Green glow! A green water algae problem

[MacRaider]

A few years ago I had a green water algae problem so bad that my tank actually looked like it was glowing when the lights were on. It was a reef tank and I invested in a UV Sterilizer, which solved the problem in less than two days.

Now my friend, who just setup a small (75 gal.) fresh water tank, is having the same problem with his tank! He doesn't want to invest in a UV Sterilizer (and we live too far apart for me to lend him mine).

Does anyone have ideas on how to cure this problem without a UV Sterilizer?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Anonymous]

Kill the lights until the water is clear. Should take 3 days or less.

Then adjust lighting, feeding, and add plants until the water stays clear.

Just my .02

 

[Anonymous]

It's generally caused by nutrients in the water column. did he just add fertilizer? those plant root spikes/pellets are notorious for causing green wattah outbreak.

As mentioned, kill the lights and let it die off. If that doesn't work, feed the fish a few days and then try the lights out method again. This time hang a HOT magnum 250 with micron filter cartridge.

 

[Anonymous]

your issue is phosphates- as long as the water column has excess (more than the present plant population can take up at their present metabolic rate) you will have algae in the presence of light - i.e.-when you turn the lights back on, you do the same for the algae

if you remove the excess phosphates-even with excess light-you won't have an algae problem


you can also adress both at the same time-using light blocking to initially slow the algae down/kill what's present (at which point the stored phosphates in the algea will be re-released to the water column), and then adress the water quality issue

(an ammonia spike may also be at play here )


pay attention to how much of a background explanation was given to back up the advice with the 'why' part in the post 2nd above mine
the 'advice' is highly incomplete, and advising anyone to add anything to a tank (like plants) without addressing the needs of those things to thrive is indicative of the quality of advice, as well

before you add plants-make sure you know what they require, or they won't do well, long term, in spite of anything beasleboy may tell you


(things like iron, kH, temperature, light levels, etc etc-plants have requirements that are just as diverse and important as fishes- you can't just toss 'em in and EXPECT them to do well )

 

[Anonymous]

what? where's the love, vitz?

 

[Anonymous]

heh didn't mean you- you snuck in before i could submit the post-it's now edited

 

[Anonymous]

lol i was like "should i go back and edit fertilizer statement to say phosphates?"