greenish water?

Question

The water in my tank has a greenish tint to it. i clean it regularly and their is no real dirt or anything at the bottom of the tank, the filter is clean..any ideas what it might be?

Answer 1

It is algae bloom.

Here is more about algae and how to rid your tank:

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.

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.

be sure to 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.

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.

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. 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 2

I agree with algae - it's a free-floating form rather than an attached form is all. And it usually is an indication of excess nutrients in your tank which is NOT a sign of a healthy tank.

If you have an aquarium test kit, check your tank water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate - you might want to check your water source as well, because some areas have nitrates in the water supply which can "feed" the algae. If you don't have a test kit, take a sample of the water to a pet/fish store in a clean container - they will usually test the water for you.

If the ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate is high only in your tank , you should increase the frequency of your water changes - typically I'd recommend 20-30% of the tank water every week, using a gravel vacuum to clean the bottom, but you'll have to judge this by what you're already doing.

If the compounds are found in your tap water, you may need to invest in a reverse osmosis unit to purify your water.

Along with cutting off the algae's nutrient supply, you should also cut out/back on the amount of light over the tank, unless you have live plants. A few live plants can also help the algae situation by competing with the algae for available nutrients.

See this website for more info on algae blooms and cloudy water: http://www.fishlore.com/CloudyWater.htm

Answer 3

Check Nitrates,or Phosphates it's probably algae. When cleaning a filter be careful to go gently with the bacteria. Wash the sponges in water from the tank ONLY. Get the heavy stuff out of the sponges and leave a little cloudiness in the last rinse. If your filters use replaceable cartridges you may be throwing away your bacteria colonies with every cleaning,don't change all of the cartridges at the same time. There's more,but I think you get the idea.-----Good luck,----PeeTee.

Answer 4

You shouldn't fully clean your tank. Do you do whole water changes? If so, then you might not have beneficial bacteria in your tank. So when you feed your fish, there are no beneficial bacteria that would convert it to less harmful substances resulting in ammonia. Green water could be one indicator of levels of ammonia in your tank.

Also, it might be light intensity in relation to your tank size. Intense lighting (2 watts per gallon or more) or even letting the sun shine at it for a few hours without live plants can also turn the water green.

Answer 5

You could possibly be keeping you tank too clean. If the filter does not have enough biological action it will not clean your tank properly.

Answer 6

Greenish water is usually free floating algae.

The main causes are:

*High waste particulate matter in the water column, which over crowding, over feeding and also important here is improper feeding (poor quality food that is mostly passed thru the fish, usually non aquatic amino acids an too much cereal are the culprits here)

*Intense lighting, but rarely is the problem, this usually just "feeds" the problem.

*Poor water parameters; Nitrates and phosphates to high, kH to low (best above 80 ppm), Redox should be -300 mV (don't rush out and buy a test kit for Redox, there are simple ways to check it). This usually goes with the high waste particulate problem and can effect kH and more importantly Aquarium Redox (which measures the water oxidation and reduction potential.

Corrective measures:

*20% water change using a gravel vacuum
*Electrolytes and minor elements such as magnesium and calcium Wonder Shells are useful here so is aragonite in the filter)
*Add a UV Sterilizer (100% effective but not always cost effective for small aquariums, but is worth mentioning, not just for sterilization, but for Redox)
*Reduce your fish numbers
*Cut back on feeding and improve food quality (No TetraMin). Better choices: Ocean Nutrition, HBH, Spirulina 20 just to name a few. For more about proper feeding, please read this article: Quality Fish Food; What ingredients are needed for proper fish nutrition, growth and health.
*Increase circulation and dissolved oxygen.
*Make sure your Nitrates are below 40 ppm, your kH is at least 80 ppm (depending on fish kept), your phosphates as close to 0 as possible.

This is taken from my FW aquarium basics article:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Aquarium_Principles.html

Answer 7

Every pet store owner I've talked with have all told me the same thing.

Green water is a great thing. Apparently it shows you have perfect water conditions and an excellent natural environ going on. They say that green water is good, the actual formation of algae (and here they dis-agree) is bad. The second thought on algae formation is about a 50/50 split for good and bad.

Either way, they all say green water is good.

Answer 8

try getting a better filter, get some snails or bottom feeders which can help you clean ur tank, and maybe feed ur fish less..

Answer 9

hhhmm maybe the greenish color came from the spoils and left over foods of ur fish... try lessening the amount of food ur givin them... maybe ur makin it too much that they cant finish it all...

Answer 10

Its called moss or algae!