phosphate problems?

heyyitsjustin · 01/30/2010, 06:12 PM

My water is a cloudy green and I was told its from the phosphates in my water that were feeding the algae. I got another tank from a friend and decided to move all my fish into this new tank. I left the substrate in the other tank and decided to just add live sand and start a marine tank and now that water is green! I really am not sure what to do and have gotten so many different suggestions. Will the water clear up in time if theres no fish? Should I keep my light off? Get a UV sterilizer and let it kill everything? Any help would be great thanks.

Octoshark · 01/30/2010, 06:46 PM

Have you tried phosban or anything like that?

firsttank · 01/30/2010, 07:25 PM

24 hr off cycle helps.

+1 on phosban and also try to get your water checked in a hanna meter.

MAMGM · 01/30/2010, 09:09 PM

Did you check the water with a phosphate test kit. How does your friend know this without testing first?

mstng67 · 01/30/2010, 09:15 PM

Are you using RO/DI water?

HOZER62 · 01/30/2010, 09:17 PM

Check with a test kit and see what your phosphate levels are. Have your LFS test also and see if the results match. If phosphate levels are fine you can clear the water up by running some carbon.

EdKruzel · 01/30/2010, 09:23 PM

Any tank needs a time to cycle and mature so it can properly stabilize. It is difficult for even the most experienced hobbyist to transfer livestock from one tank to another without some issues. Keep up the water changes and give it some time. If you don't have any photosynthetic life forms you can leave the lights off for a week or so and then begin to turn them back on cycling over a week or two from an hour a day back to your regular time period.

mann1139 · 01/31/2010, 06:25 AM

What kind of light are you using?

My QT always looks slightly green, b/c I'm using a crappy single bulb light.

heyyitsjustin · 01/31/2010, 10:40 AM

i just got some phosban and added that. how long will it take to clear up with the phosban? the local fish store bombarded me with information when i got it tested but i no its deff a phosphate problem in our city water. i just got an RO/DI system and don't know if i should just do a huge water change or not. i think my light is like 100 watts and ive had it off hoping it would kill off the algae.

01/30/2010, 06:12 PM	#1
heyyitsjustin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10	phosphate problems? My water is a cloudy green and I was told its from the phosphates in my water that were feeding the algae. I got another tank from a friend and decided to move all my fish into this new tank. I left the substrate in the other tank and decided to just add live sand and start a marine tank and now that water is green! I really am not sure what to do and have gotten so many different suggestions. Will the water clear up in time if theres no fish? Should I keep my light off? Get a UV sterilizer and let it kill everything? Any help would be great thanks.

01/30/2010, 06:46 PM	#2
Octoshark Marine Biology Student Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,366	Have you tried phosban or anything like that? __________________ "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

01/30/2010, 09:23 PM	#7
EdKruzel Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 7,384	Any tank needs a time to cycle and mature so it can properly stabilize. It is difficult for even the most experienced hobbyist to transfer livestock from one tank to another without some issues. Keep up the water changes and give it some time. If you don't have any photosynthetic life forms you can leave the lights off for a week or so and then begin to turn them back on cycling over a week or two from an hour a day back to your regular time period. __________________ When you find yourself in "Deep Water" it's best to keep your mouth shut! Current Tank Info: 65RR Cube Mixed Reef

01/30/2010, 07:25 PM	#3
firsttank Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: detroit Posts: 231	24 hr off cycle helps. +1 on phosban and also try to get your water checked in a hanna meter.

01/30/2010, 09:09 PM	#4
MAMGM Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Shillington, Pa. Posts: 284	Did you check the water with a phosphate test kit. How does your friend know this without testing first?

01/30/2010, 09:15 PM	#5
mstng67 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Kansas Posts: 101	Are you using RO/DI water?

01/30/2010, 09:17 PM	#6
HOZER62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 60	Check with a test kit and see what your phosphate levels are. Have your LFS test also and see if the results match. If phosphate levels are fine you can clear the water up by running some carbon.

01/31/2010, 06:25 AM	#8
mann1139 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Jersey Posts: 178	What kind of light are you using? My QT always looks slightly green, b/c I'm using a crappy single bulb light.

01/31/2010, 10:40 AM	#9
heyyitsjustin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10	i just got some phosban and added that. how long will it take to clear up with the phosban? the local fish store bombarded me with information when i got it tested but i no its deff a phosphate problem in our city water. i just got an RO/DI system and don't know if i should just do a huge water change or not. i think my light is like 100 watts and ive had it off hoping it would kill off the algae.