Stupid question: Green water

[J-P]

ok ... I've been taught that green water is healthy for the general life cycle of the fish because zooplankton feed on this, larger stuff eats the zooplankton, and the fish eat the larger stuff (learned this from raising bass in pea soup green waters with a lime / sand substrate)

I understand that in aquariums we want pristine water ... but isn`t in a way good for our fish?

just a theroetical question thrown out there..

[robert_hollis]

I could be way off here, but I always understood that pea soup is fine (not detrimental), but not what you want for aesthetic reasons. Usually a result in pond during the summer due to higher temp and more sun. That's why I run a UV filter on my pond. Keeps it crystal!

-Rob

[J-P]

we had testing equipment .. this black and white disk.. If you could see the disk beyond a certain depth, it was time to fertalize the pond, usually with bags of lime.

[j_wishbone]

does the green water affect the water parameters?

if it doesnt.. then I guess whatever suits?

[J-P]

no it doesn't really. the green is supposed to be floating zooplankton that have fed off the alge spores (according to Ray Scott's Great Small Waters").

[j_wishbone]

ohhh ok

so in theory fish can live of it?

obviously wont give them the proper nutrition that they require....

[RTR]

Nutrients + light = algae.

In shallow water (most tanks), the algae may be either green water (floating or actively mobile photosynthetic organisms) or attached and filamentous algae. In ponds the green water is likely first, but the filamentous algae are likely to move in later. In tanks it cn be either or both at any time.

If you want a natural growth chain, you really need refugia - a green water tank, followed my a mico-algae consumer tank followwed by.a tank for predators of that first veggie eater and one edible by the target fish. Within the cinfines of most tanks, there is little chance of a full cycle development, and eve a stable staged refugia system is hard to balance.

Also in tank green water is a potential hazard. If it outgrows its nutrients, it may "crash" = all die at about the same time. That can rob the tank of enough oxygen to suffocate the fish. Take care in killing off green water.

As for display tanks, i set mine to view either the plants or the fish, and whenever possible, both of those. I have cultivated some algae, but itis not very high on my display tank wish list, Unless it is SW alage - there are some really attractive things there..