[Wet Thumb Forum]-Excessive Nutrients and GW

[imported_29gallonsteve]

I am working on a battle with GW and am looking forward on how to prevent it in the future.

I am keenly aware of all of the potential issues (i.e. lighting, high stocking levels, low plant levels, over dosing ferts...).

Is there a particular excessive nutrient that seems to cause GW? I know that it could be any combination of things, but if I am going to eliminate the need for any GW treatments in the future, I would like to figure this out ASAP.

The only solution I have at this point is to monitor my NO3, PO4 and the stem plants to determine what is missing (based on the tests and appearance of quickly-reacting hygros). So, in the beginning (assuming I have just done a massive water change and have removed the GW issue) instead of dosing for a potential lack of nutrients, should I be treating the symptoms only as they appear (K, Micro, Iron deficiencies)?

Thanks,
Steve

[imported_29gallonsteve]

I am working on a battle with GW and am looking forward on how to prevent it in the future.

I am keenly aware of all of the potential issues (i.e. lighting, high stocking levels, low plant levels, over dosing ferts...).

Is there a particular excessive nutrient that seems to cause GW? I know that it could be any combination of things, but if I am going to eliminate the need for any GW treatments in the future, I would like to figure this out ASAP.

The only solution I have at this point is to monitor my NO3, PO4 and the stem plants to determine what is missing (based on the tests and appearance of quickly-reacting hygros). So, in the beginning (assuming I have just done a massive water change and have removed the GW issue) instead of dosing for a potential lack of nutrients, should I be treating the symptoms only as they appear (K, Micro, Iron deficiencies)?

Thanks,
Steve

[Mortadelo]

I am sure it is not PO4. I fought GW for months till it went away by itself. a couple weeks after GW dissaperaed I intentionally added 10 ppm of PO4 (enema), nothing happened, the following week I added 20 ppm of PO4, still nothing...

I do not know what causes GW (some say it is a NH4 spike) but in my opinion high PO4 levels have nothing to do with it.

Regards.

My planted aquarium blog
http://www22.brinkster.com/aguaverde...los/diario.htm

[imported_29gallonsteve]

Mort,

You added 20 ppm of phosphate???

-Steve

[Roger Miller]

Tom Barr has claimed that an ammonia spike can trigger green water. If so then the green water stays even after the ammonia is gone.

The last time I had green water problems I correlated the problem to seasonal changes in ambient light. At that time I was keeping my tanks unfiltered, so low ammonia levels could have been part of the cause for the green water; a complete lack of mechanical filtration may also have contributed to the green water.


Roger Miller

[imported_29gallonsteve]

Roger,

About 2 weeks before my outbreak, I tried filterless...that may have surely helped with the outbreak...

Thanks,
Steve

[Mortadelo]

Yap!, 20 ppm of PO4.

Curiously a GW problem in the 250 gallon tank was fixed changing the filter. Prevously I used a canister filter for 100 gallon tanks, when replaced it with a bigger and more potent one the GW water went away, the tank is heavily stocked so the filter was not probably enough for the ammount of ammonia produced in the tank.

Saludos.

My planted aquarium blog
http://www22.brinkster.com/aguaverde...los/diario.htm

[superjohnny]

A UV sterilizer will fix a GW problem in about 24 hours.

Eh, what's another $100?

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Fish are the things that live with my plants.

[Roger Miller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Eh, what's another $100?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wouldn't it be better to fix the problem for free rather than spending $100 to fix a symptom while the problem remains?


Roger Miller

[superjohnny]

Sometimes, but I find it rewarding to just throw money at problems. They seem to work themselves out fine that way.

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Fish are the things that live with my plants.