# Green Water Problems



## Copious (May 30, 2006)

My fiance got an aquarium for me as a Christmas gift and neither of us know what we're doing. We would appreciate any help you can spare.

We set up the aquarium in January and added plants right away, then added fish in April. Everything was going great until about two weeks ago when my water turned green. It went from clear to really green in just two days. It looked like it was glowing and it was so thick that I could not see the fish unless they were right in front of the glass. I tried the blackout method for four days and it cleared it up most of the way but my plants were really starting to suffer and it just came back. I've started changing out large amounts of water every day and I can see part of the way through the aquarium but by evening it's back again.

We got a semi-automatic CO2 system because we read that CO2 might clear it up. When we got it the instructions were written in a foreign language (It looks like Chinese) and we cannot figure out how to put the pieces together for it.

The aquarium is 46 gallons and has 5 fish and several snails. I have 96 watts of light that I leave on for about 10 hours per day. My substrate is 80 pounds of eco-complete. On a daily basis I add Flourish Excel. Three times per week I add Flourish, Twice per week I add Flourish Iron, and once per week each I add Flourish Phosphorous, Nitrogen, and Potassium on a schedule. I change out three gallons of water every other day for regular maintenance but I've been changing out about half of it every day since this started. 

My plants are really starting to look puny now and I'm embarrassed by the way the aquarium looks. I love having it and I like doing maintenance on it but I don't know what to do besides what I'm doing, which seems to be the wrong thing. I read your post about the willow tree, but things like that aren't available here. I've also read that CO2 might solve the problem since I don't have any in there right now. I would like to try using CO2 since I have the equipment for it. If someone could tell me how to put the pieces together I would be as happy as could be. If that doesn't work I will try other things.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Here's some links for you to look through for basic info:

http://www.aquatic-plants.org/articles/basics/pages/index.html
http://www.rexgrigg.com/
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/new-to-aquarium-plants/14684-new-tank-set-up-parts-1-a.html
http://www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2062


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

The links have some very good information. Thank you very much for posting them. It looks like I need to adjust my water changing schedule and do bigger amounts less frequently. According to the articles I'm fertilizing about right, my lighting is good and compared to the pictures my aquarium is planted heavy with a combination of slow growing and fast growing plants. 

Is there an article somewhere that will teach me how to put the pieces together for my CO2 system and how to start it? I understand how to measure the PH and things like that, but I don't know what to do with all of the pieces, or even how to turn it on.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Check out here under 'high pressure CO2'.



> We got a semi-automatic CO2 system because we read that CO2 might clear it up. When we got it the instructions were written in a foreign language (It looks like Chinese) and we cannot figure out how to put the pieces together for it.


 Did you get a pressurized system (tank, regulator,etc), or some other type?


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

I have a 10 pound tank of CO2, something with dials that is shaped like Mickey Mouse ears. A black box with a cord that looks like it fits onto the piece that resembles Mickey Mouse ears. I have a small clear tube that's about three foot long. A plastic piece that's about 4 inches long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. Attached to it is a hard blue plastic piece that looks like it fits onto something and a short piece of tubing that has a white piece fitted onto the end of it. I have two black pieces, one has suction cups and it's obviously to hold something against the aquarium glass, the other is a soft rubber piece that looks like a top hat with a bill. I have about ten feet of blue tubing. Then I have the only piece labeled in English, it's a CO2 Diffuser. I also have a timer but I can figure that one out.

I know it's asking a lot, but I really appreciate the help.


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

This is a great article but some of the pieces I have aren't on theirs and I don't have every piece shown there. http://www.brainyday.com/jared/aquarium/discus/co2.htm


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

OK, this one's gonna be tough, but here goes...



> I have a 10 pound tank of CO2, something with dials that is shaped like Mickey Mouse ears.


That's the regulator. Essentially it drops the pressure inside the tank to a useable level. There are probably two dials there. One for the pressure inside the tank, the other is for the working pressure at the outlet. A full CO2 tank is usually somewhere between 700-900psi. This gauge is not adjustable, as it only measures tank pressure. The second gauge is the working outflow pressure. Some regulators allow one to adjust this pressure, others are pre-set at the factory to use with your set up.



> A black box with a cord that looks like it fits onto the piece that resembles Mickey Mouse ears.


This sounds like a solenoid. This is a little electrical switch which when plugged in (or turned on via a timer) turns on the flow of the CO2.



