Archived message board.
Algae help continued...
Hi, this is continued from the old board. A summary:
10 gallon tank 3 months old w/ plastic plants
cloudy water which appeared after about 1 month.
1 dwarf golden gourami, 1 tiger barb, 2 tetras, and a crab.
Greenish brown algae appeared aprox. 1.5 weeks ago.
I had 2 rocks in my tank that I had put in my tank at the
very beginning and took them out 3 days ago. If the rocks
were causing the problem how long would it take for the cloudiness
to go away? There is also algae on my plastic plants. Is it
okay to try to clean them in the tank (with a toothbrush)
or should I take them out, give them a good cleaning, and
then put them back in? Thanks for any additional help!
Jay
PS- I'm still feeding once every other day.
- What kind of filter do you have? If you had an aquaclear
mini or any other kind with a filter basket adding carbon
might clear up your water a bit. I take out my plastic plants
and clean them occasionally. Sometimes when they get old and
tacky looking I have replaced them. Do not use any soap or
anything toxic to the fish when you clean them!!! Might want
to just scrub hard in water.
- Jay..gads now I starting to feel bad for you..well lets
start with the cloud in your tank...could be just a bacterial
bloom again..what's it look like? test your water again Ok...the
algae on your plastic plants...hope it isn't black and slimy
looking...do NOT wash any of them out in your tank...especially
listen to what Joyce said..get them out and clean them up
real good in a mild bleach solution then rise them off thoroughly
with water,then put them back in your tank....
- Okay. I don't have a hood on my tank yet, if that matters
at all. My water has been cloudy for a long time (about a
month) and I've been trying different things to make it clear.
Way back when I had shells in my tank which might have been
causing the cloudiness. But I took those out and did a partial
water change and it didn't go away. So I took out some of
the large rocks in my tank thinking it might be them and did
another partial water change. And just now I took out the
last 2 rocks (besides the gravel on the bottom) to see if
THAT would work. (All of that was over the period of about
a month) Joyce, I have a regular, cheap, hang off the back,
waterfall, carbon filter. I took my water to get tested at
my LPS and that lady said that I had too many nitrates in
the water and to cut my feeding to once every other day. That
was about 2 weeks ago. It was a couple days after I cut back
the feeding that the algae appeared, it's the first time I
have EVER had algae in the tank. Jeff, what if the algae is
black and shiny looking? What does that mean? (I don't think
my algae fits that description, just curious) I'll clean the
plants really well this weekend. Sorry for the long post.
Thanks for all your help.
- jay...sorry but I was just hoping you didn't have blue-green
algae in there as well...high nitrate levels can cause algae
blooms so do some a water changes like 30%...Your rocks might
be fine( do you know what kind they are)..I think you did
the vinegar test on them as while back so if they are stable...keep
them...Heck you have to have a nice looking tank right?....and
hey have you tested your tap water directly?..Also your own
test kit is certainly in order...
- Jay sometimes you have to just put up with a little algae
as long as it doesn't get way out of hand. It is actually
a natural thing in the aquarium...we just hate how it looks.
Keep changing your carbon on a regular basis (should say on
the package how often) that should clear up your cloudiness
as long as you are not feeding too much. I know they look
hungry, but they should consume your food in about 3 minutes
or less and not more than twice a day. If your Lfs person
said to go every other day for awhile that is fine until you
get your nitrates down. The best way to get rid of algae is
to do the live plant thing and have them competing for your
extra nutrients. Most of the fish that eat algae are rather
large for a small tank. I am not sure how large your tank
is? Sometimes platies or swords will pick at it on your artificial
plants, but not on the glass or gravel. Make sure you don't
use chemicals in your tank with phosphate listed. It will
increase your algae.
- I see in your post that it is 10 gal and that is too small
for a pleco or Siamese algae eater.
- Good advice joyce...Algea control is all nutrient control...we
all balance it every day..
- Jay....hey, I'm back I can't recall...is the cloudiness
green, or is it a whitish cloudy?...
