Brew Green Water In A 2ft Tank Options

[sheringam]

Propose brew green water in 2ft tank project

1. 23.5" x 11.5" x 13" fiveplan brand tank
2. 51.81 litres of water (13.71 gallons of water), around 12.5" depth of water
3. 2ft DIY PL lights with 2 36W OSRAM tubes and e-ballast
4. Simple sponge filter to collect goldfish poos
5. Wooden air block for aeration
6. 2 4.5" to 6" ranchus

Is it possible to brew green water in 2ft tank rather than tub? I've all the equipment with me except the PL lights which I've yet to collect from a bro who help DIY PL lights. Will switch on the PL lights non-stop for 3-4 days or until the green water turn dark green?

[HappyBuddha]

hi all, 
 
i've been trying out green water since the start of dec 03. my set up is as follows.... 

This is a long reply.

I'm glad you documented your setup. It sounds just like my desktop green water tub except both my of PL lamps are 7000 Kelvin only (and I also turn on the 2nd one only on day 1 & 2).

At 10 inches water height, that's 94 litres. I feel that you're overcrowding the tank. The ammonia load may be way too high for the green water to process. The redness you're experiencing could be ammonia poisoning.

I'm amazed that your PL is able to cultivate green water when the depth it has to penetrate is massive 10 inches. But you mentioned you have installed a pump that circulate the water. That could be the reason why the PL is able to cultivate the algae; the pump actually brought them up to get light. Amazing discovery for me!

I would suggest shortening your water change interval from 1 week to 4-5 days max. This should keep the ammonia level low. By right with green water, the ammonia level should be nil but since you're overstocking the tank, at least try to keep it low. The best way is, of course, to reduce the stock load. Overcrowding clear water is bad (unless you know how to keep the water parameters in check). Overcrowding green water is suicidal.

I don't understand what you mean by the colour is starting to crack. But I notice the pH averages 7.7. That's like... clear water kind of pH. One benefit of green water is the pH will be high, typically mid 8 (some even claims theirs hit 10!) The high pH protects the slime coat, which in turn not only make the fish less susceptible to diseases but a healthy shine as well. Maybe you want to consider using more BS to boost your tank's pH (and hence kH)?