> A plastic piece that's about 4 inches long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. Attached to it is a hard blue plastic piece that looks like it fits onto something and a short piece of tubing that has a white piece fitted onto the end of it. I have two black pieces, one has suction cups and it's obviously to hold something against the aquarium glass, the other is a soft rubber piece that looks like a top hat with a bill.


Without seeing pics, I am guessing, but this might be a bubble counter. Which is a visual way to see how much CO2 is flowing.



> I have about ten feet of blue tubing.


CO2 tubing to use for the CO2 gas.

Jared's link there is about as good a description as I can think of. Perhaps if you had some pics of what you have we can be more helpful. Can you go back to where you purchased the stuff from and ask them what's what?


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

The batteries in my regular digital camera are dead so I'm going to try to take pictures with my webcam. If I can get that figured out I'll post pictures soon. Thank you so much for all of your help!


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

Okay, these pictures aren't great. I was really pushing the zoom on a cheep camera. Hopefully they are clear enough to see what the pieces are so someone can explain what goes with what. We have a couple of the parts together because they couldn't go anywhere else.









Besides those I have the two pieces of tubing, the timer and the thing that attaches a part to the aquarium wall. The piece that looks like a top hat is soft.

If someone could tell me what connects to what I would really appreciate it. I really hope the pictures work. Sorry for the terrible quality of the pictures.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

First pic - you have obviously attached the regulator to the tank. There should have been a plastic washer placed between the regulator and the tank. Without this washer, you will have a leak. You have a solenoid attached to it. This is an electrical device which turns opens a valve allowing the CO2 to flow through to your reactor/diffuser. Some folks hook this up to a timer to run concurrently with their lighting, some folks don't bother and just let it run 24/7. This is somewhat dependent on your water. If you have hard water, it's often best to run it 24/7. 

Second pic - the bubble counter. You line from the tank goes into one of the connections, the second connection (one with the 90 degree bend) goes out into your reactor. The liquid inside the bubble counter can be water or specialized bubble counter liquid, which is basically mineral oil. The water will evaporate and require re-filling every 2-3 weeks, the mineral oil will never need re-filling. Your personal choice.

Third pic - can't tell what it is, though might be a diffuser. If it's a diffuser, it will attach to the inside of your tank via a suction cup. You would feed the CO2 line into the diffuser and you would see a bunch of mini bubbles coming from the diffuser. Diffusers should be placed so that the outflow from your filiter will cause the bubbles to spread throughout the tank as much as possible.

Fourth pic - can't make it out.


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## Dewmazz (Sep 6, 2005)

Ditto on the fourth pic. It appears to be the semi-auto co2 kit from Drs. Foster & Smith (I bought the kit ~2 weeks ago) minus the timer. Here's the information provided by their website for help and set-up instructions:


Semi-Automatic CO2 System

This system will help your plants grow and flourish by replenishing CO2 levels in your planted freshwater aquarium. CO2 will also help stabilize pH in your aquarium. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the proper CO2 levels. Factors controlling the pH level in your aquarium include the amount of minerals present in the aquarium water (alkalinity) and the concentration of CO2 (acidity). Excess CO2 levels can lower the pH level dramatically and severely stress your fish. By adding an appropriate amount of CO2 to your aquarium (a level which you must determine by regularly monitoring water parameters), this system helps stabilize your water pH. If you achieve the desired CO2 level but your pH remains high, you can reduce the alkalinity by performing small water changes using mineral-free water that has been purified by reverse osmosis or distillation. 

Please note: Because light is integral to photosynthesis and the creation of oxygen, your plants will stop using CO2 when aquarium lights turn off. Instead, they will start producing CO2. To avoid harmful CO2 overdose and harmful drop in pH levels, do not add CO2 to your aquarium when aquarium lights are off. 

System components: 

CO2 regulator with solenoid 
CO2 glass diffuser 
20 feet of flexible silicone CO2 tubing 
Bubble counter w/built-in check valve 
Timer

Additional tools/supplies you'll need: 

CO2 tank and plastic washer 
Adjustable wrench 
Scissors 
Tape measure 
Test kit 
Light timer (if your aquarium light cycle isn't already controlled by a timer)
If you need assistance with system assembly or use, please feel free to contact our Aquatic Technicians at 1-800-443-1160. 

