How do I turn the water in my freshwater fish tank from green to clear?

Question

It has been dark green for sometime now and i have done everything i know to try and fix it, someone please help with any suggessions you may have. thank you

Answer 1

Green water is essentially algae, which needs (other than water), two elements to thrive:
Light, and nutrients.

Is your tank close to a window? Algae LOVES sunlight. Move the tank or cover the side of the tank facing the window with a black background.
Are your lights on for too long? 10 hours a day is enough, and you can cut that back to 8 hours of light per day until the green water is gone. You can get a 5 dollar timer to ensure that you have a steady photoperiod.

As for nutrients, is it possible that you're overfeeding? Fish have very small stomachs and very big appetites, so ignore the begging and only feed them what they can eat in 30 seconds, twice a day.
Increase the frequency of water changes. Do a good 30% every 5 days.

If this isn't helping, you can try a blackout. Cover the tank with a blanket and do not allow any light to get in, and don't even go in to feed the fish for one week. Your fish will be okay. This will kill the algae. If you haven't fixed the original problem, the algae will of course return, but a blackout is a quick-fix that will rid you of the living algae in one fell swoop. It's not recommended, though, so try the other methods I just mentioned.

Lastly, in cunjunction with these other methods, you can buy a second power (water fall) filter and fill the media section with filter floss. This stuff does a great job of removing fine particles that colour the water.

Answer 2

Turn the light off and cover the tank with a thick cloth for about a week or 2. The fish will be fine and the algea will starve. Best fix because you don't add chemicals. Takes time but it works.

Answer 3

I use live plants in my tank and the water never turns green and i never even test the ph of the water. It's crystal clear all the time. You do need to use special gravel for live plants. Make sure you dont over feed your fish, I only feed mine every few days. Also you dont want your tank to be over crowded, too many fishies is no good for the water. Good luck.

Answer 4

Do a partial water change, then LEAVE THE AQUARIUM LIGHT OFF!. Usually, this occurs when the tank has healthy water, and too much light - the algae gets to form very rapidly. Just don't turn the aquarium light on, and generally you will see the water clear in about two weeks. At that time, you can turn the light on, just limit the number of hours per day you leave it on. Easiest thing is to use a timer.

Answer 5

Sounds like the PH is imbalanced - there are a lot of things that could be doing that - the types of fish you've got, do you have a sucker fish to clean the tank? The best thing for you to do is go to the nearest fish/pet store, bring a sample of your water, a list of the fish you've got and tell them your problem. Can't really help you too much online w/o samples to test, etc. Good luck & don't worry, the pet store people are there for all your questions.

Answer 6

They have drops that they sell at Wal-mart that will take care of that. 3-4 drops a day will clear it up in about a week. I can't remember what it is called, but just go to the fish area and someone can help you.

Answer 7

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. We 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.

Your first mistake is boiling the water. Boiling water consentrates the nitrates in it causing algae to grow even faster. However, I've never heard of it growing within an hour Wow!

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 and return it to the tank as well. DO NOT wash the gravel in the tank. The residues of the algae will remain.

Since you have NO FISH I am assuming, use cold water to start your tank. Algae likes heat and light. Using cold water will prohibit growth. Allow your tank to run bringing it to room temperature. Then you can plug in your heater allowing your tank to run.

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

Answer 8

if you go to a fish store, they usually carry medications for removing algae.