Super frustrated green water

[BettaBabe94]

*Long post alert*
Ugh I am so frustrated right now. I do not have a knack for planted aquariums. This isn’t my first post about green water, starting to consider just giving up and getting fake plants. Before I list my tank info, I do realize I may have my tank overstocked, but the fish are all thriving.

Info: 

20 gallon tank (standard)

5 panda corys

8 ember tetras

1 endler

1 hill stream loach

1 Nerite snails

Driftwood

Pogo octopus plant

Tiger lotus

Crypts

Struggling jungle Val

Struggling ludwigia (barely any left)

1 medium aquarium co-op sponge filter

1 nano aquarium co-op sponge filter

2 Finnex stingray 2 lights (most of the time only one is on)

Timer that is set from 6pm to 10pm

No direct sun light

Feed once a day

Aquarium co-op easy green

Occasionally will use root tabs 

Seachem potassium 

 

Ive tried daily water changes, big and small.

I’ve already decreased my light time twice.

Edited June 13, 2022 by SinfulBetta94

[lefty o]

id probably go to one light for a while, and see how that goes.

[BettaBabe94]

On 6/12/2022 at 10:32 PM, lefty o said:

id probably go to one light for a while, and see how that goes.

If I do turn on the second one it’s only for like 20 minutes to look at the fish a little better for a little bit 

[Guppysnail]

I would drop to 1 light 8 hours 4 on 4 off 4 on. To little light will not give your plants a chance to absorb enough of the excess nutrients   Having the siesta in my experience helps plants thrive. 
I would also do my best to gravel vac well and weekly to remove any excess detritus releasing nutrients to your tank. Then I would wait. Green water tends to clear itself up if you are very patient. 
2nd option that I also use on tanks with no background directly in front of full sun west facing windows is a AAA Green Killing Machine 9 watt UV.  No assembly other than sticking the outflow on and plugging in then it suction cups on the inside.  I get mine from Chewy.  It does not fix the cause and when you stop using it green water comes back.  However to help alleviate your frustration quickly this is a great quick fix option. 
Hope that helps. Although green water is unpleasant when trying to see our tanks it is not harmful to fish and great for fry. 
you could also add a hob filter with seachem purigen in to remove excess organics. it may help.  And I would stop using root tabs, potassium or any type of fertilizer. Green water comes from excess nutrients available so adding more adds to issues. 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Guppysnail

[gardenman]

Generally speaking, the less you do the sooner green water goes away. Green water is a highly sought-after food for many small critters. Once they find it, they feast and before long they eat it all and the green water goes away. When you do large water changes, you're typically removing the very critters who will eat the suspended algae and then the algae keeps going. Just sit back, relax, ignore the greenness and know it's not hurting anything, and is helpful to the fish in nearly every case.

[BettaBabe94]

On 6/13/2022 at 7:37 AM, Guppysnail said:

I would drop to 1 light 8 hours 4 on 4 off 4 on. To little light will not give your plants a chance to absorb enough of the excess nutrients   Having the siesta in my experience helps plants thrive. 
I would also do my best to gravel vac well and weekly to remove any excess detritus releasing nutrients to your tank. Then I would wait. Green water tends to clear itself up if you are very patient. 
2nd option that I also use on tanks with no background directly in front of full sun west facing windows is a AAA Green Killing Machine 9 watt UV.  No assembly other than sticking the outflow on and plugging in then it suction cups on the inside.  I get mine from Chewy.  It does not fix the cause and when you stop using it green water comes back.  However to help alleviate your frustration quickly this is a great quick fix option. 
Hope that helps. Although green water is unpleasant when trying to see our tanks it is not harmful to fish and great for fry. 
you could also add a hob filter with seachem purigen in to remove excess organics. it may help.  And I would stop using root tabs, potassium or any type of fertilizer. Green water comes from excess nutrients available so adding more adds to issues. 

Thank you 🙂 

Yeah, the fish are doing great and I don’t mind the green water to an extent. I know it can be good, I just don’t like when it’s so green that I can’t see the fish unless they come close to the glass. If I drop a wafer in the back for the panda corys I can’t even see it sink to the bottom 

[Guppysnail]

On 6/13/2022 at 10:34 AM, SinfulBetta94 said:

Thank you 🙂 

Yeah, the fish are doing great and I don’t mind the green water to an extent. I know it can be good, I just don’t like when it’s so green that I can’t see the fish unless they come close to the glass. If I drop a wafer in the back for the panda corys I can’t even see it sink to the bottom 

I feel the same and my window tanks are pea soup if I don’t use the green killing machine. No fun to not see our fish. 

Oh if you do go with UV monitor ammonia. As it quickly kills bulk algae it may spike. 

[BettaBabe94]

On 6/13/2022 at 9:49 AM, gardenman said:

Generally speaking, the less you do the sooner green water goes away. Green water is a highly sought-after food for many small critters. Once they find it, they feast and before long they eat it all and the green water goes away. When you do large water changes, you're typically removing the very critters who will eat the suspended algae and then the algae keeps going. Just sit back, relax, ignore the greenness and know it's not hurting anything, and is helpful to the fish in nearly every case.

I was only doing large water changes because that was what someone suggested the last time I posted.  I don’t mind the green water to an extent. I know it can be good, I just don’t like when it’s so green that I can’t see the fish unless they come close to the glass. And it’s hard to keep an eye on my plants when I can’t see them. I thought Val grew really easy, but in my tank it’s struggling and I can only see how it’s doing when I drain some water.  

Edited June 13, 2022 by SinfulBetta94

[BettaBabe94]

 

On 6/13/2022 at 7:37 AM, Guppysnail said:

And I would stop using root tabs, potassium or any type of fertilizer. Green water comes from excess nutrients available so adding more adds to issues. 

I started using them because I thought there was imbalance from too much light and not enough nutrients.

[BettaBabe94]

On 6/13/2022 at 10:38 AM, Guppysnail said:

I feel the same and my window tanks are pea soup if I don’t use the green killing machine. No fun to not see our fish. 

Oh if you do go with UV monitor ammonia. As it quickly kills bulk algae it may spike. 

Can you use it if you don’t have a HOB filter?

[Guppysnail]

On 6/13/2022 at 11:06 AM, SinfulBetta94 said:

Can you use it if you don’t have a HOB filter?

Absolutely the hob was for purigen. The GKM is an all in one. You only need a plug. The flow is slow so no worries about blowing fish away I just got another for this new tank I just put up for fry and snails west window 5-7 hours blazing direct sun.  I have not put it in yet but this is all the assembly there is.  These are 2 others I run on window tanks as well

Edited June 13, 2022 by Guppysnail