# Water has green tint



## Bmill (Jan 3, 2017)

My tank is about 3 weeks old and still going through the first cycle. So right now when I look from the side of the tank the water looks green but when I look from front view it looks clear. I have a marineland heart 60gal with 6 African cichlids in it. I have rocks, driftwood, and living Anubis and Amazon sword plants. 
I tried inserting pictures but not sure how. Using iPhone for forum.


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## Aaron S (Apr 4, 2015)

I will probably say something then someone else will chime in with the real answer. You could try taking some water out and putting it into a white bucket or something to verify that the water looks clear instead of colored. Really it is probably that there are a very mild amount of algae growing in the tank which are dispersed in the water column. When you look through the front, you are trying to look through less distance of water than when you look through the side so that is why the front looks ok but not the side. If that is correct, then what can/should you do about it? First decide if it is important to you because you probably won't look through the side very often. Another thing is you mentioned that you are still going through the cycle which probably means there is a lot of delicious nitrogen compounds in the tank for algae to grow on. Are you putting too much light into the tank causing algae? A possible solution outside of nitrogen compounds and light is that you could get a UV sterilizer (I have one on my tank) which will help with the "green water" problem.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I agree with Aaron S. If it is clear through the front, I'd bet on algae on the glass. Try scraping the side glass.


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## fishie1 (Jan 18, 2017)

I agree it could be slime or algae .Algal growth on pools as well as on glass tanks are common nowadays and so to avoid this you may need to try out some natural methods.Last month I came across an article that pointed out some tips on how to get rid of algae and other microorganisms.Here is the link to the blog http://www.ferraripools.com/blog/pool/how-do-you-get-rid-of-algae-in-your-pool/and I hope you find it useful.


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## elenor (Jan 17, 2017)

Water could not turn green on its own without the presence of algae. Try turning out the lights as direct sunlight is one of the causes for algae growth. Replace 25% of the old water at regular intervals. Clean out the dead algae. If nothing helped you, try using UV sterilizer.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Agree with all. If your tanks is cycling, keep the lights off. Light is only need with plants.


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