- Hi
I've been to badman's board before but its been a while since
my last visit so I thought I'd reintroduce myself, I'm Kelsey.
welp, about your cloudy tank, with my 30 gal, it took about
a month after it was set up and had fish in it to start getting
cloudy, that was in February and it just got crystal clear
the past couple of weeks, so it took about 2 months for it
to clear up, but it did on its own, I just feed the fish a
very little bit each time, a few times a day and did 10-15%
biweekly water changes.
Anyway I thought it was algae because it wasn't the whitish/
cloudy it was green, but whatever the cause everything cleared
up.
Hope you can work things out, time may be the only solution.
Kelsey
- Hi all. I checked and the algae on the plants is definitely
not blackish. It looks the same color as the stuff on the
sides of my tank. I wouldn't say that it is blue-green, it
is dark green or light brown. My tanks isn't THAT cloudy,
it just isn't very clear either. It isn't that noticeable
unless I look in the side of the tank and stick my hand on
the other side you can tell that it's cloudy. Yeah Jeff, you
remember correctly. I did the vinegar test on my rocks before
I put them in. But I was told that something else might be
leaching from the rocks. So I took them out just to be safe.
My tank looks pretty crappy right now. Only 4 fish and 4 plants
(plastic). I'm not concerned how it looks yet. Once I get
the slight cloudiness and algae growth under control then
I'll worry about aesthetics. Joyce, my filter has a little
overflow thingy where the plastic intake tube goes up into
the actual filter area. When this part overflows is when you're
supposed to change the filter. It takes pretty long for this
to happen, usually at least a month. Should I be doing filter
changes more often? Is there any sure way to tell if the filter
needs changing? I'm also using some "filter aid"
which you put in your filter which is supposed to clear up
the water. It doesn't seem to be working too well though.
Is it okay to introduce new fish to my tank or should I wait
until everything is figure out? If it's okay to add fish,
any suggestions for pretty, easy maintenance fish for a 10
gal tank? Jeff, I think my tap water is pretty good. My house
has a water big unit on it that takes out radon and softens
the water (takes out Mg (manganese) and Fe (iron)). Do you
still think I should get the tap water tested? Thanks again
for all your help, I really really appreciate it. I trust
you guys a LOT more than the person at my LPS.
PS- Sorry for the long post again :-)
- jay...remember I asked about your tap water and substrate
before?...Did you have any luck with the diatoms(brown algae)...Did
you try any of the suggestions?....A long time ago we mentioned
about problems you may experience with the weird and wonderful...now
you are getting the idea...If the water in just cloudy and
kinda milky looking it's probably just an algae bloom...it
will go away...test your water tap and tank...don't overfeed,keep
your nitrate levels down,do your water changes and see what
happens...small tanks can be hard to stabilize...I certainly
can share your frustration....
- I am not too familiar with your filter type. If it gets
a little dirty and you don't think it is ready to change you
can always rinse it in your TANK water. If you rinse it in
tap you may kill off some bacteria and right now you definitely
need those guys. You can rinse directly in the tank or if
too messy put a little tank water in a small bowl and rinse
in that. You have your 10gal pretty close to where it should
be fish-limit, so I wouldn't add any fish unless you get a
larger tank. Your barb may pick on the other fish so watch
him closely. I would really stick to the inch per fish (adult
inches) on a small tank they are really harder to maintain.
I really think the new tank and overfeeding caused your cloudiness.
- No Jeff, I have not had my tap water tested yet. I wouldn't
think that my substrate is causing the problem because it's
just the normal bagged stuff that they sell in the LPS. How
would I be able to tell if it had silicate in it? And I don't
understand why my tank is "weird and wonderful",
all I have in it that is "weird" is a crab, why
would that cause problems? My barb is actually doing really
well. I had 3 barbs at one point but the other two died but
this last one seems to be doing fine. Surprisingly he doesn't
chase ANY of the other fish in the tank. My gourami is what
does all the chasing. Today I am thoroughly cleaning all my
plastic plants, scrubbing the tank walls, and doing a 30%
water change. I'll tell you how it goes. Thanks for your help.
- Sorry jay.. Just making sure you didn't have any silica
sand as substrate and your tap water checked out...I know
you have been working hard to keep thing normal shall we say...do
as you said and we will see how it goes...just do me a favor
before you do some tank maintenance and test your tank water...then
make some notes Ok...good luck..
