# How To Cure Green Water



## bnote (Oct 16, 2011)

I decided to post this in the beginner section because i have only been doing this new fish keeping hobby for the past 5 month. As previously posted in threads, I cycled my tank, took about 2 months, and everything was great. I decided to add 2 younger blood parrots to my tank. Within a few days my tank went yellowish then the water turned green. Water specs were fine, ammonia 0 nitrite 0, nitrates 5mg/l (im guessing 5ppm nobody answered me to if that is right). Everyone that came over to my place asked what was wrong with my tank. Why it was so cloudy and green. I couldnt stand it anymore. 3 weeks of green water was enough. I went and got the green killing machine from PetSmart. They only had the 24watt verison in stock. $69 cdn, cheaper online but i have no patients. Set up took less then 10 mins. The pics are proof below that it works. 1.5 days from green to clear.


----------



## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

I have the 24w in my 125g tank, I see less algae growth period and generally speaking my water is clearer than before installing it. 

I have no complaints at all about it. But the replacement bulbs are expensive. Almost the same price as the unit itself and it only last 3-6 months.


----------



## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

Keep in mind that this is not treating the root cause of the algae outbreak.


----------



## lmb (Nov 1, 2011)

Agreed. Just changing the lighting of the tank may not cure the root cause to this.

There are many general factors to why you had green water.


----------



## YellowBelly (Mar 27, 2006)

Water changes are cheaper! The tank does not look overstocked.


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

lmb what he is showing you is not a change in lighting. In fact he added lights to the tank. What he did was add a UV Sterilizer to the tank. They are a UV light that emits UVC light. UVC is deadly harmful to almost all single cell organisms. Our sun emits UVA and UVB light, but not much in the way of UVC. UVA and UVB are the types of light that make plants grow, and give humans sunburn.

The type of algae that floats in the water is not a true algae. It is a single celled organism that is somewhere between bacteria and algae. Scientists actually have not placed it in either category.

A UV Sterilizer pumps water past the bulb emitting UVC. If the wattage is high enough, it will kill almost any bacteria or plant material that passes through it. Because this algae is kind of both, it is killed as well. 

Keep in mind though, there is usually a cause for this type of algae. Usually its a nitrogen (NH3, NO2, NO3) but sometimes its just because its near a window where it can get lots of natural light. It can also be because of phosphates either in the water or in a chemical buffer that is added to the tank to control pH. It is good to identify the source of the problem before using a UV sterilizer, because you may just be masking the real issue.


----------



## lmb (Nov 1, 2011)

Ah I see, I guess I read wrong then, My mistake.


----------



## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

I keep meaning to buy a UV sterilizer just to have one on hand, but I have never pulled the trigger.


----------

