazmat decorations!
>> Anonymous
>>221967
just a note, when you clean your tank make sure you don't use any soaps. these can cause problems with fish gills and prevent them from being able to exchange oxygen with the water
>> Anonymous
>>221967

Way to go, dumbass. You just told someone to put fish in an un-cycled tank. If you're going to give advice, please know what you're talking about.

The "green water" happens becasue fish waste, which contains nitrogen, is fertilizer to plants. The algae itself might be OK, but this is a clear sign that the water chemistry is wrong. In other words, the tank isn't cycled correctly. 221934 already explained this.

The algae problem is happening becasue your fish tank doesn't have the correct bacteria balance in it. In a healthy tank these bacteria break down the fish waste and keep the ammonia out of the water. Ammonia is toxic to fish...but it is great for algae. The presence of the algae is proof that your water chemistry is out of whack, which happened becasue the tank wasn't properly cycled.

Go to Google and search for "cycling an aquarium" and you'll find all the information you need to know.
>> Anonymous
>>222118
is completely right.