Hi everyone & thanks in advance for the help.
I have a 55 gal with 5 parrot fish ranging in size from small to large. I have had this setup for almost 2 years & have just recently started having problems with the water becoming murky with a pretty bad green tint. The first time this happened was back in Feb. I thought the tank just needed cleaning like normal so I changed about 25% of the water, filter cartridges, cleaned walls est. This did not help the problem at all. It was just a cloudy & green as before. So, I decided to do a complete water change & start the tank over from scratch. This cured the issue for almost 2 months & the tank looked great.
Well, last week I noticed the tank once again becoming green.. I changed about 75% of the water and it did not help. Still cloudy & green! There is o physical algae or dirt in the tank. It is just the water.
What could be causing this problem? I am going crazy here! Could it be something in the tank? I have a fake plant, a few rocks & 2 bubblers. Nothing new has been recently been added.
Thanks so much for the help!
Comments
ideas
I would run your new filter alongside your existing one for about 6 weeks
Water changes... "out with the bad, in with the good".
I used to try chemicals for cloudy water and it seemed a waste of money. 50% weekly water changes are your best weapon at this point and better for the fish anyway. Have you tested your water lately to ensure all levels are normal?
Remember to save the old bacteria-rich foam filter elements and/or bio-wheel to boost start cycling.
My non-expert advice.
Have you tried using any algae killing chemicals? You could try that (remove any snails/crustaceans, maybe even the fish if you are able so that you can use a higher dosage).
Also, is your tank in any direct sun light or do you leave your light on for long periods of time?
Hi, Yes I have tried the
Hi,
Yes I have tried the chemicals with no luck. The tank is not at all in direct sunlight. The light is only on for a few hours per day. This is a problem I have never encountered before.
I ordered a new filter today & when it arrives I am going to once again empty the entire tank, clean everything & start over from the beginning. I really hope that is the answer bc there is no way I can start fresh every 2 months. Its just not logical & im sure it is no good for the fish to do so anyway.
Re: Hi, Yes I have tried the
algae chemicals can kill your fish. read and try my suggestion down farther in this thread first. it should solve your problems without chemicals.
Reply
That is so strange.. post back, I want to know what happens
Re: What is wrong with my tank?? Expert Help Needed
you should be changing some of the water every week are you doing that? even if it looks clean you need to change water every week. waste bulids up that you cant see. then all of a sudden you have a big mess. when you get to that point it is very hard to fix. so you see it is much better to just keep up with it every week. it is also better for your fish. as far as a resion for the green have you gotten new lights or bulbs. also dirty water can cause a free floating algae bloom. even if it doesnt look dirty it still has waste in it.
Re: Re: What is wrong with my tank?? Expert Help Needed
Hi & thanks for the reply. I have been doing water changes on a regular basis. I don't believe that water changes are causing this issue.
I have begun to think that it is possibly time for new filters. I have been using 2 Penguin Bio Wheel filters & just noticed that one of them has a broken impeller. Also the bio wheels on both units no longer turn. Should I go with the same filters or can someone recommend a better setup?
Thx
Anyone have any idea? I
Anyone have any idea?
I have no idea, but there is no way i can keep changing 100% of the water every 2 months!
Re: Anyone have any idea? I
high nitrates + tank light left on all day = green water. do 50% weekly water changes and only turn your light on for less than 6 hours a day. the water changes will help keep your nitrates down. you should never do 100% water changes. if water changes are too hard, buy a python and it will make life easier. water changes are important for healthy fish and the python makes fish keeping easy. i change 50% of six tanks weekly and it takes about 2 hours. i have 250 gallons of water between them and i work 60 plus hours a week and have children. my 55 takes about 20 minutes a week to clean. i hope this helps. i believe that this is your problem, because i had the same problem before. the light in the tank is for you. your fish don't need it. as long as you don't have live plants, you don't need to turn it on at all. i turn mine on for about 4 hours a day.