Whilst not as toxic to our Goldfish as Ammonia and Nitrite, Nitrates are still lethal in high numbers. A reading of over 40ppm nitrates is considered high, ideally we want our nitrates to be 20ppm and under and we want them to be as low as possible. Ammonia is broken down into nitrites and then into nitrates, which we manually remove. Nitrates are the end product of the Nitrogen Cycle. Water changes and daily monitoring are vital during this time. ![]() You would have a reading for these if your tank is either not cycled or is going through a cycle bump. These toxins, even in small amounts can cause stress, induce illness and disease and even cause fatality. A cycled tank would not have a reading for either of these as they would have been converted by the nitrifying bacteria. If ammonia or nitrite are present, we must perform a water change. When we test our water (with our liquid test kit), we test for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates. UV units are sold in most good aquarium stores.įeatured Image: KPG_Payless/Shutterstock.We perform water changes for a number of different reasons, the first one is to remove waste. This is a very low wattage system that will kill off the algae in a few hours and clear the water. Without the undergravel filters, the water in these aquariums will become green.Ī final possibility that is guaranteed to work immediately is to install an ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer. For example, I have goldfish aquariums that get several hours daily of direct sunlight and they are crystal clear even though they lack live plants. ![]() Many of the bacteria that live in the gravel utilize enough of the nutrients in the water to starve algae. Yet another possibility is to install an undergravel filter (or any other form of biological filtration). The Elodea was replanted and the water cleared. The Elodea was removed from one aquarium and the water was replaced. Each aquarium was planted heavily with Elodea canadensis.Īfter several weeks, all the aquariums were still crystal clear even though nutrient-laden pond water was added regularly. Each aquarium had a 1-inch-deep gravel bed and was filled with ordinary tap water. I put a few 10-gallon aquariums outside in full sunlight, where they received eight hours of exposure. Let me relate a small experiment I ran several years ago. This really works, assuming you can keep them growing, and the goldfish will benefit from being able to nibble on the plants. Then, you can gradually increase the light duration until the water starts to become green again.Īnother possibility is to add live aquatic plants to the aquarium. If you leave the light off completely, the aquarium may clear in a few days. Even if your aquarium is not in direct sunlight, the fluorescent light over the aquarium may provide enough energy to support algae. The first is to try reducing the light reaching the aquarium. There are several strategies you can use to eliminate green water. Under these circumstances, water changes add, not reduce, the nutrients that support algal growth. And, some municipal water sources have higher levels of nitrates than are found in established aquariums with biological filtration. Many tap water supplies these days have high concentrations of phosphates. Both of these conditions are necessary for algae, and neither alone is sufficient.Īs you have discovered, water changes are not solving the problem in your goldfish aquarium. Green water is the result of a bloom of unicellular algae, and is basically the result of two existing conditions - the fish aquarium is receiving too much light and the water has a high concentration of phosphates. I am always intrigued by the problem of green water in aquariums because the conditions under which it occurs seem to vary so widely. Is there anything you can think of that might help us get rid of the green water? A. ![]() The aquarium is not located near direct sunlight, so we don’t know what else could be causing this problem. The water in this aquarium turns green despite weekly partial water changes. The aquarium has a power filter, and is aquascaped with plastic plants. We have a 30-gallon aquarium with two 7-inch fantail goldfish and a 9-inch Black Moor goldfish.
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