# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Greenwater after rearranging the tank



## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

The tank water of my tank is not yet green but it's getting more and more cloudy at a fast rate. Right now I am running my Hot magnum filter on the tank with diatom powder coated micron cartridge, hopefully that helps.

I am trying to narrow down the possible causes of the green water

#1 I took out a huge bush of pennywort from my tank and replanted a few bunches of very healthy stems...also I added two bunches of new stem plants (bacopa and ?). I didn't really vaccum the spot where the pennywort was...should I have done that?
The plant load of my tank is still really high despite the pennywort...and they grow really fast too. I am thinking that taking out the pennywort is not really the cause because I've noticed some cloudiness even before I took out the pennywort. 
that's how huge of that pennywort bush is









#2 Summer is coming to Vancouver and the sunlight is quite strong in the morning. My tank gets some direct sunlight from one side of the tank in the morning and I didn't cover it!







I suspect that this is the real cause.

#3 I switched from calcium chloride to calcium carbonate as my source of calcium for my tank. I bought the calcium carbonate (labeled "chalk") at a wine brewing shop...I am suspecting the chalk powder might contain other substances that cause algae...or it actually casues the cloudiness itself. I really have no clue coz this is the first time I use it...









I am pretty confident that all the parameters of my tank are normal (npk, trace, gh, co2) like they used to be. My fish load is pretty load (~20 cardinal tetra, 6 SAEs for a 66G) and I feed them lightly.

Sorry for the long post...I am trying to provide as much details as I can..

Any comment/advise is appreciated...thanks~~~










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

The tank water of my tank is not yet green but it's getting more and more cloudy at a fast rate. Right now I am running my Hot magnum filter on the tank with diatom powder coated micron cartridge, hopefully that helps.

I am trying to narrow down the possible causes of the green water

#1 I took out a huge bush of pennywort from my tank and replanted a few bunches of very healthy stems...also I added two bunches of new stem plants (bacopa and ?). I didn't really vaccum the spot where the pennywort was...should I have done that?
The plant load of my tank is still really high despite the pennywort...and they grow really fast too. I am thinking that taking out the pennywort is not really the cause because I've noticed some cloudiness even before I took out the pennywort. 
that's how huge of that pennywort bush is









#2 Summer is coming to Vancouver and the sunlight is quite strong in the morning. My tank gets some direct sunlight from one side of the tank in the morning and I didn't cover it!







I suspect that this is the real cause.

#3 I switched from calcium chloride to calcium carbonate as my source of calcium for my tank. I bought the calcium carbonate (labeled "chalk") at a wine brewing shop...I am suspecting the chalk powder might contain other substances that cause algae...or it actually casues the cloudiness itself. I really have no clue coz this is the first time I use it...









I am pretty confident that all the parameters of my tank are normal (npk, trace, gh, co2) like they used to be. My fish load is pretty load (~20 cardinal tetra, 6 SAEs for a 66G) and I feed them lightly.

Sorry for the long post...I am trying to provide as much details as I can..

Any comment/advise is appreciated...thanks~~~










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Btw, how much diatom powder should I use for a hot magnum 250 filter? I tried to use a cup but I found that it's way too much. The powder won't stick onto the cartidge and the filter just dumped the poweder back into the water...lucky it happened in a bucket..not my tank.










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

I wouldn't worry to much as long as you don't have any jobes 
in your substrate that you might have dug up.
I'm betting it's the calcium carbonate that you added.
How long ago did you add it?


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## imported_trilinearmipmap (Feb 11, 2003)

I supplement calcium carbonate with every water change to bring up kH and pH and it does not give me green water problems.

IMHO the cause is whatever source of excess nutrients in the water. My previous problem with greenwater was caused by excess Jobes sticks in a new tank causing a massive algae bloom, then when I bought 6 otos they ate all the algae, putting all the nutrients from the algae back into the water in the form of otocinclus feces.

Borrow or buy a UV sterilizer, run it for one week and the problem will be gone and likely never come back.

