Well, recently my water has started turning green, i do 50% water changes once a week. I used to have some real plants but have just recently taken them out because they collect too much algae and look bad. This is when my water started turning green. I have no idea what to do! Even after i do a water change my water is still green. DOes anyone have any suggestions as to how i can get my water clear again?

I have only one aquarium, 30g hexagonal that is terribly over crowed with fish and by all rights the water should be green but there is a fully cycled biological filter on the tank(ammonia, nitrites and nitrates all stay at 0) and I can't remember the water ever being green. Some times it looks green because I've failed to clean the algae off the glass. I don't do excessive water changes; 5g at a time a couple of times a week. You didn't say how large your tank is or if you have a filter. Milo

do you have any filtration in your tank

hook a UV sterilizer up. it will clear the problem in a day. also keep the other biological nasties from affecting your fish. makes for a really clean environment.

i have 2 filters, one top fin 10 and one penguin biowheel.... this is on a 10 gallon tank... i have 2 fish in there (getting a nice big tank soon)

cant really afford a UV sterilizer

How many fish do you have? What size is your tank?

There are several things you can do to get rid of green water.

1) Increase frequency and volume of water changes (you're already doing this)
2) Place tank away from direct sunlight or reduce periods with tank lights on
3) Reduce amount and freq of feeding (you might be overstocked)
4) Use a phosphate adsorbing media such as Phosban from Hagen (works great)
5) Instal UV sterilizer (expensive)
6) Add fast growing plants such as Hornwort
7) use algae removing chemicals (I don't recommend this)

I had the same problem while back with a 10G tank I had while I was waiting for my 30G. I had a very large goldie in there and he was such a dirty guy that even if I emptied the tank and rinsed the rocks, the water was green in a week again. I could never fix the problem no matter what. Now with my 30G I have no problems.

My guess is when you took the plants out the algae had no competition for light and oxygen so they multiplied quickly plants are really life savers

Pondcomet, that's what i'm thinking too, i wasnt happy with the plants cuz they were getting "some" algae on it and not looking that great, but i can barely see the back of my tank so i'm gonna have to go get some more soon,. WOOPS!

But yes, i am overstocked i have 2 goldies in a 10 gallon and they eat a LOT, (never constipated though) Im getting them a nice 50gallon bowfront as soon as i move (before december) so i have a few months left

thx everyone for advice, i guess i'll have to get more plants