Yellowing water in the aquarium: causes and actions.

Water in the aquarium should be clean and practically transparent – this is an axiom. A drastic change in the color of the liquid indicates a change in its parameters, and therefore a negative impact on aquatic life and vegetation. We wrote about the turbidity of the aquarium environment in one of the articles of our blog, today we will talk about why the water in the aquarium yellow and how to cope with this problem.

Why does aquarium water turn yellow?

The water in the tank does not change color for nothing. If it turns green, it is assumed that a large amount of algae has accumulated in it. And what is associated with the appearance of a yellow hue? The main reason is the accumulation of waste and other substances.

Poor quality fish food

The food in the form of flakes has different colors – red, yellow, orange. Unfortunately, not all fish food is of high quality. Sometimes it uses food coloring, which when in contact with the liquid gives it a yellowish tint.

Overfeeding of fish

This is the most common cause, leading not only to a change in the color of the liquid, but also to a number of other problems. Food residues sink to the bottom, decompose and if not removed in time, negatively affect the aquatic environment and its inhabitants. In addition, not all food is easily digested by fish, some low-quality products they refuse, which leads to the accumulation of large amounts of waste at the bottom of the container.

Decomposed matter

Dissolved organic carbon appears after the death and decomposition of fish, snails or plants. Once the substances have reached a certain degree, they dissolve in the water, giving it a yellowish color. This changes the composition of the water and its quality, which is bad for the health of swimming pets.

Rotting of aquarium plants

Lack of important micro- and macronutrients, poor light conditions, deteriorating water parameters and poor-quality soil lead to diseases and death of plants. Because of this, the water in the aquarium turns yellow.

Decorative elements

Many trees contain a compound such as tannin and humic acids. Being in the water, the substance is released from driftwood that is used as decoration in the aquarium, which leads to a change in the color of the aquatic environment, but without harming aquatic life.

However, the scariest of all is the use of low-quality artificial decorations, which can not only affect the color of the water, but can also be toxic to aquarium fish.

Problems with the filtration system

Overabundance of waste and organic matter as a result of filter failure or untimely cleaning, lead to a change in the color of aquarium water to yellow. This process is not limited to color change, but also has a bad effect on aquatic inhabitants, leading to their diseases and even death.

Lighting problems

Lack of light, as well as excessive light, leads to serious problems. In the first case (together with a lack of oxygen) can occur bacterial “outbreak” in the form of turbidity of the water and the appearance of an unpleasant odor. In the second – there is an active reproduction of algae, giving the water a yellowish-greenish color.

Improper care

If the aquarium water is not changed regularly, do not siphon the soil in a timely manner and clean the plaque from the glass, it will turn yellow. This is due to an increase in the concentration of harmful substances.

Some fish treatments can affect the transparency and color of the aquatic environment.

Assess the state of the water should not be in the tank, but in a separate container made of plastic or glass. The fact is that it may actually be transparent, while its shade is affected by the color of wallpaper on the walls behind the aquarium, plaque on its glass or lamps that give such an effect. If in a separate tank the color of the water will still be yellow, then you can start to find out the causes and solve the problem.

What to do if the water in the aquarium has turned yellow?

Once the cause of the yellow coloration of the water has been determined, you can begin to take action:

• If the water is colored by low-quality food, it is better to think about replacing it. Quality food should be bought only in trusted places. It is preferable to choose feed from well-known brands or ask for quality certificates for new products. To solve the problem as soon as possible, the water in the tank is replaced not by a third, but once for 50%, and inside the filter put a special aquarium activated carbon for 10 days, after which it can be removed or replaced if necessary for a new one.
• If the fish are overfed, the diet is reduced to the required amount, monitoring the improvement in water quality and the condition of the living creatures. On average, a fish should eat food for no longer than 2 minutes. In the case of severe pollution of the tank, when aquatic inhabitants even begin to experience a lack of oxygen, resort to a large change of water, almost to half of the aquarium, connect the compressor and strengthen if possible biological filtration.
• Aquarium plants need to be cared for in the same way as aquatic life. Feed them with special fertilizers, adjust the lighting system and monitor the length of the daylight hours. If there is a lot of vegetation, you can get a scavenger fish and some species of snails, which will eat rotting parts of plants.
• Dead fish and plant parts must be removed from the aquarium in good time. For this purpose, it is sufficient to carefully inspect the tank once a day.
• For the aquarium it is important to choose high-quality decorative elements, especially artificial, proven brands or with the appropriate certificates. As for snags, their predominant majority after a month ceases to color the water, so it is enough just to be a little patient or refuse to use them.
• Timely and correct cleaning of the filter, proper organization of lighting, control over the aquarium equipment and its serviceability – guarantee transparency and water quality.
• The water is changed weekly by one third of the volume, using water that is tempered and similar in temperature to the aquarium water.

Never use a kitchen sponge to clean the glass in your aquarium. It can shed, changing the color of the water and harming the health of aquatic life.

The emergency measures to correct a yellowing water problem in the event of a bacterial outbreak are as follows:

• Fish starve for 1-2 days.
• Reduce the daylight hours.
• Plant several fast-growing plants.
• Increase filtration.
• Use aquarium chemistry if necessary.

Depending on the problem, special water treatment products are used:

• Tetra Crystal Water – water turbidity conditioner
• TetraAqua AlguMin Plus – biological solution for algae control
• Tetra Algizit – a product to fight the most difficult to kill algae
• Tetra EasyBalance – conditioner for stabilizing pH and carbonate hardness
• TetraAqua Bactozym – preparation for establishing bioactivity in the aquarium

Sometimes the water in the aquarium turns yellow, but remains clear and the fish and vegetation are not affected. This happens in old established aquariums and does not require special manipulations, except for weekly water changes. In general, if you take care of your aquatic world in a timely and proper manner, the problem of discoloration can be avoided.