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Posted by: Nick on 2010-03-14, 10:50:27
There is a condition in aquariums known as "green water ", and it's caused by nuisance algae that grows fast enough to turn the water green. Maybe that's what's going on in your tank. I know it's frustrating and you want results sooner rather than later, but only bad things happen quickly in aquariums. (On the other hand, not all bad things happen fast; some occur so gradually that you just don't see the problems developing. Sounds like life in general, huh? ) Maybe you won't get an immediate effect from water changes, but don't stop. Water quality in your tank needs to stay as high as possible. That means, among other things, frequent water changes of smaller amounts, like 5 -10% every 3rd day, or maybe every other day. It's up to you, and there's no hard and fast rule Overfeeding your fish is easy, but it's bad for water quality. Some flake fish food is really high in phosphates, plus, if the fish don't eat it all, it simply lays around the floor of the tank and rots. It gets eaten, but by bacteria, not fish. That produces ammonia, which is deadly to fish. More bacteria turn ammonia into a lesser evil, nitrites. More bacteria to the rescue and soon you get nitrates from the nitrites. Nitrates may be the least harmful of the three, but they're still harmful and undesirable. When algae's present, nitrates are going to show up at the party, too How's your lighting? Algae needs light to grow. Last year, while researching hair algae, I read that no light in the tank for 3 days, helps. Won't hurt the fish. Maybe your electric bill goes down. Granted, not by much, but still. Better down than up. Hope some of this helps your tank. Algae is usually a very tough problem for any tank and its owner, but you're smarter and more resourceful - no doubt about it. Good luck.! |
