# Green Tank????????



## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Hey all,

I am trying to get my tank to stop having that green tinge to it. I have a lightly planted 38 gallon with light natural gravel over black substrate with a few small driftwood pieces. Using a fluval 304 filter with fluval charcoal/amonia remover and new sponges and bio spheres. I use small amounts of Sera Florena ferts, Prime and Stability for chemicals. Tank is 4 months old with 8 Angels, 4 Corydoras, 5 Harlequin Rasboras, 2 Black Skirt Tetras, 3 Kuhli Loaches, 2 Common Plecos. All fish started off as babbies so they aren't that big yet. They are all under 8 months old. I am using a 36" coralife T5 with a 6700K coralife bulb and a colourmax coralife bulb. The colourmax is a purple bulb which I think I want out of there and was thinking of going to a sunglo bulb of some sort. The 6700k bulb kinda looks a bit green at the ends so I cleaned it. No change on how the tank looks and the green really didn't come off. It is only at the very ends about 1/4".
Any suggestions of what bulbs are good for a bright tank. I want to make the tank brighter and maybe that will get rid of the green tinge. No it's not algea that is causing it. It's been like this since brand new with the original single bulb florecent light. That's why I changed the light to the coralife, I figured to start with lighting and go from there. I have added a picture but it isn't that great. 
Any suggestions on the bulbs and where to get them would be apreciated. Or if it isn't lighting causing it then WHAT IS?

Mike


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## Rajan (Apr 21, 2010)

a uv sterlizer will solve your problem


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Is your water greenish (murky/tinged)? It doesn't appear to be. 

It looks like the bulbs are producing a lot of yellow light. This is often the case with poorer quality bulbs. I believe the Sun-Glo also gives you this yellow effect. I swear by Geissemann bulbs. On a 2 bulb fixture, I would use 1-6000K Daylight and 1-Aquaflora bulb to recreate a less yellow effect. You can also use an Aquablue+ in lieu of the Aquaflora (which is a 14000K bulb with good results). Geissemann bulbs have a lot of red in them which many other manufacturers lack.

Hopefully that helps,

Stuart


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## j2daff (Apr 21, 2010)

it's hard to tell from thee picture but I would think this is due to an algae bloom. I would take a small fish bag full of water and try to see if it has a yellow/green tint to it with out your tank lights. If it does it's algae. 

This algae will not harm your fish and unless you have build up on your plants it will not effect them either so if the look does not bug you just leave it.

There are a number of ways to get rid of it but the most effective would probably be a uv sterilizer as mentioned above. Looking at your sig this is probably in your 38g or 20g so you could go with a simple in tank unit like the "green killing machine" would work best. I added one to a 33g of mine and it cleared it up in less then 2 days. There are also units you can hook up inline if you use a canister filter or you could use a power head to push the water through it. Just make sure the flow rate is slow enough for the uv to still be effective.

other ways to get rid of would be to reduce your photo period (not have your lights on as long). Some people even go to a complete black out for a day or two. 

I think you may be able to raise your salt level enough to get rid of it but this will harm your plants so I would not recommend it.

There are also chemicals you can get but I personally wouldn't use them. Not to say there is anything wrong with using them I just wouldn't.

Keep in mind though that unless you find a permanent solution the algae will come back. Using CO2 and a proper fert regiment may help you plants out compete the algae but it may be cheaper just to add the UV.

If it is the lights just making the tank water look yellow then try to see what type of light others are using that you like the look of and then switch once you know what you prefer.

Best of luck,

Jeff


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

Coralife colormax + 6700 doesn't give the yellow color. The color is caused by camera setting and or the fish tank cover. You can still see the blueish glow right near the fixture above the tank.


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Stuart, I think you are right. I pulled out some water and put it into a crystal clear container and the water was perfect. I believe it to be the bulbs causing the water to have that Yellow/Green tinge to it. I am going replace the bulbs and see what happens then. Like I said the tank has had this issue since the moment I set it up from new. My water paramaters are perfect and nothing in there has a ton of algea on it. Where do you get the Geissemann bulbs? I would like to try those out. Any recommendations on which ones to use? I want a bright tank.
Thanks to everyone for their responces. All are apreciated.

Mike


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

CRS Fan said:


> ...I swear by Geissemann bulbs. On a 2 bulb fixture, I would use 1-6000K Daylight and 1-Aquaflora bulb to recreate a less yellow effect. You can also use an Aquablue+ in lieu of the Aquaflora (which is a 14000K bulb with good results).