- Jeff is right about the silicate sand. People use it in
Marine tanks. Also it is sometimes used in Lake T tanks to
raise the PH. Crushed coral can also give your tropicals problems
unless they are African rift fish that like the really high
ph. I use if for Mbuna Lake Malawi fish. Your LFS won't always
clue you in on this. Sometimes their temp help just doesn't
know if it is for Marine of Freshwater fish. At one LFS by
me the people don't even know which African Lake the fish
are from!(It makes a big difference).
- Actually I think Silicate sand is the marine sand. Jeff
is this what you are referring to? I know builders sand is
not a good idea because it is supposed to pack down too much
and be heavy. I have been checking out sand lately and the
best type is supposed to be filtration sand. I haven't been
able to find out where you get it. Some brackish people I
know use play sand from home depot.
- I am just trying to narrow the field down a bit...cloudy
water, diatoms,high nitrates,and what have you...Besides you
never know what they are selling at your LPS..could be play
sand(real high in silicates) for all we know...
- That's what I was worried about when they said play sand.
I looked at my LFS and all I could find was Marine sand (checked
dictionary not silicate which is quartz-like). The builders
sand is supposed to have toxic additives also, but I am sure
the LFS stores wouldn't sell that. I may do a brackish tank
this fall or someday a Lake T shell dweller tank so I am really
trying to figure out where to get good sand. I guess a sand
substrate is not an easy way to go and need to be checked
out thoroughly for potential problems.
- Jay sorry if I took this off track of your problem, but
your questions help me too. If your LFS person checked your
water for you once, maybe you could sneak a little tap in
there and ask her nicely to check it for you. The water parameters
will really help Jeff or anyone else trying to solve your
tank problem.
- Okay, I cleaned the tank walls, did a 30% water change,
and scrubbed all of my plants in running water outside the
tank. Even after all that the water doesn't look much clearer.
Any ideas? I haven't been to my LPS yet and probably won't
for a couple of days. I'll let you know when I get my tap
water tested though. Thanks again.
- OK jay....you did well...lets wait and see what happens
in a few days...keep testing your water and make notes of
your obsevations..chin up lad..we aren't done yet!!
- Time to throw my 2 cents in...for what it's worth. If you
have to start over (sorry - I hope it doesn't come to that)...but
IF you do, I have found from past experience that improperly
cleaned gravel often causes cloudy water problems. Once I
started BOILING the gravel (yes, boil it in a big pot - like
soup!) and of course, rinsing it within an inch of its life
(before boiling it), I never had another cloudy water problem.
But of course, that's at tank set-up time, and I hope it doesn't
come to that!
- Here's an update: I have algae all over my tank again, and
all over my plants (which I cleaned just a week ago). I really
don't want to have to clean my plants every week to keep them
looking decent, it seems excessive. My water isn't too cloudy.
I've decided I can live with my somewhat cloudy water, it's
okay. A little not for Julia Gill though; you bring up a good
point. I really didn't clean my gravel very well when I got
it. Maybe that IS causing the problem. Probably would be a
bad idea to try taking out all my gravel to boil it and put
it back in. Thanks for your input Julia. What can I do about
my algae though? It's really pissing me off. Should I limit
the amount of ambient light and/or hood light it receives?
Right now I only have the hood light on from about 4-10 PM.
Should I not use it at all or what? Thanks for any additional
help you all can provide.
- Hey jay. I think Ms. Gill was on to something. I've been
keeping fish for years but got out of it for about 3 years.
When I finally decided to set them all up again I was really
excited and wanted to get them up. I didn't clean the gravel
nearly as well as I should have. I threw the gravel in there
and filled with water. Although it was cloudy at first I thought
that it would settle and clean with the filter. I was wrong.
I had to rip it all out again. Now boiling gravel can be dangerous
as there can be air pockets inside the rocks with can make
them explode. All I did was to slowly put 2lbs into a metal
colander and slowly rinse with cold water until it ran clean.
After doing that I had no problems once so ever with my tanks.
