# GDA + cloudy green water??



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I think I have GDA...green speckles on the glass. Kinda rough to the touch, but I can scratch it off with my fingernails.

I've read here that I can just let it run it's course and it'll disappear in a while.

Now, what's weird is that my water is green and cloudy...what the heck? It's not because I'm looking through the glass or anything, it's a verifiable green and very cloudy (same with my other tank, which is the weird thing). Is it part of the fish cycle? This tank's been up about 2-3 weeks with fish (guppies + platys) & plants.

Help! It's ugly to look at, and even from the top, I can't see how many fish I have at all.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You have green water algae. You can get rid of it by doing a 4 day blackout - cover the tank completely with two layers of black garbage bags, or blankets, and leave it totally dark for 4 days, no peeking allowed. Then remove the covering and do a water change. Or you can get a UV filter and run it to kill the algae.

The green spots on the glass might be green spot algae or green dust algae. If the former, increase your phosphate dosing, and scrape it off the glass. It won't wipe off easily. If it is green dust algae, you can just leave it totally alone for about 3 weeks and it will begin dying, having lived thru its life cycle. Then you can wipe it off and do a couple of big water changes to get rid of the dead algae.

But, unless you can figure out why both algae attacks started you may get others. So, how much light do you have, what fertilizing do you do, and do you use CO2 or Excel? Lots of other questions will come up once we know the first answers.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I have 5-6WPG in the tank with green cloudy water. I follow the EI technique with macros every other day, 40-50% WC on Sundays, no micros yet. I just skip those days. I have DIY CO2 right now, moving to pressurized...(getting the tank filled) within this week. Have the regulator and other items already. No excel.

In the tank without the green (it still has coudy water), it's the same specifications except it has no CO2.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

That sure is a lot of light unless the tank is less than a ten gallon. And, it is almost essential that you use CO2 with that much light (unless it is less than 10 gallon size). Very high light intensity means a tiny spot of algae becomes a big infestation very quickly, before you have a good shot at seeing it and removing it. GDA, from my experience, really demands high light before it grows. In my tank, the hood prevents light from striking the top half of the front glass, and no GDA was growing there, but it sure was growing strong at the back where the sun occasionally hits it. Green water, I think, starts from an ammonium surge that the plants can't dispose of fast enough. And, it also likes high light.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

It's a 10 gallon tank. I'm doing CO2 (levels aren't very constant) right now. Hopefully within the 4-5 blackout period, it'll all die and I can then get the CO2 system setup.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

epicfish said:


> I think I have GDA...green speckles on the glass. Kinda rough to the touch, but I can scratch it off with my fingernails.
> ...(


This sounds like Green Spot Algae, not GDA; speckles, rough and scratching it off. GDA doesn't require scratching, it'll come off just by rubbing your finger across it.

Why no micros yet?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Laith said:


> This sounds like Green Spot Algae, not GDA; speckles, rough and scratching it off. GDA doesn't require scratching, it'll come off just by rubbing your finger across it.
> 
> Why no micros yet?


Getting shipped. =P

So, how do I kill the GSA?


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

Like hoppy said, just get rid of the spots and then make sure your phosphates are kept around 2 ppm.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Waiting for the blackout to kill off the GW. Someone said they might be able to send me some water hyacinth to help...saw a post on here saying that the hyacinth killed off the GW pretty quickly. We'll see. =)

I'll dose some KPO4 later.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

Be forewarned that until you get the CO2 up and consistent and are able to dose *all* the other nutrients, you're going to be dealing with these types of issues as you won't be able to find a stable balance.

Once you do have the CO2 consistent and the ferts under control, be patient, it may take several weeks for the tank to start stabilizing, especially as its a new setup too.

And make sure you have lots and lots of plants, especially at the beginning. Fast growers too.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

My ludwigia repens seems to be growing 3-4 inches a week. Not bad I think. Pressurized CO2 is coming soon, my DIY CO2 is pretty consistent though. pH of 6.8 most of the time.

I'm dosing NPK right now, I also dose a little Flourish w/ iron.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Muhahahah, it's clearing up!

GDA/GSA is gone....I have like 98230423840723402347203947 snails now though. GAHHHHH! It's so ugly. =/ (Sorry to the snail lovers out there).


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