Water Change = Algae Bloom

[saltyfilmfolks]

The first thing I would do is find a Liquor store and go and buy a nice bottle of Grand Marnier. It is expensive but cheaper than all the water most people change. I am not a big fan of too many water changes and as you found out, sometimes you can get an algae growth by doing that. Most people don't believe that but most people also don't believe in Big Foot. what can I tell you.
Your tank is new and is "supposed" to have an algae growth so open that bottle of Grand Marnier and relax. Algae is good and is removing all the toxic things in your tank. It won't remove Grand Marnier so be careful where you place your glass.
Algae is doing what we pay it to do and your water will be better after the algae leaves. Don't add or remove anything.

Boy i was thinking your were gonna go a different direction with your post....LOL

thanks for liquor suggestion....

Give it another day and then do a 20% WC. Check your nitrate and phosphate. Are you feeding your fish? Cut feeding to once a day. Feed only what they can consume without the food sinking to the bottom.
The idea is to starve the algea of nitrate and phosphate. With no light for photosynthesis, no nitrate and phosphate, the algea will be gone. I use microbacter to add bacteria to the tank.

 

[Paul B]

h

Boy i was thinking your were gonna go a different direction with your post....LOL

thanks for liquor suggestion....

Grand Marnier of Benedictine. Both expensive, but after a couple of those, you won't see any algae.

Oh yeah, and brush your teeth.

 

[Cscultho]

Measured the TDS and it was 3ppm.

Im planning on getting a UV sterilizer to try and combat the green cloud in my tank. Its now become a bit frustrating having to clean the glass every couple of hours....i will only run the UV when needed. I dont plan to run it all the time.

Oh by the way, my fish tank sits between (2) windows and my guess is this is a big contributor to the algae....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Why would a 20% water change ignite an algae bloom on the glass and sand? More of a greenish algae on the glass and brownish algae on the sand....

Algae can sometimes be limited by the availability of trace metals such as iron. A water change can bring in a burst of available metals.

 

[Cscultho]

Algae can sometimes be limited by the availability of trace metals such as iron. A water change can bring in a burst of available metals.

Wouldnt the TDS meter measure the amount of metals coming in? Since my TDS meter reads 3ppm wouldnt that be considered to be low?

 

[Paul B]

Algae can sometimes be limited by the availability of trace metals such as iron. A water change can bring in a burst of available metals.

That's what I said but Randy says it so much more eloquently

 

[2KMILLER]

The first thing I would do is find a Liquor store and go and buy a nice bottle of Grand Marnier. It is expensive but cheaper than all the water most people change. I am not a big fan of too many water changes and as you found out, sometimes you can get an algae growth by doing that. Most people don't believe that but most people also don't believe in Big Foot. what can I tell you.
Your tank is new and is "supposed" to have an algae growth so open that bottle of Grand Marnier and relax. Algae is good and is removing all the toxic things in your tank. It won't remove Grand Marnier so be careful where you place your glass.
Algae is doing what we pay it to do and your water will be better after the algae leaves. Don't add or remove anything.

This post was so great that I created an account just to give it a thumbs up. Four years after the post? Who cares! Cheers to such excellent advice! And despite my desire to add or subtract things from my dingy tank, I will wait patiently. All the quick fixes seem to just put off the inevitable.