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05-30-2005, 11:50 AM #1 (permalink)

Oleg Fighting green water. Simple cheap method.

Member
This method is free, it is natural (no chemicals). It is safe for fish and plants. It takes 5-8 days to
Join Date: Jun 2004 completely get rid of green water (GW). It removes the cause of GW and some other algae. You don't
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 42
need to stop dosing your fertilizer, you don't need to switch your lights off. You don't need to make any
iTrader Ratings: 0 extra water changes, just proceed with your regular ones. Sounds like an ideal method to fight GW,
maybe it is
:

The idea is taken from Russian aquarium forum at http://www.aqa.ru/forum/ and Wadim Lisovsky page at
http://lis.aqa.ru/

OK, the magic word is WILLOW!

Here is my experience of using the willow in my 90G tank.

I took few branches of willow tree. 1-2 years old branches 1/2 inch in diameter and 30-40 inches long will
work. I used smaller ones as I couldn't find that thick.
Put these branches into your tank and wait. In 3-5 days the willow will develop roots and water will start
to clear at that time. 2-3 more days and you get a crystal clear water! At that time you should remove the
willow or your plants will starve. That's all!

I think the willow can be also used for:

1. Fry tank.
2. Cichlid tank without plants.
3. For removing white bacterial cloudiness.
I haven't try these myself though. If anyone wants to try please let us know the result.

Here is my conversation with Nikolay during the experiment. And some pictures. Unfortunately I started
taking pictures only on day 6.

*****************

"I don't think that the willow is a magic thing - it just sucks nutrients like crazy.
Nikolay"

"Sure, no magic. By my understanding the willow and some other trees consume NH3/NH4 (a major
algae's food) much faster than aquatic plants. That helps to combat the cause of any algae bloom.
I have a UV sterilizer, I used it few times to combat GW, it helped. But I don't like that bacterial
equilibrium blows up along with GW.
Well... I'll see in a few days if the willow really helps
On a side note, I add nitrates and phosphates to my tanks and it never entails a GW bloom. This particular
tank was nitrate limited (0 reading of NO3), I think that shifted the balance.
Oleg"

"BGA is an algae that is closer to a bacteria. It is thought to develop as a result of low Nitrate. If that is
true then maybe it makes sense to say that you and I may have bacterial bloom because my tank was
very very low on Nitrate too.
In any case I am very frustrated that after using a big diatom, flocculant, UV, and blackouts that bacteria
didn't even go away a little.
If the willow is indeed an ammonia sucking champion absorbing the smallest amount of ammonia as soon
as it's released then I'm inclined to say that that is a great tool to use in the fight against algae.
But from what I read you need certain branches, not just any branch, right?
Nikolay"

"This morning I noticed a few new roots on some branches. And there is much less GW now!
Oleg"

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10/1/2017 Fighting green water. Simple cheap method. - Algae - Aquatic Plant Central
"Very nice pictures. Keep taking pictures every day. That will make a great post and maybe an interesting
discussion on APC and on Aquaria.ru too.
Nikolay"

"There are more roots this morning. And I can see the background pretty good. Note that this tank is
56cm wide.
Oleg"

"This is clearing up very very well. I wonder if these results can be repeated.
What about the white stuff that we think it's bacteria? Can you still see it?
Nikolay"

"Unfortunately I can still see that white stuff. Or maybe it is just a dolomite powder I added recently (it is
a very fine powder).
Oleg"

"Do you mean diatom powder?

"Once I got some diatom powder that was too fine and the diatom filter couldn't run - the powder formed
an impenetrable layer. But it never polluted the water.
Nikolay"

"Here is a picture I took this morning. The water is completely clear. I moved the willow branches to
another corner of the tank and I will remove them from the tank in few days.
>Do you mean diatom powder?
No, I meant "dolomite". I use it sometimes to increase carbonate hardness (KH). It dissolves very slow. It
also helps shrimps and snails - many times I saw them ate dolomite. You can read about dolomite here:
http://webmineral.com/data/Dolomite.shtml
The dolomite I use is in a form of a very fine powder so it actually clouds the water.
By the way I see neither white nor green cloudiness anymore.
I am very happy with the result. I encourage you to try the "willow method" if you ever get GW.
I believe it also can be used in a breading tank when fry actively feeding. Also I think it can be very useful
in a cichlid tank.
Oleg"

"Please before you do anything else check the N and P of the tank water.
Nikolay"

"Nikolay, I am adding CaNO3 and KH2PO4 daily. So probably it will not tell us much if I check N and P
now. What do you think?
Oleg"

