# Green Water - Nitrate to blame?



## mattmathis (Dec 13, 2008)

I have a 10 gallon tank shrimp that I have been cycling. I woke up this morning to a Green Water Algae Bloom. It is not really bad now. Do they get progressively worse?

It has been finished cycling (fishless) for 3 days, and I have been adding a drop or two of ammonia every day since then. It usually takes 1 day for the ammonia to drop back to zero. Nitrite stays at zero. The nitrates are really high, around 80. I was waiting until right before I got my shrimp to do the large water change.

I read that high nitrates could cause algae blooms. Do you think that is the problem? Should I do the large water change now? And then do another right before I get the shrimp?

Thanks!


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## rjfurbank (Jan 21, 2008)

I have had good success recently setting up new tanks by adding lots of plants initially (especially lots of moss) and limiting the light to 4-6 hours initially. I would definitely change the water--maybe a few times to get the Nitrate down <10. I have never tried a "fishless" cycle by adding ammonia. I usually just add some "mulm" from a filter on another tank to the substrate when setting up the tank, add water and tons of plants, add a few small fish or shrimp (only hardy shrimp like neocaridina's though), and feed sparingly for a while.

What kind of substrate are you using? 

Good luck!


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## Shad0w (Nov 13, 2006)

Why do you drop Ammonia? Ammonia cause algae bloom not nitrate.


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

the ammonia is to substitute for fish waste during the fishless cycle.

but yeah, ammonia does also trigger an algae bloom...

if your nitrates are really high, start with the water changes, and if the ammonia is being converted to nitrate pretty quickly then your tank is almost cycled...


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

if your seeing high nitrate during fishless cycle then dont add anymore ammonia. not uncommon to have an algae bloom after cycle is almost complete, mine did. do a 50% water change clean up algae as much as u can, once no3 down to under 25ppm then add some fish. make sure everything else is 0. dont add to many fish though. may cause a ammo spike. i like to add 1or 2 to start for the 1st week and keep an eye on it.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Nitrates can cause algae bloom, along with ammonia. I had my two turtles in my planted tank, and it wasn't completely "mature", and i got HORRIBLE green water. I couldn't see an inch into the tank. The solution i found was a uv filter, i didn't want to pay $40 for one, but it ended up saving me. And yes, cycling new tanks with a heavy plant load does help tremendously.


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