Need help with 30 gallon tank please!!?

Question

We've had a 30 gallon tank for 3 years now (fake plants). All has been fine (except for a few sick fish purchases) & its been a learning experience for us to say the least but in the past month we have developed green water. I know its probably an algae bloom but we have tried everything to no avail. We've been doing water changes every other day, vacuuming the gravel thoroughly, cut back on feedings, changed food, using fiber floss, etc. We even bought some Tetra brand Algae Control that worked one time for about a week now it is doing nothing. Within about 3 hours of doing a 70% water change it looks like pond water. Tonight we lost our little Oranda we had & the larger one is experiencing flipover. (hand feeding him blanched shelled lima beans now). There were a total of 4 in the tank, the 2 mentioned, a Panda Lionhead & a Calico. Anyone have any other suggestions. We have city water & use brite & clear with every water change. Hubby is ready to throw tank out the window, not me.Thx

Answer 1

How is your bio filter doing? Have you replaced it with a new one recently? Also, how long do you keep your light on in the tank, most algae needs plenty of light, try cutting down on the light! 70% water change is too much your better off doing 25% weakly this is less stress on your fish. Better filter, less light and weakly water changes should do it.

Answer 2

I would say to leave the tank light off for a few days and to feed the fish a little less. You might want to check if your filter is adequate for your tank, too.

Keeping the tank dark for a couple of days and doing a 25% water change each day should clear up the problem...don't disturb the gravel too much, or change too much of the water each day, or you'll disturb the bacteria colonies which eat fish waste, which will make your algae problem worse. You could also try putting some live plants in, because they'll usually use up the nutrients that the algae needs. I've had live plants in my tank for years and the only algae I ever get is brown and on the glass. I use pothos plants...not an aquarium plant but it's cheap, doesn't need a ton of light like the aquarium plants, and does well in the tank (I got the idea from the aquariums at the zoo here). Just pull the plant out of the dirt, trim the roots to about an inch long, rubber-band several stems together, rinse well, and bury the roots in the gravel.

You could also get a fish who eats algae...won't fix the current problem, but not a bad idea for afterwards. Plecos are the most common...the regular ones get huge but the rubbernose plecos stay small.

Probably the reason your fish died is that the algae uses up a lot of oxygen from the water at night.

Answer 3

The algae control meds have to be administered into the tank more than one time! Make sure you follow the directions carefully. In addition, you need to add some good bacteria to the tank to help control the nitrates and nitrites that have built up. You have been giving that tank too much attention by doing constant water changes, vacuuming, changing the filter media too often. The bacterial bloom that keeps it clear have probably died out or to a very low level, and is having a very hard time keeping your tank water in equilibrium (grammar?).

Go back to the fish store immediately and ask them about your problem. Tell them you suspect your tank water has crashed and you need to rebuild the good bacteria. They should have something you can add to the water. Once things have cleared up again, vacuum once a week, only replace 25 to 50 percent of the water once a month. Make sure you rinse the filter media once a week, and replace it completely once a month. Do a complete water change every 4 to 6 months. And add algae control and bacterial culture according to directions. Be vigilant. Otherwise you may have the same problem start all over again. Everything has been fine for the last three years because your fish were smaller (maybe).

Good luck.

Answer 4

Try a blackout. Algae is a result of higher phosphates, light and extra food.
Cover the tank with a blanket to keep ALL light out (even indirect sunlight) and don't feed the goldfish for a couple of days. As for the upside down oranda..they're susceptible to constipation leading to swim bladder problems. The best food is a couple of thawed, shelled peas. I'm thinking the tank was overfed and that led to both the algae bloom and the swim bladder problem. Not sure if you know this, but goldfish don't have stomachs..just a digestive tract. If they've been fed on flakes or pellets strictly, they'll get constipated quickly.

Answer 5

Do you clean the gravel once a week with a suction hose? And do the regular water changes? When I had three orandas in the same size tank, things went beautifully, but adding two tiny more (with plans of upgrading since tehse were TINY) made my tank do the same thing. None of my fish died, but I have had better luck with the bigger tank. Maybe you need to start over, saving some water or adding beneficial bacteria. I hate throwing chemicals in the water, but it sounds like you need some major help. Is brite and clear a declorinator? Do you have a bio filter also? Good luck.

Answer 6

The only thing left would be the filter. I dont know what kind you are using but it appears that the water changes are turning bad too fast which would inducate that you may have a filter problem. If you have a power filter try changing or rinsing the media.if you have a filter with a pad change the pad and see what happens in a few hours. If it starts to clear up rinse the pad again. GOOD LUCK...

Answer 7

How long do you keep the light on? I had a real problem with algae. Then, after asking at a fish shop, I switched to a different bulb and make sure not to keep the light on too long. Also make sure the tank is out of direct sunlight. Good luck.

Answer 8

see copperhead's answer.. the main significant distinction is proportions of the tank.. as reported the 30 gallon is greater suitable for bigger issues or ones that choose extra area.. no longer basically as a results of fact it particularly is a gallon bigger