Pea Soup

[benanddebbie]

Help Please!!!!

A number of weeks ago we had to leave an automatic feeder on our community tank when we went a way. In it we had tetra bits and a few flakes for the other residents of the tank.

Well we came back to pea soup. There doesn't appear to be any algae on the plants, rocks or sides of the aquairum it just seems to be suspended in the water.

We have tried a blackout for 5 + days to no avail. We have been doing large water changes ie 50 % or more regularly. It hapls the situation for a time until we turn the lights back on. Whether we turn the lights on a few hours after the water change or a few days it takes only hours for the tank to go from clearish to being Green Pea soup and at times not even being able to see the fish.

We have used some pond clear stuff as well as this is all we have been able to get our hands on out here but that has not helped.

Ideally we would like to get a UV sterilizer which we think will help but that is a no go at the present moment and will take time ot get here. We want to do something now. Does any one have any ideas?

[goldenpigeon]

just keep up the w/c.. mayb 25% at least a day. and try to find the source... are you sure it is the auto feeder? also have the water tested and tell us the results. that will help to fine the problem. i think if it was the food the fish would be dead because of the high nitrates.

HTH

[Fishpimpin73]

Have you tested for phosphates?

[gelf]

I'd love to be able to produce that much green water. Rainbowfish and blue-eyes thrive on the stuff. Excellent fry food too. Both baby and adult Threadfin rainbowfish will thrive given nothing but green water . If you find out what caused the bloom, please let me know.

[benanddebbie]

Phosphates were at 0.5 prior to weekend trip and +2 on the return. This had been stable between 0.5 and 1 prior to addition of flakes.
Convinced that the flakes were the source as it is the only thing different to be added to the tank.
The Phosphates rose quickly after the first few initial water changes but have been kept low since (last 2-3 wks) due to water changes once again generally 0.5 to 1. pH, temp etc has been normal for our tank and has remained steady. Problem persists??

[duck]

Check your Ammonia you might of had a spike which can cause GW.

[sammigold]

I have read that some algaes thrive on nitrates and are more likely to occur after an absence. Your feeder may have fed your fish more than you normally would and therefore created excess waste that you normally wouldn't have. Some solutions that I have read are to increase the plants you have in your tank as they will compete with the algae by consuming nitrates. By starving the algae of nitrates you will be able to slow its growth. Also as mentioned by others making regular w/c and also siphoning the substrate. If it is filamentous algae my book says that if you are patient you can actually pull gently on the filaments and take them out or wind them around a stick and get them out that way. HTH