Canadian Aquatic Plant Trading Website


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2003)

1. Direct light could give you some front glass haze but not much of green water problem.

2. Since others mentioned Jobes. Are you using jobes ???. They could cause green water if too much Nitrogen is released into water column. This is why use of Jobes is recommended in minimal proportions and preferably under plants which won't be moved around much like Echinodorus sp.

3. See my post in DIY section re: Magnums and diatom filtration. I used 1 cup each time w/ Mag 350 and all of it was primed on micron cartridge. Are you sure you have maximum flow ?. Green water should disapear in matter of hours when diatomic filtration is used.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

I don't use any jobe stick or root tabs...all I have is the 50/50 flourite substrate.

Jay: Just got home and I found tank is getting even more cloudier. The diatom filtration didn't work. I am thinking if I use one cup of diatom powder I am sure that many of the powder will be dumped back into the tank. Is it harmful for the fish? Actually how much time should I give the filter to suck up all the powder (when it is in a bucket, not the tank)?

Thanks

Steven










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

The tank started to get real cloudy after the calcium carbonate was added...hmm...for a day. I am going to do several massive water change to dilute out that stuff.










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by trilinearmipmap:
> I supplement calcium carbonate with every water change to bring up kH and pH and it does not give me green water problems.


But does it make the tank a little cloudy or hazy after you add it?
I think this is what Steven is seeing!


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by StevenL:
> The diatom filtration didn't work. I am thinking if I use one cup of diatom powder I am sure that many of the powder will be dumped back into the tank.


Steven, 
your using the micron cartridge (cylinder shape) right? sorry just had to ask!


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## imported_trilinearmipmap (Feb 11, 2003)

re: cloudiness from calcium carbonate

I add 3 teaspoons with every 50% water change to a 75g tank.

There is an initial white cloudiness from the calcium carbonate in suspension.

As the calcium carbonate dissolves due to reaction with the CO2/carbonic acid in the water, the white cloudiness disappears in an hour or so. This takes longer in a non-CO2 injected tank.

Canadian Aquatic Plant Trading Website


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> I am thinking if I use one cup of diatom powder I am sure that many of the powder will be dumped back into the tank. Is it harmful for the fish? Actually how much time should I give the filter to suck up all the powder (when it is in a bucket, not the tank)?


1. I used 1 cup with no problem. Use 1/2 if you feel thats too much. Make sure you properly prime your cartridge --> entire surface of cartrdige is covered with powder.

2. Powder is not harmful to fish. I dumped it accidentally in my tank without any adverse effects.

3. Takes about 5 minutes to fully prime.

Join as at www.njas.net


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## Don C. (Apr 29, 2003)

Steven,

You could be dealing with a bacterial bloom. I had the same thing happen after some major rearrangements. The water got cloudier by the day but never turned green. This went on for over a week. I did several water changes within this period, to no avail. I finally broke down and bought some Potassium Permanganate. After one treatment the tank was crystal clear within 48 hours. Some plants are sensitive to it, so if you decide to go that route, keep it in mind. I had no adverse effects in my tank....

Don


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Thanks for all the responses!!









Ekim yes I am using the micron cartridge~

I added the calcium carbonate and there's a little hazy...and then after a day the tank became real foggy~









Right now I turned on the light and let the tank operates as usual. I will wait for a while to see if it's green water or bacterial bloom. Since my Hagen phosphate test kit never registered any measurment for my tank, maybe I will get another test kit to test the water and see.

I will post a picture up soon and let you judge what the heck is it...sister just took the cam out..









Thanks for all the help again~~









Steven










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Update: I mixed a small amount the calcium carbonate I have with 5ml of water inisde the test tube and tested it for phosphate. The not so sensitive hagen test kit did show a color!
So does it mean that it contains phosphate or a high concentration of calcium carbonate would cause the color to appear (and thus the test if faulty)?










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Just woke up and I found that my tank cleared up by itself~







It's not as clear as it used to be but it's back to about 70% of the original clearness. I bet it was a bacterial boom instead of an algae boom!










66G tank with 2.7 wpg shoplights, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

That's great news!


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