Cloudy water

[Lotus]

I have a 75 gallon planted tank and every now and then the water gets cloudy. I did a 50% water change on Monday and the water was still a little cloudy. Now its really cloudy. Sometimes will have BBA and blue green algae. Does anyone know how to prevent the water from getting cloudy ? Its so annoying! I'm thinking of getting a UV sterilizer.

[White Worm]

How much are you cleaning your filters and how? What kind of filters? Does your w/c water have any chlorine? Do you use a water conditioner? White cloudy water usually means bacteria bloom. With plants, it becomes even more of a balancing act. What do you use for the plants? Alot more info will be needed so you can get appropriate advice. How many plants, what kind of plants, ferts??? Many things or lack of many things can bring on cloudy water. How long has the tank been set up? Fish?

[Lotus]

I clean the filter maybe once every three-four months. I use a cannister filter and I use a chlorine conditioner sometimes and the water is light green in color. I use Seachem's fertilizing tablets and I have about 16 plants. I had the tank for a year and a half. I have discus, cardinals, angelfishs, and a siamese fighting fish. I have crypts, rotala, lotus', aponogeton crispus, ceratopteris thalictroides, and bacopa to name a few.

[GrillMaster]

Sounds like an algae bloom...A UV will definately clear it right up for you!

It would be great if you could borrow one from someone for a few days. Once it clears up, it usually doesn't come back.

[Lotus]

I will try and get one soon.Thanks Mark.

Elaine

[White Worm]

Yep, didnt know if it was white cloud or greenish cloud.

[iceterran]

Even if the water is a green tint, its still bacteria. A small photosynthetic unicellular organism called cyanobacteria, often referred to as free floating algae or "pea soup". A UV sterilizer (or diatom filter) will definitely kill the bacteria, but if I were you, I would get to the root of the problem, likely the same thing thats causing your other algae. Its often caused by a nitrate or ammonia spike, or the loss of beneficial bacteria in your system. Have you stritted up the substrate in your tank lately? It sounds like there is an imbalance of nutrients based on your other algae problems. Here is my recommendation: go find a willow tree, and gather some of its branches. They should be long and thin, long enough to stick out of your tank. trim the branches off untill they are single stalks. If there are buds or leaves on the stems you can leave them on. Position the willow vertically in the tank so that the plant emerges from the top. Dont plant it in your substrate, just let it sit. Give the willow good light, and after about a week it will sprout thick white roots. In roughly another week your green water should be gone. The willow will suck up all the nutrients in your tank like a sponge. Be sure to remove it after it has done its job. With the levels stabilized and the GW gone your plants will be able to out compete the algae. Thats how I deal with that.

[GrillMaster]

Just a small correction iceterran... Green water, (pea soup) or an algae bloom many reffer to as new tank syndrome is not cyano bacteria. Cyano bacteria is very dark green, has a a strong distinct smell, and can actually be picked off the substrate, plants, wood etc... with your fingers. Since it is a bacteria, many people resolve the issue with marycin.

Although some have removed green water with willow branches, it takes awhile for it to work where a UV will clear it up in a day. Green water is very common in a new tank set up where the plants haven't had a chance to establish themselves yet.

[Wahter]

You can also hookup a diatom filter to the tank for awhile to pull out any free floating / green water algae.



Walter