I buy mine at J&L Aquatics..



bentleytech said:


> Stuart, I think you are right.


Eric (EDGE) really knows his stuff, and if it is 'green water', a UV sterilizer is the best eradication method as mentioned in a previous post.

Respectfully,

Stuart


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

No doubt all of you know your stuff. As I am still considered a newby at this I will take all the advice I can get and soak it all up. If the lights don't fix this issue a UV sterilizer is my next purchase. Even though the bulbs are not far from the same price as a UV sterilizer I have to start there first and hope it works. Too many things on the go this year....wedding, house, family etc. I have been put on a strict fish budget. I can replace the bulbs one at a time 
Once again thanks for all the advice and help. I will update once I have replaced the bulbs. 

Mike


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

bentleytech said:


> No doubt all of you know your stuff. As I am still considered a newby at this I will take all the advice I can get and soak it all up. If the lights don't fix this issue a UV sterilizer is my next purchase. Even though the bulbs are not far from the same price as a UV sterilizer I have to start there first and hope it works. Too many things on the go this year....wedding, house, family etc. I have been put on a strict fish budget. I can replace the bulbs one at a time
> Once again thanks for all the advice and help. I will update once I have replaced the bulbs.
> 
> Mike


If you are doing the bulbs one at a time, I highly suggest getting the Aquaflora first (and then the 6000K Daylight).

Stuart


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

If you do plan on swapping out the bulb, replace the colormax first. That would be most likely culprit if the color is orange/yellow.

Have you tried removing the glass lid off the tank? Maybe the gravel is reflecting the light to create the greenish tinge?

ADD:

Here is the color spectrum for giesemann aquaflora

http://www.giesemann.de/64,2,,.html

here is the one for coralife 6700k and coloarmax
http://coralifeproducts.com/product/lamps/

theoretically, the color should be fairly similar. of course, there are exception as small peaks in certain spot can create a different color to the human eye.

Being bright to our eyes is not the same as being bright to the plants. If you want brightness to human eye, you want more green spectrum (550 nm) If you want high efficiency bulb for plants, you want blue and red spectrum such as the ones you have or giesemann bulb. Do you have HO T5 or just T5? Giesemann are HO T5.


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Edge, I have just standard T5 bulbs. I wish they were HO but they aren't. Can I put HO bulbs in a standard 36" coralife T5 fixture? I guess I really just want clean looking not necessarily bright to my eye. All my dads ( clown lover ) are clean and clear and that is all I have been trying to do but at the same time make it a good compromise between my liking and what is good for the plants.
I did take the glass off and tried that. No change. I put the original canopy on it with the original bulb and it is still yellow/green. The original bulb is also gone a purplish color and looks very similar to my colormax bulb. 
So after writing all the above I decided to look and test what I have. So I took the 6700K bulb out and left the colormax in. Was dim but no more yellow/green tinge. Tried just the 6700K by itself and tinge was back but way darker. Less light obviously. Then I swapped there positions and put the colormax to the back and the 6700K to the front and it seems better. Not bright/clear enough but better. I made sure everything was clean before and after. It's not perfect but better. I will change 1 bulb qt a time and get back to you again. Arggggg I just want a clean looking tank


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

At least you figured out what caused the green/yellow tinge. I am not 100% sure if you can put a HO T5 bulb in a NO T5 fixture. I know the other way around would create problems as the NO T5 bulbs cannot handle the excess heat generated by HO T5 fixture.

You can try a 10k bulb if you cannot locate a different bulb for NO T5. 

I am pretty sure you can get 6500k General electric NO T5 bulbs from Albrite lighting in port coquitlam. GE 6500k bulbs are more ghostly white/blue. They have less yellow/green spectrum.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

It looks like you are going to be very limited to the bulbs available. I would not put HO bulbs into a NO fixture (especially if you are going to use Geissemann bulbs). JMHO.

Stuart


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

I will try a 10K bulb or the GE bulb first as they are a bit cheaper. Next time I will go the HO assembly right from the start. Thanks so much for the help guys. I would go crazy and probably broke without the help. I will post once I get the bulb and let you know the results. 

Mike


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Well the lighting is working now. I have a gorgeous tank again. Two things helped. First I stuck my background on all the way with oil as I guess there was a green reflection coming from it and then I swapped the bulbs around and voila. Now my tank is perfectly clear with no yellow/green tinge to it.

Thanks for all the help and information.

Mike


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