Habitat - Indoor :: green water

[leeduk]

My 10" RES (8 years old, got her as a hatchling) lives in a bathtub on my lanai. (Is this considered an indoor or an outdoor setup?) I calculate the tub holds about 70 gal. of water, which I filter with a Fluval 406. This has been fine for years. This summer I have been plagued by green water. In one week the water will go from clear to a pretty chartreuse to a dark, opaque almost-black color. I have tried all the chemicals possible in my local pet stores. None work. I have scrubbed down the tub, the filter, and the tubes each time. I am getting tired of changing the water once a week.
Since the tub gets all-afternoon sun all summer long, the only thing that seems to remain is a UV filter. Before spending the 100 bucks on it, I thought I'd first check to find out what others have found to work. I'd rather not have an in-water UV because of the space it takes up but I'm not quite clear on how to connect an in-line one to my Fluval.
Also, can anyone tell me why I am now getting this problem when the conditions have seemingly not changed from those of the past.

[steve]

Nutrients, waste, warmth, water conditions and light all contribute to algae in the water. It doesn't always develop right away, but once it takes hold you need to be vigorous about maintenance.

[leeduk]

No kidding. As far as I could tell all the conditions you mention are no different than they've been for the last few summers. Since this has started I've had to empty and clean the tank and filter once a week. I'm guessing you're not suggesting I do this more often than that. (In fact last week I did change it all again after two days -- to no avail.) So the question is what must be done differently?
I've been reading old posts from everywhere online and seen suggestions to add snails, moss balls, pennies, daphnia, a waste degrader, granular ferric oxide, and a diatomic filter. Then I've also seen other posts that suggest those won't work. I saw one suggestions to wash down the tub with vinegar and another with soap and water.

[devilduck]

Light and nutrients (from waste) are the two main causes of algae like green water. I start by limiting one of them. To kill the green water in there now, temporarily move the turtle back indoors and black out the tub for a week. Cover it with light proof black plastic. After the week is up all the algae should be dead. Change all the water and clean the filter.

Find a way to shield more of the tank from direct sunlight or increase the frequency of your water changes to remove the nutrients. Is it warm year round where you are? You can also try planting water lilies in pots in the tub. The lily leaves will shield the water from light and take up some nutrients from the water column. Hopefully your turtle won't tear up the plants.

[leeduk]

Yeah. Here's the problem with that solution. She's have to take up residence in my bathtub. That would mean no sun for her for a week (or baths for me).
Is it warm year round here? I live in Honolulu, so the answer is yes. But the tub only gets sun in the summer. In the winter only her basking porch gets sun.
Water lilies are out because their pot takes up so much space. She lives in a standard 5' bathtub filled almost to the top so there's no room. I can get some water hyacinths since they float and try that.

[VeipaCray]

To connect an in-line UV to your fluval, you just cut the output tube and insert it in the return path for the water leaving the filter (through the UV) then back to your tub. Never put an inline device on the intake side of a canister filter. You may have to get some hose barbs / compression clamps depending on what size connectors are on the in-line UV that you are looking at.

Another option may be a second canister filter with built in UV like the Aquatop CF400 or CF500. JBJ makes the reaction line too but are more pricey. On ebay you can get aquatop or their generic knock-off (probably the same filter) around $60. You'd be adding additional filtration AND UV sterilization to your setup.

Yet another option is an inexpensive $20 pump like a maxijet 1200 to push water through the inline UV filter on a separate loop from your fluval. The problem with putting an in-line UV filter on the fluval or any canister for that matter is that it slows down the flow rate a lot which in turn reduces the effectiveness of the filter.

[leeduk]

I was inclining to use an in-line UV until I read your reminder about its slowing down the flow rate. I'd rather not add another filter because of the space it would take up. How about an internal UV-pump that I just leave in until the water clears?

[devilduck]

Yeah. Here's the problem with that solution. She's have to take up residence in my bathtub. That would mean no sun for her for a week (or baths for me).
Is it warm year round here? I live in Honolulu, so the answer is yes. But the tub only gets sun in the summer. In the winter only her basking porch gets sun.
Water lilies are out because their pot takes up so much space. She lives in a standard 5' bathtub filled almost to the top so there's no room. I can get some water hyacinths since they float and try that.

Doh! I thought you had an outside tub in addition to a indoor tank!

You can probably use this: http://www.petco.com/product/114522/Green-Killing-Machine-Internal-UV-Sterilizer-with-Power-Head.aspx?cm_mmc=CSEMGoogleAdExtProd%20-_-Pet%20Supplies-_-AA%20Aquarium-_-1237039&gclid=CLWz-8n-17gCFa1FMgodX3AAvg

[leeduk]

Nope. She lives in a bathtub (outlets fiberglassed closed) with surrounding walkway and basking porch on my lanai (deck). So she's outside but not like if the setup were in a backyard.
I was just looking at the AquaTop internal filters with 13 watt UV: the UVP, UVE, and UVCP (I'm not entirely clear on which would be best). I've read poor reviews for the Green Killing Machine. Do you have experience with it?

[leeduk]

Update:
I tried to buy daphne shrimp and moss balls but discovered they aren't available here. I purchased some plants and they were immediately destroyed. (It didn't look like they were being eaten, just bitten apart. I have a quirky turtle, don't get me started.) So I purchased the 13 watt UV submersible filter (not inline because I didn't want to slow down the flow rate). It took nearly three weeks but the bathtub water is now completely clear. In another week I'll try removing the filter to see if the tub now can hold its own.
Thanks, everyone for trying to help.

[steve]

Thanks for the update! I picked up a separate UVB/pump to keep it separate from the main canister.

[Mr.Shenanigans]

I have the green killing machine in my 40 gallon and it works great.

[Kado]

I've read that water hyacinths will cure algae really quick... If its legal in your area. My turtle also likes to munch on it.