Green Water

Hi all,
Ive been having a severe case of green water going on for a few weeks now. Ive tried the aquaclear stuff which works for a day or two then I need to clean the filter and the proplem returns soon after. Ive been reading up on these uv filters that are supposed to be great but not sure on prices or if they are available here, as ive never seen them in any of the places I get equipment. I was told also to try a three day blackout followed by a large water change and to try using a chemical to remove phosphates from the water. Fed up looking at a green tank now so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance....

Viperbot how long is your tank set up and also does it receive alot of natural light ie.sunlight ?
It sounds very much like an algae bloom which could well be down to the increased lighting that we are presently experiencing in Summer hours. Alternatively it could be down to your aquarium lighting, what are you running on the tank and what size is the tank ?
The filter will help the problem if its cleaned but shouldnt be overly cleaned with fear it will re-cycle the tank. Filter wool / floss will help to clear the water however if it is green I would very much put it down to algae. Id certainly lower the lighting on the tank over the coming week, reduce the amount of time your light in the tank is on also going forward. The UV light that you are looking for should be available in most decent pet shops, the idea of them is that the water flow by this UV bulb which kills the algae before it goes back into the tank. This is partially true only as some algae wont be killed by this UV light, however the stanard green water that you are experiencing is straightforward enough type of algae (as opposed to string algae etc), so yes a UV light will help.
The UV light is also known as a UV sterilizer. It basically mutates the DNA of the bacteria including the algae and prevents it from developing. Many people swear by it for their tanks. It sterilises the water and prevents alot of infection, however it must be remembered that the water has to pass by this UV bulb before it will take effect ie. if a fish is carrying an infection the UV light may prevent the spread of it but wont kill it from the fish.
Sorry for the quick reply, if I get time later I'll explain it abit better, but you get the idea I hope.
Gavin

Hi Gavin, thx for reply. The tank is a 125ltr and its been running for about 10 months. It is lit by 1x power-glo high intensity lamp LUX 80 and 1x aqua-glo lamp LUX 55. I had them on for about 12 hrs a day but cut that to 9 hrs as of last week. The tank is not dirctly in any sunlight but is about 3 feet from a window against a wall. Should I mabey remove one of the lamps or move the tank?

why not try a bag of good quality carbon thats if you havnt allready tried it.

reefpaddy wrote:

why not try a bag of good quality carbon thats if you havnt allready tried it.

Nope, havnt tried that. What does it involve? I know you can get carbon filter media but never heard of it in bags...

Same thing, but I dont think its going to remove the algae Im afraid.
Gavin

Have decided to try the blackout method before I go buying anything. Have the tank lights off and wrapped it in black bags to stop all light getting in. Will keep this up for 72hrs. Ill let u know how it goes.

I think adding some filter floss will help polish the water also.

The blackout worked a treat. Did a 50% watr change also and the water is crystal clear. Thanks for the replys guys...

Glad it went, but theres a good chance it will come back once light is on again, we have UV filters in stock, alot of people on the site have bought them they come in 5W and 7W, simple but effective, cheap too!!!!

Can you explain more about the UV filters please ?

Hi, they are an internal filter with a UV bulb through the centre of the sponge, will help with baterial, parasitic and green water (algae) they will only remove water bourne parasites etc as they need to come in contact with the UV light from the bulb, same as all UVs, great for quarantine tanks!!! i wouldnt use them solely as a filter but as a UV.

Hi.
Would it be possible to connect one of these in line with an external filter & what type would you suggest for a 300lt tank ? You can send me a Pm if you wish.
Regards.
Tony.

They are basicly an internal sponge filter with a UV up the middle, so not able to put them inline. The 7W would do your 300L, best to call up to us and i can show you them!!!

Im a small distance away from you (south west kerry)so it might be some time before I get a chance to get that far.lol
Would it take a long time for a small internal Uv to go through all the water in my 300lt tank?
I have also heard of large external filters with a built in UV light so I was wondering if that would be a better bet.

Shame, could pos. post it but might get broken.....
We stock the Sera externals too with built in UVs, way better as they have a good amount of filter media, ceramic rings etc....

Hello.
Thanks for that. I looked at the Sera site & their external fiters look the job. Are they expensive & what model would I need for 300lt?

serratus wrote:

Glad it went, but theres a good chance it will come back once light is on again, we have UV filters in stock, alot of people on the site have bought them they come in 5W and 7W, simple but effective, cheap too!!!!

You were right about it comong back. do you have a website wher I can order one? 7w should do for my tank.

Phone me on Wed on 01-4582522 and ill see what i can do!!