re: cloudy/green water

i know that there is a search box on the forum but i can not seem to get it to work so maybe someone here could post me a link to a problem that has shown its self over the last few days.
my tank aprox 200 ltrs (100x40x40) had decided to go a nice shade of cloudy green. there is no problem seeing the background from the front but trying to look thru the tank sideways you can not see the otherside at all.
the glass is cleaned by my Bristle nose Pleco (Ancistrus spp.) but it is one of those jobs i do weekly with a magnet tank cleaner (washed and dried after)
the tank is planted (7 different types), contains bogwood, with a crushed coral strata
i feed every other a pinch of each:- dried bloodworm tropical flake catfish pelets and 1 or 2 sinking tablets then in between 2 frozen food blocks (shared between the other 2 tanks)
one day a weekk i do not feed at all or just put in a slice of fresh courgette in the evening for the pleco's which i remove in the morning.

the tank contains

4 Guppys (Poecilia Reticulata)
2 zebra loach, Botia striata
4 Black Tetra, Black Skirt (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi)
6 Neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi)
4 Copper tetras (Hasemania marginata)
8Peppered Cory (C. paleatus)
1 Common or maybe sailfin Pleco (8 inch at the moment) (Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps)
1 Bristle nose Pleco (Ancistrus spp.)

water parameters are as follows (for the last few weeks)
DATE TIME PH-VALUE KH GH (NO‚) (NOƒ)

21/01/08 14.45 7.20 6 14 0 25
22/01/08 10.00 7.20 10 14/21 0 50
22/01/08 22.00 7.60 10 21 0 50
23/01/08 14.00 7.20 10 14 0 25
23/01/08 18.00 7.20 10 14 0 10
26/01/08 21.00 6.80 10 14 0 25
29/01/08 14.00 7.20 15 14 0 10

31/01/08 RO WATER ADDED 20%
01/02/08 14.00 6.80 10 7 0 10
03/02/08 22.00 6.80 6 7 0 10
04/02/08 18.00 6.80 6 7 0 10
05/02/08 10.00 6.80 6 14 0 25

i hope this info helps.

thanks in advance
matt
ps i got 4 days to try to sort this b4 going on hols for a week! (father in law will feed once when im away)

Hi Matt,

i have had this problem a couple of times in the past usually when i have tried a new food or forgot to switch lights off.

i would first look at the cat fish pellets and the tablets(pleco?)

would you by any chance change a bulb recently if so maybe the time your lights is on is the problem i would second reduce that anyway. i would do a few water changes over the comming days i would also look around for external light that might have changed.

i would give the bottom a good hover with each water change I say this because i noted that from the 01-02to 04-02 the water remained constant but on 05-02 it changed this to me would suggest that something added over the previous 48 hours was the problem may some thing trapped you can't see or under something. Did you do a small water change on the 22-01 and 23-01?

plus the fact you also have plecos that can s**T for Ireland.

I have to complement you on your records they are to be admired!

Mickey

thanks mickey, i didnt think of putting an extra space in excel for when i do a water change but will write one in now. i know the water at home is VERY hard.
looking at the records i think those would have been days when waterchanges were done as the wife would have been watching tv ( i dont disterb her!! )
could you/anyone suggest a different food for pleco and corys esp as my corys are always spawning.
tank has stayed in situ for the last few mths with no extra lighting (2 hrs in morning then 4or 5 in evening sometimes blue L.E.Ds tho)
ill retake readings this evening and see what they are

also anyone with good ideas for cheaper testing kit . the one i use works out at €35 for 50 tests!
thanks again
matt

Matt,
I use the king fish british catfish pellet i did try one a while back in an orange type label and lid, found it dirted the water the savings did not justify the extra cleaning.
the pleco well i alternate between tablets and wafer, my small bristle nose two inch in my fry tank gets two tables a week plus what he cleans (i have crushed tablets and wafer mix in my fry food also)

I also find that the Hikari Tropical Algae Wafer Fish Food and all there range to be excellent if i could get a regular source of his product i would use it exclusively. the spectrum range is another very good product. I am sure you will get some better advice later but hopefully this will be a start

Mickey