First thoughts if your tank looked like this..

[Trevor]

well as the title says, picture tells all. what do you think the problem is?
Nothing has changed besides me putting in my diy skimmer back in a few days ago. other then that i've cut 2 hours off my lights to see if that will help
i haven't ran any tests yet as i have yet to have the time to. any thoughts are appreciated

 

[acrofragger]

in need of some gfo and to raise them lights i believe ,and if you have a glass cover take it off

 

[JohnK]

Is that film on the glass, or is the water itself geen? If it's green water, this is the one thing a UV sterilizer is actually useful for.

Oh wait, is that a water bottle in the tank? Is it there by chance to culture green water? That might explain a lot

 

[Trevor]

the lights have always been this height as it has legs, no glass covers, its the water itself, i can clean the glass as much as i want and it still looks exactly the same

 

[JohnK]

What's with the water bottle?

 

[Trevor]

thats part of my DIY skimmer >.<
Also i got 5 gals mixing up for a WC tomorrow

 

[JohnK]

OH, OK. Whatever the case, it looks to me like a free floating algae bloom. UV sterilizers are usually good for clearing that sort of thing up.

 

[Trevor]

so john would you suggest to just pull the skimmer out and just run it skimmerless for awhile and see if that helps. i had just put it in there a few days ago because i started to have a little algea bloom on the sand so i figured that would help some, also i stopped feeding my fish as much, actually they havent been fed in about a week because of the algea break out, this green water has happened in about 24-48 hours

 

[JohnK]

The skimmer probably has nothing to do with it. IIRC the rapid development of the problem ("24-48 hours") would be consistent with a green water/free floating algae bloom. You can wait and see if it passes on it's own. If it doesn't the only thing that I know of to deal with this is UV.

Maybe someone else with more info and or first hand experience will chime in?? I have not dealt with this problem personally, I've only read about it.....

 

[dannyp02908]

No experience with that in a saltwater tank, but that is exactly how I got in to saltwater. My last FW tank looked like that. Tried for a month to clear it including 100 percent water changes. I tore it down and used it as an excuse to go salt. First and only time I've had it happen.

 

[Moe_K]

I think I would do the following:

Big water change using RO/DI water
Run carbon in a hang on filter
Bite the bullet and get a real skimmer

 

[therra978]

run carbon somehow.

Get a cheap nano skimmer.

 

[frank180reef]

would doing all the above and then lights out and a blanket over the tank for 2-3 days be better?

 

[HuuTa]

If u need a hob filter or hob skimmer i have it that u can borrow.i am in cambridge mass

 

[stingythingy45]

If it's a bacterial or water bourne algae bloom water changes will have little effect,
What is the salinity of this tank?You really need to check the parameters.
As mentioned a UV sterilizer would work well.It's really the only time I would recommend using one on a SW tank.

 

[scjpll]

y not use a uv on a salt water tank. iv had one on my 90 from day 1

 

[JohnK]

y not use a uv on a salt water tank. iv had one on my 90 from day 1

Just that UV does very little to help a saltwater tank EXCEPT for fighting free floating algae problems - like this

 

[Trevor]

anyone have anyway to run a UV with no sump?
All i have is a HOB filter.
Tank has gotten WAY worse,
Can/Will this damage my corals/fish?

 

[Trevor]

Update with pics.

 

[Kungfukid]

I would do 30% water change every day until the water is clean & clear.