cloudy water

[carol]

I have a hippo tang that I feed seaweed selects to and my water is turning green. could this be from left over algea or is their something about the food thats turning my water colors? besides the greencolor that pops up everything else is fine. I try to run floss in a hob magnum and it takes a few days to clear it up, but it never really goes away! can I cut back on the grazing feed? any other suggestions? thanks

[Pineapple House]

Green? From my, as well as some others people experiences, it is usually from algae (calerpra coming to mind) going Asexual in your tank, therefor turning the water green. Do you by any chance have growing calerpra algaes in either a refugium, sump, main tank, etc?

PH =)

[carol]

currently my sump does not have macros in it actually it has nothing at all yet. the water even with floss and less light is getting worse,I quit feeding the selects a few days ago. anyone have a good suggestion? thanks

[steve1s]

Carol,

A good quality flake food high in spurlina is what I feed my tank 95% of the time. I have a yellow tang and a blue regal/hippo tang, both are very colorful, fat and happy. I personlly do not buy into the hype concerning tangs and all the specialized foods some think they need. As long as the food is a good quality and formulated for hebavours then that's all they need. The only other thing I would suggest giving them once in a while would be caulerpa.

Cheers
Steve

[carol]

thanks for the tip steve I have noticed a dulling of the blue color since I stopped the selects. I have been feeding a mix of flakes and frozen brine. The floss is cleaned every two hours when I 'm home and it still is cloudy. I cant see the back of my tank!!

[steve1s]

To help keep the water clear try using a high grade carbon in the filter or chemi pure... http://www.boydenterprisesonline.com/chemipure.html

They will not reduce water quality and will help clear the water.

Just an added note, frozen brine will not provide a herbavour with hardly any nutritional value. If you are going to treat the fish once in a while with meaty foods it is best supplimented and soaked in a good liquid vitamin like Selcon or Zoe first. An added boost once in a while like that or even liquid garlic extract (which is what I do) will improve color and health emmensely.

Cheers
Steve[/url]

[phistio]

i have to agree with steve on both counts...

chemi-pure to help clean up the water...2-3 bags...

and the tang gets no nutritional value from brine alone...but if rotifers were but in the brine water, that they soak up the photosynthetic organisms, you'd see many more benefits. check out http://www.reeflounge.com/forum/links.php?mode=show&id=54

[aquarium keeper]

Try using a ultraviolet filter, they are great at removing free floating algae. Run the UV filter with a slow flow through the unit, about 150 to 250 gph and turn it on during the day only.

[carol]

I do soak the brine in zoe before feeding. I mainly feed flakes anyways.
I broke down and dug out my old hob magnum micron filter and it seems to be clearing it up some. Still cant see the back of the tank! I also have been running two extra whisper 3's with carbon since the cloudy water started.......no luck yet. thanks for the tips