Habitat - Indoor :: Green Tank

[badarwing]

Hi,
I have a 50G tank and i cant seem to stop it from going green.
I have a rena XP3 filter is there any media i can put in it to help.
my turtle is about 3" long.. there is no gravel in the tank .
Thanks
I also have a fish for cleaning alge on the walls jus the water is green

[lydia_lady_fla]

I purchased an apple snail shes doing a gr8 maid service in my tank, if the green is from algea that might help you?

[marisa]

Is the tank in front of a window? How long do you have the lights on? What's the water temp? Light and warmth will contribute to algae growth.

How often do you change the water/do partial water changes?

[badarwing]

well the tank is a new setup new filter been running for 2 weeks..
it is near a window but it is mostly covered by a shade.
I keep the tank around 75 and the light on 9/12 hours a day

[marisa]

"Mostly covered by a shade" means that the tank is still getting some light from the window during the day?

How often is the water being changed?

What media are you using in the XP3?

[badarwing]

Its still getting light from the window but the window is covered..
and im using
bio chem zorb
mechenical midea 20 and 30 and the micro filtration pad

[marisa]

I have some bio-chem zorb, but I've never used it. Someone else had a problem with green water and I think it improved when she changed the media (look for a post by Stacey). Have you had the filter long? If so, maybe the media needs to be changed as well (the chem-zorb). If not, try doing a partial water change and see if that helps (about 25%).

[badarwing]

The filter is brand new everything was cahnged new water 3 weeks ago brand new media? what media should be used?

[Oldturtle72]

You Guys, there's a product from Laguna called Green Water Clarifier and although it is for treating pond water, I've used it in my 20L tank and in my 50gal Rubbermaid. I've used 5 to 10ml and it works rapidly and doesn't harm anything in the tank. For my 265 gal pond I use 50ml as a 1 or 2 week dosage. Doesn't bother the fish, turtles or snails. George

[marisa]

The media that you use with the XP3 should have come with it (with the exception of the ceramic rings, which are included sometimes as a promotion). I haven't used the bio-chemzorb, but have used carbon, which should be changed approx. monthly.

[da sAUCE!]

OT, what do you use for diatoms....the brown algae?

[Oldturtle72]

The only pond in operation is the outdoor pond and the Japanese Black Trapdoor Snails take care of the brown and green algae if and when it starts up. So far, it's as algae-free as a pond located in direct sunlight can be. George

[marisa]

I've read that the growth of diatoms in the tank is encouraged by not having enough lighting. Also silicates and silicic acid in the water will cause them to form. ( http://www.oscarfish.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=69 ) There are diatom filters, but they're not cheap.