[APD] Green water remedies -- temporary Fluval micron filtration?

[Matt Staroscik <matt at wrongcrowd_com>]

Recently my 90gal/220W tank has developed green water. It isn't pea soup 
yet, in fact from the front it looks white like a bacterial bloom... but 
from the side you can see it is definitely green. (once again I find I want 
a microscope!)

The tank is fairly new... 2 months or so. I have, to MY eye a lot of plants 
in it, but since I can still see substrate I know others would beg to 
differ. :) I have only about 18 small/medium fish in it. I had been using 
PMDD daily though I stopped when the water started to could up. FWIW the 
higher plants seem to be pretty healthy. The easy growers like anachris are 
shooting up very fast.

So I am looking into the nutrients and lighting levels, but I want to 
figure out a filtration assist too. The tank is ugly when cloudy and it is 
very visible in the house. (Covering the tank will also be ugly so I would 
prefer filtration to a blackout if possible, but everything is still on the 
table.)

- I have a Fluval cannister filter, but they don't seem to make micron 
filtration media. Has anyone had success adapting other micron filter 
add-ins to Fluvals? Diatom bags, micron floss, anything like that?

- Would I even need new media if I used a flocculating agent? I haven't 
used one before, I am just reluctant to add chemicals if there is a cheap 
purely mechanical solution too.

I would consider a Vortex or similar micron filter, but I don't want to 
become reliant on them -- also, I have filter feeders (singapore shrimp) 
and I don't want to risk starving them by having the water polished ALL the 
time. They are LOVING life right now, it's like living in a buffet line...

Thanks for any ideas!

- Matt

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