# Help! Algae Bloom!



## Scott Normington (Aug 5, 2009)

I have a 110 gallon freshwater tank that I recently moved to a new home. The tank was up and running for over 7 years with no problems. 

Now I seem to have some type of algae bloom in the tank that I can't get rid of. The stone is all new and there are no live plants in the tank. I now have a well and I got the water tested at a local store and he told me that all my levels are correct. He suggested that I turn off the lights and salt the water and it will go away. I waited over two weeks with the tank lights turned off and I put a lot of salt in the water, but it was still very green. I did an almost complete water change, a few days ago. The water was clear for a day or two but now I think it's slowing coming back.

Any suggestions?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

just to add plants and protect those plants if needed with an in tank refugium.

my .02


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## Scott Normington (Aug 5, 2009)

I'm confused, how will adding plants stop the water from turning pea-soup green within a week?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Scott Normington said:


> I'm confused, how will adding plants stop the water from turning pea-soup green within a week?


the pea green is actually suspended algae. A form of plant life.

Live plants will consume the nutrients starving the algae.

I have a simple 10g planted tank that has no algae on the glass and the water is clear. I do no water changes. there is no filter, no circualtion. Yet I have not touched the glass in over 2 years. 

the plants are consuming the nutrients preventing the algae.

my .02


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## mpskittles (Aug 18, 2009)

i work in a pet store over the fish department and 3 entire walls of tanks out of 6 had a horrible case of algae bloom... we tried chemicals... we tried plants... we tried EVERYTHING!!!! finally i just broke down and drain every tank on every wall like a good 75 percent! i did this twice for every wall... it took a/b a week, but it worked! CRYSTAL!


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## cheri900 (Aug 27, 2009)

Does it get natural sunlight? Sometimes I think there is no rhyme or reason for these algae blooms. The only thing I can suggest other than total blackout (blanket or such over the tank) for 3 days, is to just keep doing water changes. It can be very frustrating I know. Good luck and let us know how its going.


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## mielikki (Aug 29, 2009)

I had the same kind of stubborn bloom in my smaller tank, and we had to do very frequent water changes, and blinding the tank on and off for over three weeks before we regained stability. Then, the tank cycled, and I had cloudy water for a bit. Now, we seem to have come out on the other side. I put in live plants, and my water looks beautiful, now.


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## JIM (May 27, 2009)

*a little etxreme, but if you can beg, borrow or buy a UV sterilizer it will take care of your problem*


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## Nicole85 (Aug 17, 2009)

my b/fs moms tank kept having that green water..really gross..water changes would work but then it would return...we took the entire tank apart, cleaned everything and netted the fish in. so not one drop of that water was in the tank. it never came back and all the fish were fine. this sounds extreme but i found out from my lfs that one drop is all you need for it to muliply. if lights out, water changes, and chemicals arent working, this may be the last resort.


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

A much less extreme way to remove every trace of green water algae is to use it to grow some daphnia. If you put a daphnia culture into a pea soup tank, it will be clear in about a week. Daphnia love the stuff and reproduce like crazy in that environment. If you put them in the tank in a breeder net, they will eat the algae as it moves through their enclosure and the fish won't be able to eat all of the daphnia before they have done their job. Every day or two when the daphnia population gets too big, scoop some out into the main area of the tank.


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## JIM (May 27, 2009)

*Great, recommendation the GREEN solution *


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## CobraFnD (Aug 30, 2009)

Also like has already been said nutrients in your water cause the algea bloom... that is why you never had the problem before... different water... You can get an Ro/Di water filter, and that will remove the nutrients and you will not have that problem any more... then if you want to grow live plants... add back just what you need for your plants.


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