Weird algea problem....I think.

Question
Hi, I've had my 30 gallon tank for about 5 months now. Everything was great for the longest time. I would clean it normally, and make sure to put my Neutral Regulator in it, cuz my water is a big hard. it was perfect, but now its not.. I dont know if this is really the problem, but me and a friend both think its an algea problem. Were not completely fish illiterate, we both have more than 3 tanks at our houses, and we breed and do alot of different stuff with fish. We're actually more like a little vet, cuz we both know different diseases in fish, so we treat other peoples fish for them. So, i know when theres a problem or not. I know its not new tank syndrome, just an algea problem. What i want to know is, should i try those algea killer drops, or would those just be a waste of money. They only kill a few types of algea, and i dont know if this is the right type. If that wouldnt work, then the next thing after that i would do would be take all the fish out and give it a complete clean, with new gravel and everything, just like a brand new tank. I'm just getting really annoyed, cuz my nice tank isnt that appealing anymore, and i would love to see my nice angel fish again. So....Any suggestions.  

Answer
Hi Kyle;

If it's green water you are dealing with, it can indeed be a frustrating thing. It's caused by planktonic algae that floats around in the water. Strangely enough, it may be the pH regulator that is causing the algae to thrive. Many pH regulators contain phosphate and algae loves phosphate. It's fertilizer for the stuff. Also, when the pH drops, it causes phosphate to be more available to the algae as food. PH adjusters can cause milky cloudiness too as it binds minerals. It's best to avoid them and use part RO or distilled water instead if your water tends to be hard and stays above 8.0 all the time. If the tank pH is below 8.0 without using an adjuster, don't even try to change it. Your fish will adjust to it fine. Or, get some water from someone else's house that uses a water softener. I used to do that for my clients. They would bring their big water jugs to my store and fill up with the hose outside for free. You don't have to use ALL "imported" water, just enough to counteract your harder stuff. It can be a pain in the neck but try it if your own water is just too hard.

Be really careful if you decide to clean it all out and start over. It will need to go through a break-in period and is very stressful to the fish. Especially if the tank is fully stocked. They need beneficial bacteria in their tank to consume their wastes. Toxins will become deadly within a few days. Get some gravel or a filter from another tank so it has some bacterial colonies to help it get going.

I recommend avoiding algae killing products. They are simply a controlled amount of poison. The fish can become lethargic and unwilling to breed too. Not good all the way around.

Here are a couple of 'green water' web links to help you know more about it;

http://www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/WaterQuality/GreenWater.html
http://www.nunnie.com/cloudy.html

Good luck...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins