When The Green Water Is Too Green Options

[void]

Dear all green water users...

When to tell whether the green water is too green and need to be change? I've read somewhere that too much green means it contain too many protein which is bad for the lungs or something like that... is this true? thanks...

[cktan]

I just changed my green water tonight and notice some red streaks on 2 out of 3 of the goldfish tail fins. True enough the ammonia in the water measured 0.5mg/l.

There is only three 2 inch goldfish in the 3ft guppy tub filled with 130 liters of water. Light is MH (4200Lum) and switch on for 11 hours (7.30am - 6.30pm). Feeding is 4 times a day (only 1 click on the food timer each time) and all feeds done before 12 noon. Water changes 90% every week.

The water is usually intense green on the 6 and 7 day. Any idea why ammonia can be present despite no overloading nor overfeeding. I will be going for a overseas trip for 10 days and wonder what might happen if i dont change water for 10 days. 7 days i already see 0.5mg/l of ammonia and intense green water. Wah, 10 days really cannot imagine what might happen. Any suggestions to tackle this problem?

[HappyBuddha]

I just changed my green water tonight and notice some red streaks on 2 out of 3 of the goldfish tail fins. True enough the ammonia in the water measured 0.5mg/l.

There is only three 2 inch goldfish in the 3ft guppy tub filled with 130 liters of water. Light is MH (4200Lum) and switch on for 11 hours (7.30am - 6.30pm). Feeding is 4 times a day (only 1 click on the food timer each time) and all feeds done before 12 noon. Water changes 90% every week.

The water is usually intense green on the 6 and 7 day. Any idea why ammonia can be present despite no overloading nor overfeeding.  I will be going for a overseas trip for 10 days and wonder what might happen if i dont change water for 10 days. 7 days i already see 0.5mg/l of ammonia and intense green water. Wah, 10 days really cannot imagine what might happen. Any suggestions to tackle this problem?

Although some bros claim it's okay to use a bulb with a color temperature of less than 6500 Kelvin, I suggest you change yours to day light. 4,200 lum (I presume that's 4,200 Kelvin) is nothing like natural day light. We are not looking for brightness (defined by the output wattage of the bulb) but an emulation of day light, ie, whiteness of 6,500 kelvin. To comprehend this, many bros are cultivating green water with (not very bright) 36 watts PL lamp because the PL lamp is of the correct colour temperature 6,500 kelvin. Your setup's environment thus is not ideal to promote algae's growth due to the wrong type of lighting. You thus is recording a high ammonia level and water turning green only on the 6th and 7th day onwards. As you can see, the long hours doesn't help.

Hope that helps.

[cktan]

Although some bros claim it's okay to use a bulb with a color temperature of less than 6500 Kelvin, I suggest you change yours to day light.  4,200 lum (I presume that's 4,200 Kelvin) is nothing like natural day light.    We are not looking for brightness (defined by the output wattage of the bulb) but an emulation of day light, ie, whiteness of 6,500 kelvin.  To comprehend this, many bros are cultivating green water with (not very bright) 36 watts PL lamp because the PL lamp is of the correct colour temperature 6,500 kelvin.  Your setup's environment thus is not ideal to promote algae's growth due to the wrong type of lighting.  You thus is recording a high ammonia level and water turning green only on the 6th and 7th day onwards.  As you can see, the long hours doesn't help. 

Hope that helps.

HB, i bought the OSRAM double ended MH light bulb on recommendation by Alvin. He himself is using that bulb in his home. I think he misunderstood that the bulb is a 6500K until i told me as what the seller relate to me.

The water turns intense green on the 6 or 7th day. Not green but intense green. It usually turns green on the 2nd or 3rd day after a water change.

[HappyBuddha]

HB, i bought the OSRAM double ended MH light bulb on recommendation by Alvin. He himself is using that bulb in his home. I think he misunderstood that the bulb is a 6500K until i told me as what the seller relate to me.

The water turns intense green on the 6 or 7th day. Not green but intense green. It usually turns green on the 2nd or 3rd day after a water change.

Sorry I'm a bit lost over what was your question, so I re-read it.

Okay... firstly 0.5mg/l of ammonia in green water is not an alarming level. Goldfish is hardy (despite what some bros have written about their fishes). Fact is algae does not take in ammonia when there's no light. Fortunately green water still works for goldfish because when there's no light our fish go to a less active state and hence produces less ammonia. It implies it's quite a disaster if you keep your green water tub in the living room where there's enough light to keep the fishes awake yet not enough to get the algae to do their work.

Pleas re-run your test during the day and you will probably get a different reading. Don't forget to test the pH level as ammonia is lethal at pH> 7.5 (there's a FAQ on this) while green water's pH usually hoovers above 8 and close to 9! But do you see any problem with anyone's fishes in green water? I'm trying to say your test was flawed. Also... if you test intense green water, do use the JBL's pH kit mentioned elsewhere.