It is so devastating when you decorate your aquarium with beautiful fishes and accessories, but after some time, it gets green. Not only light shade of green but thick pea soup-like texture which even causes hinder to see your beautiful creatures in your aquarium. Now, your magnificent aquarium looks horrible, and it seems that you have decorated it for your Halloween party. The ugly, thick soup in your aquarium is known as an algal bloom.
Algal Bloom is the accumulation of millions of algae is known as phytoplankton. Algae is the name given to a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a very tiny species with spherical cells of 0.5 ?m and a diameter of 45-150, length 300 to 1,000 microns. It grows and creates energy through the process of photosynthesis. The algae that form in our aquarium is known as freshwater green algae. It is quite natural to have some algae in our aquarium. It provides food for others. You cannot see them with naked eyes as they are a microscopic organism, and you would not notice it until it is in large quantity.
When they are small in number, this organism will turn the aquarium into a color of green. But when they are large in quantity, they turn your aquarium into a cloudy green. If the growth of algae does not stop in the early stages, it does not let your fish survive in the aquarium.
Reasons why my Fish Tank Keep Turning Green?
In this article, we will be going over why your fish tank is turning green! Keep reading to discover the possible reasons and solutions.
Is Green Water Dangerous for Fish?
Algae do not cause direct harm to fish as well as plants. Some fishes live in this condition delighted as their natural condition, as well as some plant, live here. The problem arises when these algae start to take oxygen and nutrients, which are designated for fish and plants. So plants and fishes are deprived of oxygen. Due to the accumulation of some heavy algae, it also restricts the movement of the fish freely in the aquarium.
What Causes Green Water in the Aquarium?
There are three primary causes of the green algae formation in the aquarium water. They are:
- Too much Light
- Too many fishes
- Overfeeding
Too Much Light
The growth of algae depends on photosynthesis, and photosynthesis requires sunlight to proceed. To decrease the growth of algae, you have to place the aquarium in such a place where direct sunlight is prohibited. If there is no such place, then close the curtain to make a shady place. Normal light or decorating light for your aquarium is not a problem. The only problem is direct sunlight.
Too Many Fish
If you keep too many fishes congested in a small aquarium, it is not healthier for fish as well as for the plant in the aquarium. Too many fishes produce too much waste product, which enhanced the growth of algae as these waste products are the food for algae.
Overfeeding Fish
The uneaten food by the plants and fishes provides nutrients for algae. There should be a proper balance of food for plants and fishes. If you provide one kind of food, which is not the right food for your plants and fishes, but it is the happiest meal for algae, so the algae utilize the foods, and it would grow faster than your fishes and aqua plants making your aquarium looks murky and opaque. Before adding any nutrients to the water, you have to check first the water parameters. If you notice any unexpected occurrences there, such as an increased level of carbon dioxide and phosphate, try to normalized these conditions and take precautions so that they do not occur again.
Improper Aquarium Maintenance
The aquarium should be maintained whether you want it or not. Maintaining the aquarium with a proper environment for fish plants and water makes it produce less waste product so there would be less food for algae so algae formation decreased and as well as the water would look clean.
Quick Short Tips for you:
- Clean your filter
- You have to clean your gravel which consists of a clean gravel vacuum
- Remove uneaten food from the aquarium
- You have to change your water regularly
- You have to check your water quality
- Do not overstock your aquarium
Ways to Keep Your Aquarium Clean
A simple way to keep your aquarium clean and fresh is to clean it regularly and properly. Cleaning the aquarium and changing the water is the best prevention measure.
Guidelines for a Clean Aquarium
UV Sterilizer:
The matter is one of the best tools to get rid of your gloomy aquarium without making any effort. It is very much safe for your fishes, aqua plants, and invertebrates. The mechanism of this tool is when the water flows through this tool. Water gets exposed to the ultraviolet ray, which kills the bacteria and algae. You will be amazed to see that within a few days, your dull-looking aquarium will transfer into a crystal clean and lively aquarium.
Chemical Remover
This chemical works like magic. You can call it a magic wand. All you need to do is add a drop of the chemical solution to the water of your aquarium, and the green color of your aquarium vanishes. Some of you may think that using chemicals may cause a hazard to the lives of fishes and other aqua plants, but it is the total truth. If you can know the right doses to add in the water, it is much safe and helpful, but if you add more than the recommended quantity, then it would create risk for your fish and plan
Water Polishing Pad
Algae are the main reason for turning the color of the water into green in your aquarium. These species are so small that they can easily pass through the filter paper if you try to filter them to get rid of them. Algae can trap this organism much more efficiently than filter paper with a simple modification. This polishing pad can remove the smallest substances from the aquarium water and makes your aquarium look fresh and clean. All you need to keep in mind that you need to change them as soon as they get clog so you should have pretty much of the polishing pad in your hand and replaced them with a new one when required.
Daphnia (Water Flea)
Daphnia would be happy to help you to clean your aquarium. Sounds interesting, right? Yes, it is true. Daphnia is the species that feed on the phytoplankton, which is the main reason for your green water. So buy some daphnia from the local store and add it to your aquarium. It is like a win-win situation. Daphnia is happy as they are getting their food, and you are happy as your aquarium is getting clean without doing anything.
If you buy a hundred daphnias and add them to your aquarium, they would not need much time to turn the gloomiest water into a clean one. It is a natural way to make your water clean, and it is much affordable and effective. Some of the fish like Betta and Tetra would be much delighted as Daphnia are their favorite meal to eat. One thing you need to keep in mind that Daphnia is selective when they eat algae. They eat only phytoplankton, not the other types of algae. So, you have correctly identified the algae in your aquarium water.
Do you know some aquarium owners want their water to go green? This is because of their fishes like reefs and coral. This phytoplankton is the natural food for them. So it is amazing, right! Some of us want it to remove the green water from our tank, and others try to grow it for their aqua lives.
How to Maintain Clean Water?
- Change your water twice a week, and regulate/monitor the water condition.
- Maintain the exposure of light to the aquarium. You can use a timer to record the time exposure to the light and do not place your aquarium where direct light can get through it.
- Maintain the amount of food you add to the aquarium as uneaten food cause contamination as well as it helps to grow the algae much rapidly than any other aqua lives.
- You should remove dead plants and fishes as soon as you notice it as these dead substances can release toxic elements into the water, which causes a hazard for fishes, plants and makes the water toxic as well.
- You can also treat it with Green Away, which kills the algae and keep attached there so that they can be attached with the filter.
- Filter cartilages should be cleaned more often as it gets dirty much more quickly.
In Conclusion
Now you have the fullest idea of what makes your water green, how it caused, and how to get rid of it and maintain it, I hope now green water would not be a problem for you anymore.