I do have a large pleco in my tank (13 inches) but I have
not had a problem with algae at all and actually I have to
add algae tablets. I know this isnt what you want to hear
but I would start cleaning the gravel.
- ah..jay you must be getting tired huh...but hey you waited
and now we have something...firstly...I do have to agree with
ms gill..not thoroughly washing your gravel out in the first
place may keep presenting you with that cloudy water...stuff
just may keep leaching out slowly...it's got to be really
washed well before it goes in your tank...you should hear
what I go through before a put flourite in(another story)...anyway...if
it has not been washed I think your problem may continue...you
should not have to live with cloudy water... the only way
to now for sure if that's the problem is...get it out start
again..don't feel bad I have done it many times... big washing
this time( even get good quality new gravel if you have too
2-5mm nice natural looking OK.)..and no shells..wash till
gravel come clear...no need to boil it...I have never boiled
gravel...keep your filter media intact and start again..yep
it sucks but this had been going on way,way too long....the
rest we can deal with later...and remember all the cycling
stuff we taught you...
- Okay. I'll clean my gravel. I'm wondering exactly how to
get it out of the tank and how to clean it. What am I supposed
to put it in to rinse it until the water runs clear? Don't
I need something with holes big enough to let water through
but not gravel? And how careful do I have to be to get ALL
the gravel out when I clean it? Do I really need to get every
last piece out of the corners etc.? What should I do about
the fish, plants, etc? If someone could write out a step by
step plan I would really appreciate it. Kudos to Ms. Gill
for her post. Maybe it'll fix everything. I do have one last
question though: how come my water wasn't cloudy for the first
month if the problem is the gravel? Thanks. PS- One more Q.
What about rocks from my area? Can I put those in if I've
boiled them? Any sure way to tell if I can use them?
- jay...ok..first you will need a temp holding tank for your
fish..(With the heater and filter)..Anything will work put
a little salt into water from old tank to reduce stress(1
tbsp per 5 gal)..Next get your fish out...get your water out..then
scoop out the gravel...clean your tank and get rid of the
algea..rinse it all clean..now place a bit of your gravel
at a time into a large plastic bucket and run a garden hose
into it swishing it around with your hand...slowly pouring
the water out a bit at a time till the water run clear..keep
doing this till all your gravel is washed including any new
stuff you might buy...your rocks I believe are safe right?(pour
hydo acid on them if you have it or vinegar remember no fizzy)
you can boil them then wash them off...when everything is
safe to go back in the tank..fill it up(dechlorinate water)..Plus
water your fish are in..place your filter back in that you
have in your temp holding area and heater etc...then wait
for settling and temp to stablize...fish well I guess you
don't have anywhere to hold them through cycling huh?...So
you will have to really watch your water.. hopefully the filter
media you saved will speed things up and keep a little in
check...add some nova aqua to keep thing in check for now...you
will be taking a big chance with this on the
- Wow. A lot of work! Why do I need to empty the fish and
water out of the tank? Won't it work to just take the gravel
out, clean it, and then put it back in? How big should I make
sure the temp holding tank is for the fish (and crab)? And
did you mean to put new salt into the water in the temp holding
tank or to put some water from the 10 gal tank into the holding
tank? I was a little confused on that part "anything will
work put a little salt into water from old tank to reduce
stress" . Thanks lots Jeff.
- Jay the reason I asked you start over is.. It's going to
be one big mess if you don't.. Plus you need to clean up all
that algea...the temp tank can be anything like a 5gal pail
for all your fish plus the crab,filter and heater...oh put
some salt in the holding tank is what I meant...sorry jay
I was in a real hurry when I did your post...good luck you
will do fine...
- Hey Jay. I just went through the same thing your going through.
