My sand in my aquarium has turned green?

Question

Not all of it just the sand thats pressed against the glass

Answer 1

Algae is correct.

You don't want to get an algae eater for this. For one, they generaly won't eat it off of the sand. For another, algae eaters are very messy fish, often getting way to big for the tank they're in, and should be bought as wanted livestock, not as a cleaning tool.

Here's what you do - syphon off the top layer of sand and rinse it well to get the algae off, and then put it back in the tank. Don't worry about bacteria - you have a filter for this right? Just rub it off the glass yourself.

Then, start keeping your lights off more. If you have no live plants then you only really need to use the aquarium lights when you are actually there to view the tank - using just a few hours of light per day will make a huge difference. Also make sure you don't overfeed and that you do regular water changes, and also that you mix up the sand every now and then.

Answer 2

It's algae, and if it against the glass (below the surface of the substrate) algae eaters can't get to it to eat it.

Use a scraper (metal or plastic if the tank is glass, plastic only if it's acrylic) to scrape the algae at the front of the tank and move it around so that new sand is in the front. The algae on the sand now buried will die from lack of light. You'll need to do this periodically to keep the sand at the front looking clean. It also helps if no bright light reaches that area - light is needed for photosynthesis so the algae can grow.

Algae also needs nutrients, so be sure to do weekly 25% water changes to keep the waste level in the tank down.

Answer 3

That is algae. Don't get an Algae Eater though. Algae Eaters only eat algae when they are young, as they mature, they will become aggressive and suck the slime coat off of other fish, leading to infection and possibly death. Instead, get a siphon. This will allow you to clean your sand and remove all the fish waste. If you already do this, you may need to do it more often to keep the sand clean. If it is near a source of sunlight (window), this is another likely cause of the algae outbreak. From what you said, it sounds like the algae is not on the sand, but on the glass, in which case you will need to scrape it off. Email me if you have any questions.

Nosoop4u

Answer 4

It's time to buy a siphon and vacuum your tank. Algae should never be rinsed from the gravel, as this will remove good bacteria. You may rinse them in a bucket of AQUARIUM WATER, but not tap water. Good luck!

Answer 5

when you do water changes use the siphon that you take out water to stir up the sand and all the debris will go in the water and suck it out. If its fresh water you should just get gravel sand is a pain in the *** and it really isn't worth it.

Answer 6

if you have the fish tank close to sun light it will cause algea to grow,get some algea eaters from the pet store

Answer 7

you need a algee eater,that's whats turned the sand green.

Answer 8

That is algae that has built up in your tank you might want to buy a algae eater for your tank.

Answer 9

That's algae...you need some algae eaters go to your local pet store and get some. Also helps if you make sure your tank doesn't get any direct sunlight.

Answer 10

you dont need to have sand in your fish tank go to the store and get stone then u can wash those when you clean your tank