Algae Bloom & Sick Blue Diamonds

[Nick D.]

Hi all...

Clean out my 30gal on the weekend, and I think I cleaned out the filter pads to well... and now I have an algae bloom/ green water.

I did a 50% waterchange... and things are a bit better.

However, my 2 discus are turning dark, and shaking a bit... but appear to be eating and pooing normally.

I believe that an algae bloom is caused by an ammonia spike which makes a bit of sense because I cleaned my filter.

Do you have any suggestions on getting everything back to normal? And helping my discus in the meantime?

I am doing as many water changes as possible to keep the algae bloom at bay... and also keeping the lights off for the last 2 days

Thanks for your help!

Nick D

[Merrilyn]

Hi Nick, can you tell us your water parameters.

I need to know pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

And do another 50% water change immediately.

[leanne31]

How did you clean your filter pads you didnt do it with tap water did you.

Leanne

[Nick D.]

Hi..

My parameters are

NH3: 0ppm
N: 5ppm
P: 1ppm
K: 10pm
Traces: 1/4 tsp per week
GH: 25ppm
PH: 7.4
Temp: 84deg

Fully planted tank, with 4 cardinals, 5 Harlequin, 1 Clown Loach, Clown Pleco, Amano Shrimps

....I clean out my filter with tank water.. I just think I washed it out too well

Hope that helps.. I will do another 95% waterchange tonight for sure.

I should also say that I think the had parasites/ hex a few weeks back... second go around within a year.

Dosed Metro over a week in the display tank... totally killed all my plants and made a severe mess of my tank.. but that has been cleaned up in the last couple weeks.. fish doing better, eating & looking good until the algae bloom

Nick