IM glad you have decided to clean out the gravel. The way
I did it was to get a big metal colander (strainer like you
put noodles in) and rinse the gravel about 1 or 2 lbs at a
time. I just let cold water run over it until it runs clear
(don't let any go down your sink, I had to tear apart my garbage
disposal to get the gravel out) make sure that you clean the
tank and plants well at this point. Like Jeff said pour some
vinegar on the rocks you have. If it fizzles then don't put
them in. that means that they will slowly dissolve in your
tank and screw stuff up. And I have seen people discuss boiling
rocks. I HIGHLY don't recommend this. If there are air pockets
in the rocks they can explode. Explain that to the fire dept.(yes
sir ...It all started when I started boiling the rocks...)Anyway
at this point you should have everything out and your tank
completely clean. This is a good time to think about running
airlines or anything like that. Put the rocks back in your
tank and decorate as you choose. Add water (put a bowl in
the bottom so when your pouring water it diffuses the splash
and wont mess up your tank) and treat it with a declorinating
chemical. I suggest a product called WASTE CONTROL at this
point. It adds bacteria and helps start the cycling of your
tank. But this is your choice. alot of people are dead set
against adding anything. After the temp settles then add the
fish. Keep the lights off for a day or two and feed every
other day. This will help keep the ammonia and nitrite levels
down and help the fish with their stress. After that just
keep a good eye on the chemical levels in the tank and wait
about 5 weeks doing 1/3 water changes a week. Sounds like
alot of work...well it is...but this is a hands on hobby.
Personally I wont like it so much if all I did was look at
it. IM always messing with my tanks for no reason.
- steve..what the heck kinda rocks are you getting to blow
up!...I have baked rocks in an oven at 500 degrees and hucked
them it bleach water and never had them blow up...maybe stick
with slate,quartz,lava rock,granite and onyx...I would avoid
stuff like marble,limestone,dolomite,shells or sandstone...but
stream rolled rocks are very nice...and what's with the waste
control?...this stuff is a maybe as a complete last resort
for not cleaning your tank..or if you are keeping big waste
depositing amphibians.. but I personally wouldn't use it...
- Jeff, Some rocks can have crevices that will trap water
over long periods of time through absorption and then when
heated creates steam and will crack or can possibly explode.
Most rocks are not this way but it can happen. Rocks bought
in a LPS shouldn't be like this. Its just a precaution. And
the WASTE CONTROL is a product by Bio Systems. Its a all organic
solution comprised of bacteria that help in the establishment
of a organic filter. Its not a chemical.
- ok..thanks steve..just been lucky I guess...even my lava
rock didn't blow(yikes!)..and I would like to see what's supposed
to be in that waste control stuff?...is it like septic treatment?
- Jeff, If you remember my posts about my Nitrite problems
I was worried and looking for a cure. I knew it was still
cycling but nothing seamed to work. Not water changes or anything..andyway
I got this at my LPS and it worked wonders. Made a believer
out of me instantly. Its also organic so not really dumping
in chemicals...check it out..
product
- Okay, I'll follow your advice. How long will my fish be
in my temp tank? When I first set up my tank it took like
a week to stabilize the temp! The fish shouldn't be in a temp
tank for a week, right? I am probably going to be using a
goldfish bowl for my temp tank. How am I supposed to get my
filter and heater to fit on the edge of a round bowl? Bend
the plastic?;-) I'll let you know when I start doing this.
It's going to take FOREVER to do. I don't know if I'll be
able to manage it this weekend. Do I need to scrub my tank
and rinse it out? Thanks once again to both Steve and Jeff.
- I would scrub the tank and rinse it out. If you have all
the rocks out and everything torn down then its just one more
step and shouldn't take too long...is your heater submersible?
if so just let it lay in there. If not then get some rope,
string,or duct tape. If your having problems establishing
the temperature maybe you need to look at your heater. What
size heater? what size tank? I always add water from my kitchen
sink with a garden hose and a adapter that will fit on the
sink (any hardware store for about $3) I can usually feel
the right temp but hold a thermometer under the water to get
it close then fill your tank. After you fill the tank and
have everything in it add some Stress coat or some equivalent
(something to take out the chlorine in the water) maybe add
some beneficial bacteria ( optional) to get your filter started.
You should be able to add the fish right after that. Just
make sure that the water in your temp tank and in your other
tank are close in temp. The fish will be stressed but no more
then being in your temp tank..... (I wait in anticipation
for Jeff to read my post and grade me accordingly)
- OK so I read back in your post and realized that its a 10gal
tank. Skip the garden hose and adapter...a clean pitcher will
work fine. But like I said get the temp close. Oh yeah. But
a bowl in the bottom so when you pour your water in it doesn't
upset the gravel.
