Green water (WTF)

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 9:44 pm

OK I'm starting to think this hobby has a lot in common with golf, just as you think you have a handle on it something throws you for a loop.

I've been watching my "competition" 10 gallon tank turn peasoup green after every water change. I thought that it was the phosphates in my tap water combining with the nitrogen that I know must be coming out of the substrate. It's not a big deal to me I can live with the green glow. I've been dosing the tank daily with a plantex solution for a week to no effect. <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley5.gif" border="0">

Well in a fit of pique yesterday <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley15.gif" border="0"> , I dosed the tank with my normal witch's brew plus some phosphate <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley34.gif" border="0">, cackling the entire time <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley29.gif" border="0"> , knowing that the algae would become so thick that I could spoon it out of the tank. <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley11.gif" border="0">

Well, this <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley35.gif" border="0"> morning the lights go on and the tank is clearer, and this evening it is even clearer. If this <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley35.gif" border="0"> tank is clear of the green water tomorrow I'm gonna bang my head against the wall for a few hours.

Can anyone tell me why a tank that obviously had too much nutrient took even more nutrient and drastically cleared overnight? Can you tell I'm <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley35.gif" border="0"> baffled?
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Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 10:40 am

Probably the ratio of nutrients was out of balance. By
adding more Phosphate you allowed the plants to
consume the Ammonium-nitrogen faster and completly
and deprive the algae. You should have seen a little
growth spurt from the plants too.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 1:33 pm

<img border="0" src="smileys/smiley18.gif" border="0">

Hi, I would have responded earlier but I was busy... Any one know a contractor who is good at reparing holes in the wall... Tank looks 1000 times better today and I'm really wondering if I could duplicate the feat again.

I knew it was out of balance but the amount of phosphate I put in was a little over the top....Ok it was way over the top, but overnight clearing was not the expected outcome. Tom Barr would have a fit, because my homebrew has nitrogen in the form of Urea which becomes ammonium in the tank, and according to him that should produce green water. According to me it's the phosphate, according to my tank <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley25.gif" border="0"> who knows, it sure wasn't a micro nutrient.

The plants have been growing well in there despite the green tint. I would not be able to discern a growth spurt from the good growth I already have. I'll look again as "I can see clearly now..." <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley9.gif" border="0">

Oh I want to talk to you about the nutrient ratio stuff and the idea that it is N:P:K not NO4:PO4:K as the concept has come up but I'm failing in my chemistry recollection. Everyone talks about the ppm of the ions and not the elements and I think I'd like to join up and make a bigger stink about it.

RTRJR · Post by **RTRJR** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 11:06 am

Sean - perfect APD fodder - better than the color of water in a white enamel bucket by a wide margin. <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley36.gif" border="0">

And you are correct, it is, or should be, N:P:K, not the ions. But I'm sure many will rise to the bait.

Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:36 pm

I've already worked out the N:P:K ratios in the
sticky thread I think.

JLudwig · Post by **JLudwig** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 11:33 pm

I think the laws and science of planted tanks are not constant, but vary with both time and space...

A few months ago, adding NO3 to some of my tanks would have created an algae soup, now they need it to keep old growth from dissolving. I've had so many conflicting experiences with nutrient levels, lighting, substrates, etc, I have no idea what to think anymore... I'm not sure what I would say to someone starting in the hobbying... "good luck, because it seems you need 5% science and 95% luck to grow plants?"

Jeff

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:39 am

[QUOTE=Ghazanfar Ghori] I've already worked out the N:P:K ratios in the sticky thread I think.[/QUOTE]

I know, I asked you to post it there. You don't think there might be something else to discuss about it?

Jeff, don't you know it. I do lots of 'counter-intuitive' stuff with my tanks but most of them are against 'common knowledge', this time I went against myself and had to scratch my head at the result. Maybe I just had a moment of inspiration since I usually run my tanks by feel anyways. Or I had a moment of dumb luck.

Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:45 am

I'm still playing around with the ratios. I need to
setup some controlled experiments, get some
accurate test kits and document!
Time is the limiting factor.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 12:22 pm

Talk <img border="0" src="smileys/smiley36.gif" border="0"> just talk. Like I need to figure out how much N is in a tablespoon of Urea. My chemistry basics have faded on me. I get through making a molar solution or figuring out from a gram but I haven't clued in yet that I need to weigh a tablespoon of the substance to do the calculations.

Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 12:30 pm

I saw some jewelry scales (digital) on ebay that
are surprisingly reasonable in price. That should
help tremendously with experiments and calculations.
Now if only we could afford the equipment to accuratly
measure PO4, NO3, Fe etc in the water column.

Green water (WTF)

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