# Reverse algae problem... how to max out green water?



## CHFIII (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi all....

So for those who have real expertise about the right combination of lighting and nutrients that makes green water go nuts, this question is for you....

I culture GW outside in the summer - couple 18G plastic tubs with a UG filter covered by calcium rich gravel, add a few snails and a handful of grass clippings and rabbit turds and pea soup is easy.

With winter coming I am trying to culture it in the garage - I use it as a food source for Daphnia/Moina which in turn feed my fry and condition my breeders.

So... Need your worst case recommendations to make GW go nuts and get nice and dense and rich and green.... I have three plastic tubs under one of my aquarium racks right now with two shoplights over them so that's 4 bulbs 6" above the water 24/7. Seeded with some GW and added a little miracle grow and it's working but in a perfect world I want it to be as dense as i can get it...

So, questions - I am not wild about using chemical ferts generally, the algae utilizes them obviously but still... I like natural (maybe not enough to use manure soaks inside though, lol).

Obviously a lot of light is important. I'm using 6500K bulbs.. does GW go wild for a different spectrum?
Use snails outside to break down the organics that feed the algae... lets me add a lot of different foods and nutrients for the algae to take up. Daphnia/moina then eat the algae and have a gut full of good ntritious stuff when my fish eat them...

What nutrients or ferts are best to make GW go wild? Any thoughts? I aerate lightly right now - could use a powerfilter easy enough if that would help... any thoughts greatly appreciated, especially good ferts and light spectrum....

Thanks


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## Aquat (Feb 1, 2012)

Phosphate, no doubt about it.


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## CHFIII (Oct 31, 2012)

How much?


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## Aquat (Feb 1, 2012)

I didn't think it will matter. Since I'm guessing there's no other factors that could absorb any excess nutrients. Not to mention plants barely absorb any phosphate as it is. You'll have green water in no times.

But you will get other algae as well, mostly on the glass. But daily scrubbing should help.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

I would use old water from the bottom of the aquariums with livestock to top off, for example every time you harvest. 

Lighting: My experience is also that it grows best in full sun or something close to it, so the brightest light possible, with the widest spectrum. Perhaps try a combination of plant/aquarium bulb plus a 'daylight' spectrum. 
Shallowest possible tank so there is the maximum exposure of the algae to the light.


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## Flear (Sep 29, 2012)

greenwater isn't an algae, it's bacterial (pretty sure it's single-celled)
it is definitly light sensitive
i think it does consume O2 from the water column

i came across one guy talking about how he maintains his greenwater algae, ... keeps a goldfish in the bucket so the greenwater has lots of nutrients. i think he used 45 gallon containers, producing about as much every day of greenwater. then he'd add his daphnia to multiply the daphnia population till the water was almost white (full of daphnia), sounds like the whole thing is a 2 day cycle
(only relaying what i can remember - so memory may be fuzzy)

i never looked into it seriously, but tempuratures i would say are a must to control. i can understand the garage over outdoors in the winter, but why not inside your home during the winter (if the garage gets too cold)


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

In my country this is the easiest algae to grow. You just have to leave some water under direct sunlight for several days. A lot of ponds and lakes with stagnant water are affected by green algae. If you don't have a filter and your outdoor tank is not heavily planted, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get green water in my country. The green water will be less during rainy season. Sometimes, the water will be fully cleared during rainy season. In a tropical country we have sunlight the entire year (just slightly less during rainy season but it doesn't mean no sunlight the entire day). Intensive sunlight with no water movement is very easy to trigger the growth of green water based on my observation. The temperature is always high here - minimum 28-32 degree Celsius...could be higher at noon during a very hot day - maybe can fry an egg on the road 

Diana is definitely right about her statement:

"Lighting: My experience is also that it grows best in full sun or something close to it, so the brightest light possible, with the widest spectrum. "


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