- Hi jay..again sorry you have to deal with this but you are
lucky it's a ten gal tank...it will be easy!...And Steve nobody
grades anyone here..no answer is wrong we all do things different
it's what works for me thing ya know..jay about your stuff...maybe
a small 3-5gal pail will work better anything that will hold
water will work and give you somewhere to place your heater...this
is only for the day anyway if you can't run the filter don't
worry about it just huck it in there..we just want to preserve
some of the bacteria established....your water temp you can
either feel it with your hand or mix some warm water in and
use a thermometer...but you are just taking some of the water
out of your 10 gal and putting it in your temp pail or what
have you...after that the water goes back into the main tank
OK...all this will speed up the cycling...don't worry this
is not rocket science you can do it...just work it through..it
should only take a few hrs to do...this time we will really
know what is going on..ok..
- Good idea Jeff another fish guy I know used a tub from Walmarts
as a temp holding tank for his Oscar and pleco. His 55 gal
got broke by a flying baseball or something.
- Guess who? I am probably sticking my nose in here again
in the middle of a lot of good advice, but I think we can
get Jay fixed up quite easily and economically since he has
such a small tank. (I just found out trying to post this that
it is way too big.) Since it is important you hear this, it
will be in many posts for completion. Sorry) But there are
a few questions I need to ask. If you are experiencing this
much algae and cloudiness (is the water green or white?....Green
is greenwater algae, white cloudiness represents a bacteria
bloom....your water probably contains an overabundance of
phosphates, and with the high nitrates, all the water changing
and cleaning is doing more harm than good. You are basically
"feeding" the algae when you do a water change. From what
has been posted, I would say the algae has a stronghold on
this tank, and you only have one solution to get it straightened
up. Also by all the cleaning and water changing, you are keeping
the tank in the uncycled mode. First, I need to know, Jay,
if you have broken the tank down yet? Where is this tank setting?
Direct sunlight is a no no. And I didn't see where you had
purchased a hood with a light. A cover for the aquarium is
important to keep out airborne particles. And correct lighting
is important for keeping brown algae at bay and keeping the
tank healthy. It is my understanding that you only have about
4 fish in this tank, which is good at this point. At this
writing, I can't remember exactly what they were, so if you
could refresh me here, I would appreciate it. (This is a very
long thread....hehe) I am assuming, too, that the substrate
is just your ordinary packaged rocks or gravel from the lps.
If this is the case, it is fine. Don't place any other rocks,
gravel or sand that did not come from the lps in this tank.
(Section 2 follows)
- Until you get the tank balanced and cleaned properly, you
will continue to have algae and cloudiness in this small tank.
Bigger is better and easier to maintain in the fishkeeping
hobby, but 10-gallons are easy to work with. It does take
longer for them to become "balanced", but once we get you
on the right track, you should have minimal problems in the
future. Following is what I would do...... Pick a day when
you have several hours to devote to this tank. Have on hand
a "clean", "unused" bucket, some airline tubing and a pump.
Put in this bucket "conditioned" water as close to the temp
of the tank as you can. Place the airline in the bucket so
that you have aeration in the bucket and net your fish into
it. Place something over the bucket so the fish don't jump
out. This should not hurt your fish. I have done this too
many times to remember...... Break down the tank. Remove the
rocks into another bucket, break down the filter, throw away
the media inside and take out the plants. (I hope you have
not gotten "live" plants. If so throw them away, they are
covered with algae and cannot be cleaned properly enough to
be placed back in the tank. And if the live plants were not
established, the algae will fight them for food and the algae
usually wins.) The rocks in the bucket should be cleaned several
times. Do not use bleach or soap. The bleach will soak into
the rocks and leech into the tank when water is re-added.
