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Re: Green Water
> To Steve regarding your green water problem:
>
> I know you feel like you accomplished something by removing 95% of your
> water and now the water is clear, but... I'm sure the green will return
> in time. You didn't really "solve" the problem. Recently I went thru the
> same pea soup episode you have experienced. It turns out I have a high
> phosphate level in my water. You should get yourself a phosphate test
> kit and some phosphate remover. See where this leads you...
>
> Sue
Well, actually, you might have. I recently went through a green water
episode in which I could hardly see into my tank at all. After two seperate
"lights out" stints and a 60% water change - it went away. My water tested
high in phosphates on the Red-Sea test kit (I know, not the best reputation
for those kits) and still tests high. I haven't yet added any phosphate
resin, and that has been the only green water encounter I have had.
Ultimately, I attribute the green water to a) moving the tank - I had to go
back to the dorm after winter break, and b) my yeast bottle runing out, and
not being immediately replaced.
Between a drop in available CO2 levels, and the dirsturbance of all the
plants being up-rooted & moved, I think that allowed enough weakness for the
algae to grab hold. Once I removed enough of the algae to get full light
down to the plants (and made up another yeast batch), they began soaking up
the nutrients again, and the remaining greenness disappeared in a day or two
on its own.
If your tank has regular problems with algae, get the resin; otherwise just
kill the algae off to restore the balance in the tank, and let your plants
use the P.
Derek Johnson
djohnsor at gmu_edu