"Tom Barr has been saying lately that Ammonia in very low levels is the cause of algae, not the excess of
any other nutrient. Maybe the willow sucks Ammonia like nothing else in the world. We don't know if
Ammonia causes the green water, but obviously adding NO3 and PO4 doesn't help it stay.
If Tom is right, and if the willow removes the small amounts of NH4 before they can cause algae, maybe it
is logical to keep it in the tank at all times and at the same time to fertilize with NO3 and PO4 to feed the
plants. I wonder if that could work in an extended period of time.
It sounds like the perfect filter - instead of bacteria convertinga Ammonia to NO2 and NO3 the willow
removes the Ammonia very agressively, before anyone can use it. No accumulation of NO3 in the water!!!
Your results are very very interesting! Please post them on APC.
Nikolay"

">You have been adding NO3 and PO4 every day while trying to clean the green water?
Yes.
>Tom Barr has been saying lately that Ammonia in very low levels is the cause of algae, not the excess of
any other nutrient.
I agree. Limiting plants in any nutrient plus raising ammonia level plus strong light = GW
>If Tom is right, and if the willow removes the small amounts of NH4 before they can cause algae, maybe
it is logical to keep it in the tank at all times and at the same time to fertilize with NO3 and PO4 to feed
the plants.
It seems to me that the willow consumes nutrients so quickly that it would be a waste to keep it with
plants all the time.
I would try to keep it in a fry tank and in a cichlid tank.
Oleg"
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06-01-2005, 04:02 PM #2 (permalink)

Lissette
Member
If this information is true, God Bless you.

I've been dealing with GW for more than a week. I've tried water changes of up to 80% in my 29 Gal.
tank (twice a week), but the water immediately turns green again. It's very frustrating. First it was BGA
(which lasted more than 2 months), and now it's GW. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired. I would love to see
Join Date: Mar 2005
a crystal clear tank with healthy plants and fish again, and do water changes just once a week like I used
Location: us to.
Posts: 63
iTrader Ratings: 4
iTrader Positive Rating: 100%
Currently, I'm giving my tank a 3 day blackout just to see if it gets rid of it, but if it doesn't, I'll definitely
try this out. Judging from your pictures, it worked for you. I just hope that it will work for me and many
: other people who seem to be experiencing this problem.

Lissette

06-02-2005, 09:28 AM #3 (permalink)

Simpte 27
Senior Member
Waterchanges only prolonged my greenwater. A 4 day blackout resulted in crystal clear water.

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Dayton, Ohio
Posts: 924
iTrader Ratings: 2
iTrader Positive Rating: 100%

06-02-2005, 11:52 AM #4 (permalink)

Lissette
Member
I hope that it works. I'm a bit skeptical because I've read positive and negative feedback regarding
blackouts for GW. So I'm just praying that when I uncover my tank on Saturday, that the water is clear.

Otherwise, I'm off to find a Willow tree.

Join Date: Mar 2005

Lissette
Location: us
Posts: 63
iTrader Ratings: 4
iTrader Positive Rating: 100%

06-03-2005, 05:21 AM #5 (permalink)

Simpte 27
Senior Member
A few leaves on some of my plants (Cabomba, B Carolina, L. Repens, Parrotfeather) died off, but I'm
thinking those leaves wern't healthy anyway. The plants themselves seem fine.

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Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Dayton, Ohio
Posts: 924
iTrader Ratings: 2
iTrader Positive Rating: 100%

06-04-2005, 11:25 AM #6 (permalink)

Lissette
Member
Yippe! No more gw! You were right, a blackout did wonders for my tank. What a joy to see the water clear
again. My fish actually winked at me today .

Lissette

Join Date: Mar 2005

Location: us
Posts: 63
iTrader Ratings: 4
iTrader Positive Rating: 100%

08-20-2005, 08:13 PM #7 (permalink)

Oleg
Member
hm... I actually expected more interest in this post. Well... anyone else tried willow to combat GW?
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 42
iTrader Ratings: 0

08-21-2005, 10:15 AM #8 (permalink)

shalu
Senior Member
I just used the willow method a few weeks ago, worked like a charm(coupled with better mechanical
filtration with polyester stuffed in filter). Water is now unbelievably clear. I actually upgraded my lighting
to very high levels during my willow treatment, did not make it worse.

Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 323
iTrader Ratings: 0
My willow branches(very thin new growth from my backyard pond) did not do anyting during the first
week, just dropped the emersed grown leaves. But they started to grow roots like crazy after the first
week and the water cleared up within a week.
Last edited by shalu; 08-21-2005 at 10:19 AM..

08-21-2005, 06:20 PM #9 (permalink)

fishyface
Senior Member
Quote:

Originally Posted by shalu

My willow branches(very thin new growth from my backyard pond) did not do anyting during the
first week, just dropped the emersed grown leaves. But they started to grow roots like crazy after
the first week and the water cleared up within a week.

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: Surrey BC blackout clears green water in 2-3 days...
Posts: 180
iTrader Ratings: 0

08-21-2005, 07:06 PM #10 (permalink)

arellanon
Member
I'll definately keep this Willow technique in mind if ever needed. The movie is cool too! =)

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Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 98
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