General Care Discussion :: Ewwww...green water!

[Anonymoose]

Is there any way to clear up green water without changing it? MY water's pretty rank right now, and it's a deep green. But it's only been two weeks!

I feed my turtle in the same tank. I recently added some driftwood into the tank, I rinsed it thoroughly with hot tap water. I have a Fluval 4 Plus Submersible Filter, which is rated for 57 gallons. I have a Stealth Water Heater, heating at 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and a 30 gallon tank.

Help, I don't want to change water this often!

[megcornell]

How big is your turtle?

[Anonymoose]

4 inches, but he's seven years old.

[Turtleboy]

is the tank new?

[grey goose]

Green water usually means your filter is not working properly. The water is getting stagnant. Check the filter thoroughly to make sure the media is set up right and its not clogged....I'd also take that driftwood out til you find the problem.

[Anonymoose]

The tank isn't new, and I'm pretty sure the filter's working properly. Gushing out water, taking in water from the sides, but the clogging indicator's up all the time. I'll take out the driftwood.

[CountryGirl68]

Is the tank anywhere near sunlight? I had that happen to a fish tank years ago which was getting indirect sunlight. (I had see-through curtains on the window.) You couldn't even see the fish! It turned out to be an overpopulation of algae.

[marisa]

You're filter isn't the best, and needs fairly frequent cleaning (at least mine did when I used one).

Driftwood can release tannins that, depending on the piece, can make the water brownish (not pretty, but not harmful).

Feeding your turtle in the same tank adds to the nutrients in the water (along with other debris). This, along with light (how long do you keep the lights on, and warmth will contribute to algae forming.

How often do you change the water and/or do partial water changes? Green water can also be caused by too much phosphorus in the water (from uneaten food and other decaying matter). An inadequate filter and infrequent water changes can lead to a build-up of phosphorus and green water.

Try doing more frequent water/partial water changes. (Consider getting another filter at some point.)

[Anonymoose]

I do a full water changer every two weeks. Never did a partial. By the way, once the filter media is dirty, can you just rinse and reuse or do you have to buy another?

[marisa]

Try doing some partial water changes in between the full ones. Which media are you talking about? The sponges can be rinsed (in the tank water) and reused, but the other (pads and carbon inserts) need to be replaced. If you're reusing the same media over and over, this could be part of the problem.