Directions: 

Putting your system together: 

Obtain a 5 lb. CO2 bottle from a local vendor such as a welding supply company. You can also contact your local fire station for information on obtaining a CO2 bottle. Before tightening the CO2 pressure regulator onto your CO2 bottle, install a plastic washer to help ensure a leakproof connection. Connect the pressure regulator and bottle as tightly as possible to avoid a sudden (and potentially startling) disconnection. 
Adjust the needle valve to the "off" position. 
Carefully open the bubble counter and fill 1/3 of the counter tube with fresh water, making sure that the open end of the rigid tubing inside the larger tube is submerged. Be sure the bubble counter o-ring and the top of the large counter tube stay dry when you replace the top on the bubble counter. Otherwise, the counter will not be CO2 tight. 
Use the bubble counter mounting bracket to attach the bubble counter to the side of aquarium or a wall near the aquarium for easy visibility. 
Cut a length of tubing to connect the CO2 needle valve and the bubble counter. Measure the distance between them to determine the correct length (add a few inches to your measurement to ensure a proper fit and connection). 
To connect the silicone tubing to the output of the CO2 needle valve, remove the compression nut, insert tubing through the nut and onto the output nipple, then tighten the compression nut back onto the output to lock it in place. Next, attach the other end of the silicone tubing to the input side of bubble counter (the shorter of the two nozzles on the bubble counter - the one with rigid tubing extending into the counter). 
You will now need another length of flexible tubing to connect the bubble counter and the CO2 diffuser. Do not cut tubing until you've selected the ideal location for the diffuser in your aquarium. Please note: The glass diffuser is VERY FRAGILE, and must be handled with great care. 
Place the diffuser in a location in your aquarium with moderate water flow. Try to keep the diffuser low in your aquarium to maximize CO2 saturation. 
Once you've selected the right spot for your diffuser, cut a length of tubing accordingly. Then, attach the one end of the tubing to the output side of bubble counter (output also includes the check valve), and the other end to the glass CO2 diffuser.
Setting your system timer: 

Please note: If your aquarium lights aren't already on a timer, we recommend adding one so your light cycle and CO2 system cycle occur simultaneously. 

Once you've successfully connected your CO2 regulator, bubble counter, and diffuser, you're ready to set the system's operation to coincide with your aquarium's lighting cycle. After you've set your system timer (see below), simply plug your pressure regulator into the timer outlet, and plug the timer into a nearby wall outlet. To set the included timer, turn the dial to the current time, push down the tabs for the hours you want your system to be on, and slide the timer's override switch to "AUTO." The timer will automatically shut off the CO2 system when your lights go off, provided that you specify the correct "lights out" time. 

Starting your system: 

To start your CO2 system, make sure it's plugged in (ideally, perform this step during the "lights on" phase of your timer setting), and adjust the output of the CO2 needle valve so you can start counting bubbles flowing through your bubble counter. As a general rule, 1-2 bubbles per second should be adequate. 

Monitoring CO2 levels: 

To determine the ideal level of CO2 for your aquarium, monitor pH, alkalinity, and CO2 levels in your aquarium using a quality test kit. Adjust the CO2 output as necessary until levels are safe/adequate. 

As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at 1-800-443-1160


I too was a bit frustrated with the instructions included, but by doing research and help from friends like Bert, the set-up took only a few minutes. I hope this information helped and good luck w/your CO2!


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

Thank you so much! Yes, that is where I got it but I didn't get those instructions with it. What they sent with mytuff looks like it was written in Chinese. 

I'm going to get it put together today and start it up tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have clear water again soon.  

You guys have been wonderful, thank you so much for all of your help!


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## Copious (May 30, 2006)

My water is already looking MUCH better. Some of my plants aren't looking so great right now so I'm ordering some replacements. After reading a bit I noticed that I don't have any super fast growers and that it might help if I do while my aquarium is breaking in so I ordered Anacharis, Myrio Filigree and Cabomba carolinia. I'm going to get a smaller aquarium (probably a 20 gallon) set up this weekend to put the plants in that are kind of puny so I can try to nurse them back to health and let the really fast growers keep the aquarium clean until it all settles. I might have started out with plants that are a little too adventurous for a newbie in some instances.  

In an aquarium without fish I can concentrate on the plants only without being worried about the needs of the fish. 20 gallons is small enough that I can hide it if it starts looking a little rough.


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