[joetaff]

Yep, I've got it good. I'm currently the proud owner of a hot, piping vat of green water. This was brought on this weekend after a beer or hooch was poured into the open top of my tank. If you are wondering how the hell that could happen, Read Here.

Well here is my game plan. I am going to bite the bullet and get a UV sterilizer. Problem is, with rent and utilities due, I don't think I will have the cash to pick it up for at least a few days. Until I can get the Sterilizer, what should my routine be? Should I cut back on the photoperiod and still run CO2? Ferts?(I would think not?). Should I cean my filter now or wait till that UV gets crankin?

Thanks!

 

[150EH]

I started running my light 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, the plants will suffer a little. I kept on dosing ferts.

If you haven't cleaned the filter yet, I would get that done.

What filter are you using??

 

[150EH]

I looked at your journal, if your tank is still packed with plants, I'd try a couple of bubble wands and a cheap air pump and forget about the UV, after you clean the filter.

 

[150EH]

I got rid of this with 2 circulation pumps and it got thicker after this photo was taken, you couldn't see anything in the tank. Most people think I'm nuts with this circulation thing but it only took 2 days and was almost clear after one, the power of flow and added oxygen in the water is greatly under-estimated.

 

[joetaff]

Man that's about how I'm looking right now. You think it's really as simple as adding more circulation and O2? I've never had green water so I don't know anything about treating it. Also I'm just using a basic canister filter.

 

[150EH]

Yeah I saw it in the journal and it's more than fine for that size of tank, no gaurantee but it worked for me and 5 or 6 days faster than guys posting their UV progress. Now don't blame me but lets talk it out, your problem is most likely (sugar, yeast) food for algae, clean the filter really good except be very careful not to over clean the bio-media (lava crumbs, substratpro), now do a 50% water change to reduce the amount of algae food, adding flow to distribute the remaining nutrients around the tank and the added oxygen in the water column is making a larger and more healthy mass of nitrifying bacteria that is also eating these nutrients, sounds good to me and it worked good for me.

Of course I had people telling me I was crazy and green water was from a ammonia spike, etc.

It's worth a try, with a 29 gallon you can run upto your LFS and get a dual outlet air pump for 12.99 and 2 cheap but long bubble wands for 5.99 or so, while the UV sterilizer is in the mail for the next week for $89 or more plus shipping.