why has the water in my fish tank suddenly gone green.?

Question

it's literally been over the last few days. i did notice the filter was slightley unplugged. would this have been the cause? i have done a few partial water changes but it is still green. what can i do?

Answer 1

Algae are mostly-photosynthetic organisms that sometimes resemble plants but are not plants, having no true roots, stems or leaves. Algae grow in freshwater and saltwater. Saltwater algae are sometimes referred to as "seaweed." Like plants, algae require light and nutrients to grow. We supply plenty of both in our aquariums, with several hours of aquarium lighting a day and nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from fish waste.

Algae come in many forms. There are microscopic, one-celled algae, filamentous algae that resemble hair, algae that grow in sheets, and macroalgae that look like plants. There are even algae that live inside the outer integument ("skin") or calcium shell of some corals, anemones, and other sessile invertebrates called zooxanthellae. There are slimy-looking algae that are often not algae at all, but a colony of primitive photosynthetic organisms known as cyanobacteria. There are also very hard-to-remove little dots of green that sometimes grow on aquarium panels which also are not algae, but diatom or radiolarian colonies (microscopic, one-celled, animals with hard shells) with algae incorporated in their matrix. With all that said, let us answer some common questions right up front:

Algae growth is inevitable in an aquarium.
Algae consume nutrients in the aquarium that if allowed to accumulate, are harmful to fish. Algae can be a good thing.
The presence of green algae in an aquarium indicates a healthy environment for fish.
There is absolutely no way to completely prevent algae from growing in an aquarium, without killing the other life in the tank.
Chemicals should never be used to control the growth of true algae in an aquarium, and should only be used in rare circumstances to control cyanobacteria.
Correcting a severe algae problem requires time and patience.
Natural methods of controlling algae are the best and most effective.

Algae removal from the tank panels can be done on an as-needed basis, but no more than once a week. Removing algae involves either correcting negative water conditions to control or slow excessive algae growth, or an age-old process known as "elbow grease" (scrubbing it off!). Algae removal in an aquarium should be done only when necessary. I have seen many aquariums where daily removal of algae resulted in fish that were so stressed, most had diseases and were dying. You should never remove all of the algae from your tank. Allowing some algae to grow in the aquarium can be beneficial to the aquatic environment. When algae is removed from aquarium side panels, care should be taken to select an algae scrubber that will not hurt the finish of an aquarium. Be careful not to get gravel caught in an algae scrubbing pad where it can scratch the aquarium. Never use household cleaning pads to remove algae. They contain fungicides that kill fish.

NEVER boil water for a fish tank. Boiling water consentrates the nitrates in it causing algae to grow even faster.

First, test the water you are filling up your tank with. Many public water supplies (our homes) have a concentration of nitrates at around 7ppm or higher. (Bottled water is no better).

This could be the start of your problem.
Be sure your tank is not within direct or indirect lighting such as a window or in a room where the lights are on constantly. Is you tank near a heat source. Sometimes we do not take into consideration a fishtank is near a heat register which can and does add additional temperature changes to your tank.

Did you clean the filter as well? Be sure the entire filter is cleaned and free of algae.

Use a razor or scraper and gently scrape all sides of your tank. Clean your gravel.

If you have a stick on thermometer, get yourself a floating one. The stick on thermometers pick up ambient air temperatures from OUTSIDE the tank and can be up to 10 degrees off. DON"T trust them. Try keeping your tank at 72 for a couple of days.

You can also purchase phosphorus pads for around $2.00 at your local pet store. These can be cut to fit with your filter and remove large amounts of phosphorus. These can be reused over and over just remember to rinse them out well when you clean your tank.

Test your water. Since you may or may not have not gone thru the cycle process allow your tank to run. This should really help with the algae. If you find your water quality is all your tank isn't near a heat or light source, ok but still getting algae turn the temperature down or off and let it run. You will want to scrape the sides of the tank and do a water change no more than 20% every other day. This should only be done if the algae returns in a heavy form.

If worse comes to worse, turn the lights of your tank off and cover the tank with a blanket for 24-48 hours. Any fish you may have will be fine without food for that period of time.

If you need any more help, you can im or email me.

Answer 2

The water is green because of free floating algae in the tank. If the filter was off at all that could be a big part of the cause. Luckily fixing the problem isn't hard, but it will take some time to correct itself. First, the aglae needs 2 things to grow. Light and nutrients in the water. So the first thing to do is leave the light off as much as possible. Even during the day, if no one is there to look at the tank, leave the light off.

Second is to reduce the nutrients in the water. Fish waste and extra fish food is algae food. Do a nice big (50%) water change and be sure to clean the gravel well as you go. Then replace the carbon in the filter. This won't entirely fix the problem, but it's a good start.

You will need to do several large water changes over the next 2-3 weeks. Maybe as muchas one every 2-3 days. At the end of that time you should be back to a nice clear tank again.

Avoid the urge to use chemicals that claim they will clear the water. These rarely work well and often cause more harm than good for the tank.

Also, don't clean out the entire tank. That might get rid of the algae, but it will also kill off the beneficial bacteria in your tank and that could lead to losing all your fish. A total cleaning is one of the worst things you can do to a tank. Very, very bad idea.

MM

Answer 3

Green cloudy water is usually the result of an algae bloom. The green water is not pretty to look at, but it will not harm your fish. This happens because of the amount of nutrients and the amount of light entering the aquarium. Your tank water is nutrient rich, which may mean that you're feeding too much, your tank may be overstocked or you're not doing enough water changes or a combination of all the above. The malfunctioning filter may very well have had something to do with it because it wasn't doing its mechanical filtering duties. Avoid placing your aquarium where it could receive direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will cause not only algae problems but temperature fluctations as well. To correct this problem, perform 25% water changes daily, feed your fish a little less and leave your tank light off for a few days or until the water clears up.

Answer 4

Yes the filter should always be turned on and too much light or sunlight can cause algae build-up in the aquarium so don't place your aquarium near windows. clean your filter evryday and do a 10% water change every other day until the color goes back to normal

Answer 5

What you have is called an algae bloom. Generally it's caused by over feeding, not enough water changes, too many plant nutrients and/or new tank syndrome. Water changes, reducing the light, and adding plants may help. Also you should test your nitrate levels, and consider if you are over feeding. (Once a day what they can eat in ~2 minutes, skip one day a week.)

Answer 6

Its an algae bloom. The more water you change the worst it'll get. No worries though its healthy for the fish, they like it, but its not fun to look at. Go to your local fish store and get some of the clear water stuff. It'll bind it together and your filter will suck it out. It'll literally work in an hour or two.

Answer 7

Do larger water changes, unless you're already doing 1/3, and if the water volume isn't huge, try feeding less, and the comment about the sunlight holds true too, try leaving your fish tank light off for a few days. Clean your filter out (usually should just involve changing the floss and removing the solid waste from the bottom if it's a canister filter.)

Answer 8

Sounds like you have a lot of alga in the water. Don't do partial water changes. Do a full water change, wash the gravel and the insides of the tank and change the filter(s). Then you should be ok. And watch that filter. Just a few hours without filtration can cause damage.

Answer 9

It appears that some alga spores have entered you system. It is possible to remove them by filtering the water thoroughly. Keep the tank as dark as possible and well away from sunlight which Will just exacerbate the problem. Many Aquarist shops also sell alga removal potions. just follow the instructions.

Answer 10

I really like both fruits and fresh vegetables better, however they look and taste. You desire a little of both.