# Just moved



## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

I have been having problems with keeping my water clear. The people at the fish store told me that a HOB filter was trash and that I needed to use UGF's so I switched over to the UGF's and they seemed to work great. Until earlier this week.

I recently moved and had to move the tank for the first time. I moved 90% of the water with the tank. After being set up for 2 weeks the water has started to turn green. I have a couple of algae spots but they are only the size of an eraser on a pencil.

Any Ideas why my water is green and what I can do to fix it?


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## gordonrp (Mar 23, 2005)

Water parameters?

Green water = usually algae etc, = feeding on sunshine and/or high nitrates.


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## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

Sorry about the double post. Water Parameters...

PH-8.0
I took the water in Thursday and had it checked and everything was good. I just checked the Nitrate level and its 50 ppm +

Whats a good way to reduce the Nitrates? I just did a water change on Friday its too soon to do another one right?


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## gordonrp (Mar 23, 2005)

Do you have gravel in the tank? Perhaps it is full of poop (causing high nitrates).

You can do water changes daily, just do them carefully... Premix water to right temp and dechlorinate it in a bucket.

Suggest you do a 50% now, 50% tomorrow, 50% the day after etc until it gets down to 10ppm, then go back to a weekly routine and weekly testing.. to keep nitrates below 20ppm max.

... check the gravel isnt full of poop, and check any filters are not full of poop (rinse in old tank water in a bucket).

:thumb:


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

TexanRebel said:


> I have been having problems with keeping my water clear. The people at the fish store told me that a HOB filter was trash and that I needed to use UGF's so I switched over to the UGF's and they seemed to work great. Until earlier this week.
> 
> I recently moved and had to move the tank for the first time. I moved 90% of the water with the tank. After being set up for 2 weeks the water has started to turn green. I have a couple of algae spots but they are only the size of an eraser on a pencil.
> 
> Any Ideas why my water is green and what I can do to fix it?


 The undergravel filter holds poo, resulting in a nitrate factory.
When you moved you stirred up the mess under that filter and took it with you into your new setup.
The released nitrates fed the algae which gave you the green water.

Do not disturb the ugf if at all possible. 
There is a way to vac the poo from under the ugf, but it's tricky and you are better off leaving it alone if you don't know the proper way.

Many people use ugf and many do not like them at all. Since you are set up with it, use it.
Do daily water changes for several days.
Be careful to declorinate the replacement water and get the water hardnes and pH as close to the tank water as possible.

Water changes will help lower your nitrates and lessen the green water.

When you pour in the replacement water, disturb the gravel as little as possible.
One way to do that is to place a luncheon plate on top of the gravel to displace the force of the incoming water.

If you want to vac you can hover the vac tube _over the gravel_, without digging into the gravel, to pick up surface poo. 
If you were to do a normal gravel vac, you would stir up more trouble.

Good luck and HTH
 
Alicem


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## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks for all the good Info.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

oops I posted on the double  . Go check that post out I think you'll find the info usefull.

Joel


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

I agree with Joel about the ugf. I had one for a long time and their a pain to maintain and can turn into nitrAte factories. If your not convinced, take a look at what I found under mine when I changed over to hob.










If your ugf has been running for a while with a fish stock I would avoid changing over too quickly. That can lead to ammonia spikes which is not a good situation for your fish. Here's a post on how I did my changeover. Keep the ugf running and pull the gravel out a little at a time over a one month period. This allows your other filters to take over the bio-load and avoids a new cycle.
http://mbunamadness.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=852


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## Nighthawk (Mar 13, 2003)

Just out of curiosity,Texanrebel, are you using the ugf normally or in reverse flow?


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## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

I honestly dont know. The UGF pan has 4 holes along the backside; the 2 in the center are for hooking up power heads. The two holes on the ends of the plates are for using air pumps. I am using the two holes on the end with air stones.

I have done two water changes and the nitrates are down now. The water is also clearing up but still has a lot of green tint to it when looking down the sides.

If this doesnâ€™t become a reoccurring problem with the UGF, I will just stick with the set up that I have now. I plan on moving across country in a couple of years, and will be starting over from scratch. Hopefully by then I will be done making all these newbie mistakes and will know exactly what to do and not do.


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## gordonrp (Mar 23, 2005)

The green tinge will go when the algae dies off, it could take a couple of weeks. You can leave the tank lights off for a couple of weeks to help kill it off too.

