# [Wet Thumb Forum]-UV already running, what to do afterward?



## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

I was so frustrated that I got green water last week. Had no idea why (the most frustrated part!), maybe because I stepped up the phosphate dosing but didn't have enough plants (was redoing the tank).

Anyway, I bought an UV lamp (couldn't resist the sale of LFS~~) and just hooked it up. I am wondering what to do afterward? Would the green water go away by itself or do it need some fine filtering? I have a hot magnum that I can do diatom filtering with. Would do a big water change too.

Please share your tips, thanks

Steven










66G tank with 3 wpg NO Fluroscent, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

I was so frustrated that I got green water last week. Had no idea why (the most frustrated part!), maybe because I stepped up the phosphate dosing but didn't have enough plants (was redoing the tank).

Anyway, I bought an UV lamp (couldn't resist the sale of LFS~~) and just hooked it up. I am wondering what to do afterward? Would the green water go away by itself or do it need some fine filtering? I have a hot magnum that I can do diatom filtering with. Would do a big water change too.

Please share your tips, thanks

Steven










66G tank with 3 wpg NO Fluroscent, DIY Co2 and 50/50 flourite substrate


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## superjohnny (Jul 31, 2004)

diatom filtering would do. The uv sterilizer will take care of the green water in 24-48 hours. It's really kinda cool









Clean your filter really well because it'll get all gunked up.

---------------------------------------------
Fish are the things that live with my plants.


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

I suspect that green water episodes in otherwise healthy planted tanks are caused by temporary upticks in ammonia levels. Once present, the green water tends to stay even after the ammonia is history.

Sterlizers are getting to be pretty popular items. Too bad, because it seems like all they do is mask the symptoms of an underlying problem without actually improving conditions in the tank.

Any kind of fine mechanical filter can remove green water. Treat the water with a flocculent before you turn the filter on. It works like a charm.

Of course, if you don't fix the basic problem it just comes back anyway -- something you won't see if you have a sterilizer running continuously.


Roger Miller

"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

SuperJohnny: thanks for the tips

Roger: I have no idea where the excess nutrients come from. I tested the water after 50% water change and dose both nitrate and phosphate to the low sides (5ppm and .5ppm). Well if my kits are completely off that's another story then.

Before the outbreak, I also increased the co2 bubble count. About 20~30% change. Would that have anything to do with GW?

I only plan to use the sterilizer once in a while to kill off excess algae. I still think that balancing the tank naturally would make things more interesting.









Thanks,

Steven










66G tank with 3 wpg NO Fluroscent,and 50/50 flourite substrate, UV sterilizer, DIY CO2 (upgrade soon!)


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

Steven,

It isn't nutrients in general that might cause the problem, but ammonia specifically. The other nutrients needed for green water are usually in our aquariums to start with.

Your fish and other aquatic animals produce ammonia constantly. Normally the plants and nitrifying bacteria work to keep the ammonia levels low. If you do something to put more ammonia into the water, reduce the rate of plant uptake or reduce the rate of bacterial nitrification then the ammonia level can spike and trigger green water or an algae outbreak. That was Tom Barr's observation some time ago, and I find that it rings true.

Adding jobes spikes or disturbing the substrate in most any way could release ammonia into the water. Heavy pruning, replanting or removing plants will slow down plant uptake. Cleaning a filter or letting a filter clog will slow down nitrification. I'm sure there are other causes for each of these effects. Normally the ammonia increase is short-term but if a algae bloom gets established in the time that ammonia is up then the algae won't just automatically go away when the ammonia levels drop again.


Roger Miller

"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Roger: Thanks for clearing things up~









So now the UV has been running for a day, I am thinking to do a water change. Since the floating algae should be dead (or dying), I should be able to clear the water up by water changes...is it the case?

I want to avoid diatom filtering even I have a hot mangnum filter because I never seem to be able to properly coat the micron cartidge with DE powder - one of the reasons why I bought the UV.










66G tank with 3 wpg NO Fluroscent,and 50/50 flourite substrate, UV sterilizer, DIY CO2 (upgrade soon!)


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## Sleepy_lancs (Mar 9, 2005)

Steven,

I would think you should change your filter foam after the water clears up. Just to remove the dead algaes just to make they don't start decaying in the filter and cause problems.

After that start reducing the uv lighting period from 24 hours to only after darkness and from there drop it down slowly as much as possible. I do 1 hour drop per 3 days and now I am at 2 hours per night.

Just a word of caution, I have read around and it seems possible that uv lighting may make iron unavailable to plants. Perhaps you might want to dose Fe daily to ensure your plant do have enough Fe and micro-neutrients.


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Sleepy_lances: Thanks for your advice.









I didn't plan to have the UV on permanently. Maybe once in a while to kill of the excess algae.

Last night I did a 50% water change and the water is immediately much more clear. Probably because I removed a lot of "dead bodies" of algae from the water~!


















66G tank with 3 wpg NO Fluroscent,and 50/50 flourite substrate, UV sterilizer, DIY CO2 (upgrade soon!)


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## Avalon (Mar 7, 2005)

I've had green water once in my day, and it was because I completely forgot that I had a Miracle Grow plant spike at the base of a ruffle sword plant that I decided to uproot one day.

I rented a UV sterilizer from my LFS for 48 hours. I was getting worried in the last 8 hours since the tank was still cloudy looking, but I pulled it out right before I took it back, did a big water change, and all was right again. All has been well since, and no Miracle Grow spikes have been used since that horrible day (they do work very, very well btw).


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Yes needs to remove the dead algae after the UV kills it.










66G tank with 3 wpg NO Fluroscent,and 50/50 flourite substrate, UV sterilizer, DIY CO2 (upgrade soon!)


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