Green Water Column

[AJ_77]

My tank reminds me lately of a FW algae outbreak I once had that turned that tank's water green. So I am concerned about the murky tinge in my less than 3 mos. old reef tank. (90g, 33g sump, 5" DSB, 125 lbs LR, 4 OVRNO, 2 NO actinic, skimmer, added Fluval with carbon and floss yesterday)

The white bucket I used for my 2nd water change this week was definitely showing the yellow/green water colour. I'm not missing any animals, can't see anything dead, don't have many animals actually (pair perculas, small scopas tang, cleaner crew, few softies). Have a bit of red diatoms on the sandbed. Have cut back the photoperiod and feeding schedule - so many pods they won't starve anyways...

I've searched the boards with little result, can anyone offer some advice? Many thanks,

Alan

[ 14 June 2002, 08:38: Message edited by: AJ_77 ]

[Canadian Man]

Dun Dun Dun Da (superhero music) :rolleyes:
Jonny to the rescue! hahaha

Alan is it possible your algae in your refugium went asextual. I have never seen this phenomonom(never spelt this word) happen so when i saw your tank a few days ago i couldnt tell you what it was, this is my suggestion though.

For the first 8 months of my tanks existance i ran carbon 24/7 and when i did water changes my water that was taken out in the bucket was still green.
since adding my sump i have not used carbon, so about a month now and i definatley notice a little more green tinge to the water.

Maybe running the carbon will clean it up.

Oh on another note how's the leather's doing?

[AJ_77]

The caulerpa is still green, though. Shouldn't it be turning white if it's going sexual? We need a sexual expert...

I want to ditch that stuff and try to grow a whopping crop of the halimeda for the refuge. It is going gangbusters in the main tank.

The leathers look a little frazzled.

AJ

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

hi Alan
i have to agree with Jonathan your algae went acexual,or maybe you left your lights on for a long period and still is algae bloom.only seen this when i tried keeping my halides on for about 16hrs a day it hapened i think few days later.all i did is floss and over skimmed.cut down the photo period to 8hrs for 2wks then back to 12hrs/day.(and added few more pumps to the tank for more water exchange)
no animals died.

[Delphinus]

I'm going to offer a slightly dissenting opinion (but I don't want to touch the "sexual expert" comment though ...)

Macroalgae sporalation ("going sexual") is OBVIOUS. Unless you have a tiny little bit go on you, your tank will look like you've dumped a 2 litre jug of milk in it. And you will notice a white or clear empty shell of the sprigs who went on you. If this is what's happened, nothing more than a cursory look-over should be enough for you to confirm your suspicion.

My water always has a little greenish tint to it. Running carbon does help (but I don't like to run carbon myself, unless it's a band-aid knee-jerk reaction on my part to something that's happened in the tank -- reason being, it's stripping stuff out, right? What if it's some kind of phytoplankton? In that case, I WANT it in my tank!). Running a polyfilter aka "filter floss" also does help (but I don't like running those full-time either, for the same reasons).

Personally, I think as the biodiversity grows, the greenish tint subdues to the point where you don't really notice it anymore. But that's just IMHO.

PS. It could also be a function of what lights you run. Some lights are better (or worse, shall I say) than others for highlighting a greenish tint to the water column. This is, IMO, one of the reasons why I think blue lights such as actinics or the high-K MH bulbs, are quite popular, because they help the colour contrast of other things in the tank, and thus make it easier to not notice a tiny hint of green in the water column. So, really, it all comes down to this: GIT YOUR IWASAKIS ON THAT TANK ALREADY!!!

(PPS. Speaking of which, did you notice the Iwasaki for sale in Calgary, in the buy/sell forum a couple of days ago? That one has your name written all over it dude!)

[ 12 June 2002, 11:02: Message edited by: delphinus ]

[Delphinus]

Well ... hmmm. You should still be able to see through the tank lengthwise.

This is what I'd do. First, make sure all inhabitants are accounted for. Next, run some carbon (I like to use a hang-on aquaclear with a carbon bag stuffed in it, but you can dump it in your sump if you can get it so the water flows through it ... whatever works). Maybe even run some polyfilter. You know what's really keen? You know those quick-filters you can get for the Hagen powerheads? Well, the filters you can get for the power-filters, one of those sizes (I think it's "No. 4") fits a quick filter perfectly. And it's a combination polyfilter with carbon. Just put this in the quickfilter instead of the normal quickfilter pad, and jam it on a powerhead, and you're set.

And a water change couldn't hurt.

Have you tested your params? Anything amiss?

[AJ_77]

Water has tested well lately, I'll check it again tonight. Put Bob's Fluval 304 on last night with floss and carbon. Everything else is stated in posts above...

Kind of freaky - it does look like an algae bloom, not just in the water but on the glass as well. Strange, because after adjusting the skimmer last week it's been pulling really well.

As to lighting - I'll hold the course with a reduced photoperiod for now. I would like to talk MH options with you someday soon, though...

Alan

[Doug]

I will take a crack at "sexual" :D At my age its fun just talking about it. :D

Ok, to get serious now. After your first post, I figued it was just water yellowing from lack of carbon use.

Yes, I am a believer in regular use of carbon, but just a little at a time to keep the compounds that colour the water. Of course water changes also achieve this, but thats another story. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Anyways, as I read your next post, it sure does sound like the calerpa doing its thing. :D My 170 did the same last year. Dont know why, but turned to pea soup. If the calerpa looks fine, keep an eye on it anyways. Perhaps a water change and then run some carbon.

You never mentioned which skimmer you have, but I was running mine skimmerless at the time. When I turned my Euroreef on it cleaned it out in no time, sucking tons of green crap out.

Hope some of that helps. Mostly what the guys have already mentioned.

[Bob I]

I guess it is my turn now since I have kept the same Caulerpa as you for many months (hell it came from my place right?) I have never had the "sexual experience :D . Chunks of the Caulerpa will go a transparent white. I just remove those pieces. I forgot to mention it, but it sounds like you are a prime candidate for some Diatomaceous Earth filtering. That stuff filters down to one micron. I used it successfully about 25 years ago. The Vortex filters are still available. They are expensive, so it might be an idea for the group to get together and buy one. Then when one of us has a problem they can use it. That is my idea.
Bob

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

I don't think the caulerpa has gone sexual since the caulerpa turns white when that happens. However, I think you have a phytoplankton outbreak or green water. The same kind of stuff in DT (not quite the same type, but the same family). I provided a possible solution to this problem a couple months ago...so, you may want to search the archives.

- Victor.

[ 12 June 2002, 21:44: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]