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Micron filteration, blackout (only in mild cases) and etc. Look into the cause first and tackle it before killing the green-water, namely plant growth and adding more bio-media.
Regards
Peter Gwee
strangely, out of no where, i started having green water.
Understand it is probably due to excess ammonia.
What will be the most effective way of eradicating it without resorting to
UV lights?
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do not do to others what you will not want done to you!
be kind! =)
Micron filteration, blackout (only in mild cases) and etc. Look into the cause first and tackle it before killing the green-water, namely plant growth and adding more bio-media.
Regards
Peter Gwee
Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger
Combination of these might work:
-Temporarily reduced photoperiod. Try 6-7 hours a day for a week. This will not hurt your plants severely like doing blackout.
-Frequent massive WC. Do 50% for several consecutive days.
-Reduce nitrate and phosphate fert a tad bit. Continue the rest of fert and CO2 like usual.
-Vaccum the gravel.
-Clean up the filter (but dont clean it too well you'll kill all the beneficial bacteria).
I had this problem in my 40liters tank. After a weekend blackout the water was clear but it only lasted for three days.
I did 50pct water changes every two days and the water became greener (seemingly my tap water contains lots of nutrients easily absorbed by this algae).
Cleaning the filter did not help also although after cleaning I have "reseeded" the filter with mulm from an other well established tank.
Reading trough various similar forums I have discovered a method using willow tree branches. Yes. I could not belive myself but there's a long thread on this method apparently discovered by a Russian aquarist.
Since I could not find daphnia or a diatom filter which seem the only effective ways to combat this algae I decided to go for the "willow" method.
I just cut four young (1 to 1.5cm diam) branches about 100cm long, washed them under tap water and put them in my tank in vertical position. It is quite unbelievable but after 10days the water started to clarify. Today is the 13th day and the water is still not completely clear but I can see the back wall of the tank through it while before I could only see about 3-4cm deep.
The branches must be alive (dead/dried branches do not work) but not necessarily with leaves. They will grow roots and leaves in about 10days from the date when inserted into the tank.
hmm....what type of branches? you mean any branches from any tree?
I believe green water is caused too much lights or insufficient "food" like CO2, ferts etc to cope with the high lights. Could happen when a high tech tank have insufficient plants, over-trimmed or too much low demand plants.Originally Posted by Betta Almighty
The main culprit NH4....think of ways to remove it in a planted tank. (Plants remove it as a nutrient. Bacteria converts it into less toxic nitrate.). As long as the two are doing well, you should not have any NH4 present.
Regards
Peter Gwee
Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger
Nope - not any tree. Only willow.
Where to read up on the willow method? Can use in pond?
furry plant grower
Drop in a few rosettes of water hyacinth to occupy half the tank surface. That will stop the greenwater. (You need bright lights for the hyacinths to work).
Meanwhile WORK on finding out what caused that ammonia spike (Choked filter? Sudden increase of fish load? New tank?) Get that fixed and things will return to normal.
Warm regards,
Lawrence Lee
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
I have very light fish load and my filter is still running fairly well I think.
The problem I suspect is a spate of rotting crypts and some new tennellus
that are still acclimatizing to submersed life and the emersed leaves are rotting away. Hopefully it will make it better. Water Hyacinths seems to be an interesting natural approach.
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do not do to others what you will not want done to you!
be kind! =)
Do more weekly water changes say 50% 2x a week to clean up any potential NH4 or add in zeolite for the meantime. Water hyacinths does not have any issues in getting CO2 (emergent) and grow much faster (higher uptake of NH4).
Regards
Peter Gwee
Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger
Here is the link where I've red about this method
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ap-method.html
It is not just a hobbist page or an unknown forum this is why I gave credit to this idea in first place.
I mentioned it because I have actually tried most of the methods mentioned above and I still had ammonia spikes although this is a very well established tank where I did not change anything in the setup or aquascape for a long time.
ForestG, have you tried the 'willow method' ?
not very good in indentifying trees, anyone know whether there's any willow tree around?
The Happiest of people don't neccessary have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way
When will there be 25 letters in the alphabets?
Yeap - I am in the 14th day and the water is definitelly clearer.
Well not cristal clear but considering I have this green pest for over two months now I am happy
saw willow look alike. u guys might wanna try.
venue: Toa Payoh Park
Be careful. Pls dun get caught
You guys should know the science behind why the greenwater was triggered and tackle that and not add all the things you know that does not remove the NH4.
If the greenwater is indeed killed by the addition of the willow branches, something toxic might be leeching out from it (herbicide quality) which should also kill plants.
Regards
Peter Gwee
Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger
If the idea is to suck the NH4, why must be willow branch? Just wondering what so special about willow branch.
furry plant grower
If you kept a cut willow branch in a vase for some time, you'll know why - It grows roots fast, and soon, the whole vase is taken over by the roots. You pull it out of the vase, and you have roots the shape of the vase! Because it grows so fast, it'll suck up a lot of NH4.
Water hyacinth is a cheaper (can buy easily from LFS vs "taking without permission" from TP park) alternative. Both are great "suckers" of NH4, and both have the boost derived from emersed growth. Foreigners cannot get water hyacinths easily so have to resort to willow branch.
Warm regards,
Lawrence Lee
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
weeping willow is one of the few trees which can grow from cutting.
and i believe that the sap does not contain toxins.
other trees like frangipani can also be grown from cutting but they secrete a sap which would be bad for the water.
one more thing out of topic is that weeping willow can be used to beat ghosts, according to chinese custom n belief.
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