The best thing to do with these is wash with real hot (doesn't
have to be boiling) several times. Between each rinsing, use
a strainer to strain them from one bucket or container to
another. (Section 3 follows)
- The plants need to be scrubbed with a toothbrush to remove
any visible algae. A mild solution of bleach should also be
used on these as it (1) helps break up the algae for easier
removal and (2)kills any remaining algae that cannot be seen
with the naked eye. Once the plants have been cleaned, be
sure to dip in solution of "conditioned" water to remove any
remaining bleach residue. Do this same thing with the pieces
of your filter, scrubbing and rinsing any algae particles
that may be attached to it. Again, make sure that "anything"
that has come in contact with the bleach solution is rinsed
with "conditioned" water. Clean out the tank itself. Scrub
all areas. Rinse with bleach solution, then rinse well again
with plain water. Fill the tank partially with water adding
"conditioner". Swish very good to get all areas rinsed and
free of the bleach solution. When everything is nice and clean,
put it all back together again. Yep, you guessed it. You have
just started over. Your fishies should be fine in the bucket
for quite a few hours (I have even left mine overnight) so
when you have the tank all set up again, new filters added
and the temp up where it needs to be, you can return your
fish. I don't ordinarily suggest adding "chemicals" to a tank,
but with the problems of algae that you have, I would strongly
suggest adding algae destroyer tablets made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
to this tank. They can usually be found at most Walmart or
LPS's, and they do work, while not hurting the fish or the
tank. (Section 4 follows)
- Now basically, you have an uncycled tank again. However,
try as you might, it is very difficult to kill "all" the bacteria
that is housed in a tank. By using the gravel that you already
had, there will still be minute colonies of bacteria. You
may experience some "white" cloudiness after doing this, but
by not overfeeding the fish you are replacing back into the
tank, the bacteria will multiply slowly as there will be no
"catching up" that they have to do to keep up with the waste,
and I think you will find that things will be okay. Your tank
will cycle again, of course, so you will see some ammonia,
high nitrite/nitrate levels again for a bit. It might be a
good thing for you to invest in a couple of test kits so you
can monitor these without having to run to the LPS every couple
of days. As long as the ammonia/nitrite does not reach dangerous
levels, your fish should be fine (since you only have 4 and
not going to overfeed) and things should turn around for you.
I know this is an awfully long post, and I hope I did not
confuse you. Since I have returned to Badmans, I hope to be
able to check the board a couple of times a day, and I will
be watching for any further posts from you. Sorry, that I
probably have created a lot of work for you, but sad to say,
it just goes along with the hobby if you want to have that
beautiful, sparkling tank with happy fishies. (The End)
- Oops, I need to add just two more things. First, when putting
the fish into the bucket, DO NOT use any of the water from
the tank. And clean your net after netting them into the bucket
with "new" conditioned water. Otherwise, you are just transferring
the algae from one place to another. Secondly, don't worry
about a heater in the bucket. Unless it is 60 degrees in your
house, they will be fine. Okay, I am done for sure now. Again,
I will apologize for being sooooo windy....Cya
- thanks..kick...just some history...this has not been a new
thing for jay...this has been going on forever it seems..all
the things you mentioned have already be talked about and
exhausted to no end..and I agree with all of what you said...but
I guess we finally decided to start from the start again(
ending poor jays frustration)...And further to the algae thing...I
felt that it seemed mostly to do with what is on the decorations
etc...and by using some of his old water(like you prefer he
didn't) but with that big water change I felt it would not
upset things enough that we couldn't deal with it...(trying
to save some good bacteria for him)or as you said not use
any of it and certainly I wouldn't have if I thought we were
dealing with BGA or something to that effect...allways thanks
for your imput...later Jeff
- Here's some answers for Kick. The water ISN'T incredibly
cloudy. It just isn't as clear as I want it to be. It's not
like I can't see from on end of the tank to the other or anything.
And it is white. I don't even know if it's worth it to start
over again. This is a ton of work (and time) to just get rid
of a little cloudiness. Or will it also help my algae problem?
The tank is at the side of my room, away from direct sunlight.
There are windows to both sides of it but sunlight never hits
the tank. And I got a hood just recently (about a week ago).
Prior to that I just had a grate-type-thing to keep the cat
out. I am still unsure of one part; at the end am I supposed
to pour back into the "new" conditioned tank some of the old
water (what's in the tank right now)? And should I use a new
filter or keep the one I have right now? Thanks again to all
of you for your help. I really appreciate it.
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