Every aquarist had this: you look into the aquarium and there…. I can not see anything. Everything is muddy, green, and who also had fish belly up to the top.
You feel a little shock and panic, from the fact that you do not know what to grab onto. But it doesn’t matter, after reading this article, you will know exactly why the water in the aquarium turns green and what to do in such a situation.
As in any such case, first, you need to establish the reasons for the appearance of green water.
Table of Contents
Reasons For Green Aquarium Water
Determining the cause of green water in an aquarium is the most important job. Indeed, having precisely established the origin of the ‘greenery’ it is quite easy to eliminate the consequences.
- The first reason. Incorrect lighting. More often than not, this is what causes the water in the aquarium to bloom. Direct sunlight, irregular lamp spectrum or lighting duration exceeding 8-10 hours per day can cause water bloom
- Infrequent water changes lead to the build-up of organic compounds, which in turn leads to the fact that the water in the aquarium turns green.
- Improper feeding of fish. As a rule, with significant overfeeding, all feed begins to “ferment” and stimulates water bloom with a large number of bacteria.
How to Fix Green Aquarium Water?
Once you have identified the cause, you should act immediately.
If the question was about lighting, then avoid sunlight, adjust the duration of the lighting, and choose good lamps. Since water bloom is just a large accumulation of small algae, it should be deprived of their nutrition.
For the first time, you need to reduce the length of daylight hours and darken the aquarium. It also makes sense to stop fertilizing and increase filtration.
Within a few days, the water will become clear, and all the greens in the aquarium will be eliminated.
If the reason was the accumulation of organic matter, then it is best to use a chemical cleaning method. You can buy any quick cleaners at the pet store. Also, if you have a sterilizer, then it’s time to use it.
For the first two cases, I do not recommend doing water changes. This usually only provokes a surge for the growth of new algae and enhances the greening of the aquarium.
But a quick substitution with a siphon of soil can help with a large overfeeding of fish. After that, you should also add cleaning chemistry and deal with the fish feeding norms.
Is Green Water in Aquarium Harmful To Your Fish?
The short answer is NO. The green aquarium water is a natural process and it does no harm to your fish. It may look ugly to you and you might think that it may make sure fish ill but it’s not the case.
As a matter of fact, many fish in their natural habitat live in this green water happily and without getting ill or dying.
I hope today’s article was useful for you and you will be able to eliminate water bloom in the aquarium.
William Smith is an Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology & holds 5+ years of experience in fishkeeping. Inspired by his grandfather’s aquariums, he created CichlidTips.com to help both novices and seasoned fishkeepers. His expertise spans aquarium setup, maintenance, fish behavior, and health. William constantly researches to provide up-to-date and accurate content, aiming to make CichlidTips.com a trusted resource in the fishkeeping community. He encourages engagement with fellow enthusiasts for mutual growth and improvement in this captivating hobby.