I think even the most experienced aquarist has a hard time keeping gravel covered under gravel jets clean, they are simply a poo trap.

Glad it is getting sorted... Personally I think a canister filter is a much better filter solution, it sucks the poop out of your tank for easy cleaning. If you change your setup take a look at the fluval 405.

Sand is also better than gravel IMO, in that poop sits on top of sand (to be sucked up by the canister filter, or vacumming) rather than settling in the gravel which is hard to clean.

:thumb:


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## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

I have been having problems with algae growing on my drift wood and rocks (I have check all my water parameters and they are good, to clear up the green water that I had I went down and got a UV sterilizer, and also changed from using UGF to using a Fluval 405 canister, I also changed over from using a 6700 and Colormax to using a Colormax and 420nm I thru out the 6700 and want to replace it with a 10k but I dont want to put that bulb in till the algae is dead). I have been dealing with this algae since I moved and really want to get this under control and my idea is to remove the decorative pieces and place them in a cooler for a couple weeks so that it stays dark and kills all the algae. I have tried cleaning these pieces but I canâ€™t remove the algae in all the crevasses and it seems to come back after only a few days. My question is if I remove all their hiding places would it over stress my fish?

The tank is 55 gallons and stocked with 15 mbunas / peacocks.


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## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

I just noticed that one of my yellow labs is holding. Would pulling out the decorations effect her?


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

The only problem I can see is not having anyplace to hide from amorous males. They don't eat while holding and having a place to hide/rest can be important to keep her from stressing.


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

> I have been having problems with algae growing on my drift wood and rocks (I have check all my water parameters and they are good


_Some_ algae growing on the driftwood and rocks is natural looking and a sign of a healthy tank. 
Of course, I don't mean thick hairy mats of the stuff. :wink: 


> to clear up the green water that I had I went down and got a UV sterilizer,


Are you letting it run constantly? I don't think you need to. The bulbs are very expensive to replace.
If the green water returns, you need to locate the source and correct that.
Hopefully you have and the UV sterilizer cleared the excess green water for you.
Then the UV ster. can be saved with the "fish stuff" and on hand, if needed for rare ocassions in the future.


> and also changed from using UGF to using a Fluval 405 canister,


Opinions are like noses, everyone has one. That being said, I think you'll be much happier with your canister. 
A UGF really requires a _total tank tear down _twice a year for maintenance.
The canister needs more frequent maintenance than twice a year, but is not such a _major deal_.


> I have been dealing with this algae since I moved and really want to get this under control


Are you lights on a timer? Either way, how long are they on? 
_Limiting _the legnth of "light on time" will help a great deal with all kinds of algae.
You could try having the lights on for a short peroid (like 2-3 hours) in the morning when you feed them and you are around getting ready for work or school.
Then off until evening when you are home to feed them, watch and enjoy them. 
Off again at bedtime.
Sometimes this routine is more easily accomplished with at timer.

One other thing to check: 
Is there a window that lets light shine in, or reflect into, the aquarium? 
Remember, during the course of day, the sun changes postion in the sky, the light may shine in the window at different angles.
 
hth
Alicem


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## TexanRebel (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks for the input. I will try and shorten the length of time that my lights are running. The tank isnâ€™t in direct or even strong indirect sunlight. It has been very frustrating since for the last two years I havenâ€™t everâ€¦everâ€¦ had any algae problems with this tank. And since I have moved I canâ€™t get rid of the algae. :-?


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

That _would be _frustrating. Keep at it, it sounds like you are on the right track. 
Hopefully sooner than later it will work itself out and you can relax.
 
Until then, try not to sweat the small stuff.

Another thing that can aggravate algae problems is over feeding or feeding products that have higher amounts of phosphates, like most flake food.
When uneaten flake food decays, phosphates are released.
Feed small amounts (of any food) slowly.
Make sure your fish have time to eat before any food lands on the substrate. 
Unless they are small juvies or sick, skip feeding them one day, or for one meal.
Watch out for pH buffers, some contain extra phosphates.

In the meantime, maybe you can envision the small amounts of algae on the deco as part of a "soft mossy natural look".
:wink: 
Now algae on the glass is another matter, 
but it can be easily scrubbed off as part of regular maintenance during each partial water change.
hth,
Alicem


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