Cloudy Water

**sweeneyc** · 01-03-2013, 06:55 PM

good luck! Okay so I just looked at the tank and it looks a slight bit green. I thought it looked a little green before, but I thought it was because of the green painted walls around the area, haha. I have not done the water change yet, but it seems the water is green.

I have two 54 watt T5 bulbs on the tank right now, one 10k and one 6.7k. Will the water change correct the problem if it is the algae? I imagine it will remove a lot of the food the algae is consuming. but if it is the algae, what would be the suggestion?

**imma24** · 01-03-2013, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Cermet

If your water is too soft or you haven't changed the water for well over a week, then you should consider three water changes spread over two days of 30% will yield a water change of almost 65% Ignoring rounding:

That is: first W/C yield's 70% (0.7) original water remaining; next W/C is 30% (or 0.3) of the remaining 0.70 and this amount (removed) is subtracted from the 0.7, yielding 0.21 removed or about 0.5 remaining. A third W/C of 0.3 (30%) would be the remaining 50% (of the original) or 0.3 * 0.5 = 0.15 and this amount now removed is subtracted from 0.5 yielding 0.35 of the original water remaining; ridiculously simple.

This math is very simple and I'm lost why people keep missing this simple fact. Once more I feel that a sticky thread on this topic is critical (I'm tried of rewriting threads on this) and posted because the MOST import thing we do is water changes but time after time, people are totally confused on this subject!

I respectfully beg to differ - why do water changes need to be made into #'s that are confusing to new people? The OP isn't the only one who didn't understand this post

. Saying "change 50%" of your water isn't confusing - each individual needs advice taylored for their situation so I guess I don't see where a sticky would come in handy - maybe others will disagree with me.

**sweeneyc** · 01-04-2013, 06:21 PM

I believe the problem is algae. Will the big water change help?

**Taurus** · 01-04-2013, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by sweeneyc

I believe the problem is algae. Will the big water change help?

A big water change will help. You also need to do a black out on your tank, that is leave the lights off for a couple of days until the green water clears through water changes and no light.

How many hours per day are your lights on?

**Taurus** · 01-04-2013, 08:30 PM

See "green water" in Dave's algae primer.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=24570

**sweeneyc** · 01-05-2013, 04:35 AM

thank you for that! it was an excellent source. I did not know algae thrived off of blue light and that bulbs become more blue with time. I have a 6.7k and a 10k which means half of my light is that blue-white light. I will need to replace that light with another 6.7k.

Thanks again!

**sweeneyc** · 01-07-2013, 01:05 AM

yup. that water is greeeeeeen!! I replaced the 10k bulb for another 6.7k. that still means 108 watts.... is that too much for a 29 gallon? Is that was is causing the water to be so green?