Troubleshooting
Algae by type, cloudy and green water, plant melt, stalled cycles, and die-off: what causes each and the fix that holds. Most problems trace to three things, light, nutrients, and overfeeding, and these guides sort out which one you have.
All 11 guides
Algae on Aquarium Glass: Why It Keeps Coming Back
You wipe the front glass on Sunday and it hazes green by Wednesday. That is a light and nutrient signal, not a dirty tank. Here is what the film is telling you.
Brown Algae (Diatoms) in a New Tank: Why It Shows Up
Brown algae in a new tank is a diatom bloom, not a disease. It coats the glass and sand in a rust-brown film for a few weeks, then usually fades as the tank matures.
Green Aquarium Water: What Causes It and How to Clear It
Green aquarium water goes from clear to pea-soup in 2 to 3 days because it is billions of free-floating algae cells. A snail or a water change cannot touch it.
Green Spot Algae on Glass and Plants
Green spot algae is the one film a cloth will not wipe away: hard green discs on the glass and the oldest leaves. It tracks strong light more than dirty water.
High Ammonia: What to Do Right Now
Any ammonia reading above 0 ppm is an emergency. Here is what to do in the next hour, what not to touch, and why the tank spiked in the first place.
How to Get Rid of Aquarium Algae (by Type)
Every tank grows algae. The type tells you the cause: green film is a light problem, stringy algae a nutrient problem. Here is how to read it and fix it.
How to Get Rid of Black Beard Algae
Black beard algae grows in dark tufts on slow plants and equipment, and it means your CO2 is low or unstable. Scrubbing does not fix it; steadying the tank does.
Mold in a New Vivarium: Normal, and How to Handle It
White fuzz on the wood of a three-week-old vivarium is almost always a harmless mold bloom, not a failed build. Here is why it shows up and how the crew clears it.
Why Are My Aquarium Plants Melting?
You plant a new crypt and a week later it is transparent mush. Usually the roots are fine: the plant is shedding farm-grown leaves and rebuilding for your water.
Why Are My Shrimp Dying? Water, Molting, and Copper
Cherry shrimp usually die for three ordinary reasons: the water swung, it is too soft to molt in, or something added copper. All three are preventable.
Why Is My Aquarium Water Cloudy? The Three Causes
A new tank that clouds on day four is usually cycling, not failing. The color tells the cause: white is bacteria, grey is dust, green is algae.
From the compatibility database
Parameters pulled live from the compatibility database.
- fish · peaceful · intermediate
- Temp 72 to 79 F · pH 6 to 7.5
- Min 10 gal · adult 1.5 in
- shrimp · peaceful · beginner
- Temp 65 to 80 F · pH 6.5 to 7.5
- Min 10 gal · adult 2 in
- snail · peaceful · beginner
- Temp 72 to 82 F · pH 7 to 8.5
- Min 5 gal · adult 1 in
- mold control, detritus breakdown, frog food
- Eats: mold, fungus, decaying matter
- Temp 68 to 82 F
- adjustable planted-tank lighting
- light · $$
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