Clear Tank Why Not Mine??? HELP

[Ba19Ma88]

I am running a shallow sand bed (1 inch at max) as for flow I have a Tunze and a Mag 18 I have about 90-100lbs of rock in the tank breaks the flow pretty good.

I use a filter sock on my return from the tank to the sump which has about another 30lbs of LR rubble.

My water is never crystal clear like half of the tanks I have seen or been to people's house's to pick stuff up. I do not run any filter other than the live rock and a skimmer. I use to run a canister filter on my old 46 with crushed coral DSP (can we say Nitrates!!!) and when I set the new tank up I got rid of it as well as the coral bed and no have Southdown.

The tank has been running for over 6 months so no sandstorms (i.e. new sand new tank) just not clear water.

Should I go back to the canister with filter floss???


What do you run/use to make your tanks so clear?
Bruce

 

[Kevin McG]

I have the same problem/issues and it drives me NUTS! I constantly have small sand particals floating in my tank.
I want a crystal clear tank too

 

[Ba19Ma88]

I am also sick of using a power head to remove all the junk that gets into/on top of the rock. I am thinking of going to plastic fish and fake corals

:-(

But really any tips you pros can give would be greatly appreciated

 

[gurumasta]

I am also sick of using a power head to remove all the junk that gets into/on top of the rock. I am thinking of going to plastic fish and fake corals

:-(

But really any tips you pros can give would be greatly appreciated

im certainly no pro, but do you have any sand in your sump leftover from the last sandstorm? i know when ever i get sand in my sump from a powerhead falling or any other cause my tank isnt clear again until i remove it all through water changes.

 

[smcnally]

I have a hard time keeping sand at bay too. I pulled my eductor out to give a more gentle flow to my tank. I'm tired of sand all over everything. I think the key would be to get the nozzles down low pointing upward. Also, I started running carbon again, and holy crap...I never realized after all this time how yellow my water was getting. It is so clear right now.

 

[BigSmokeShowJOE]

sorry i dont have that problem !!

 

[me2003]

I used to run a magnum pro with a Micron filter, when I wanted the water to look crystal clear. Filter floss or most canisters will not make the water clear.
Activated charcoal and a micron filter will. You do not run them constantly.
Just a couple of days before you show your tank to others.

 

[me2003]

" power head to remove all the junk that gets into/on top of the rock"

Another way to get clearer water is to use rigid tubing to syphon out
this material while changing some water. The tubing is about the size
of airline tubing and connected to airline tubing, so you only remove
a gallon or two to vacuum all the rock area.
If you use a power head run a micron filter at the same time.
Over time the smaller particles that are not removed by protein
skimming and not caught in a filter sock will be reduced.

 

[smcnally]

Activated charcoal and a micron filter will. You do not run them constantly.
Just a couple of days before you show your tank to others.

That differs depending on who you talk to. There are guys with very successful tanks over at RC that say they run charcoal all the time. I don't know which theory I believe fully though.

 

[wrassefan]

carbon...24/7....change it every 3weeks...

 

[ReeferMedic]

carbon...24/7....change it every 3weeks...

Ditto.......

 

[JayG]

Is it sand particles floating around in your tank or could it possibily be microbubbles?

I'm currently having microbubble problems and it's driving me nuts.

 

[Michael Mota]

I also run carbon 24/7, one cup changed every three weeks. Keeps the water crystal clear and no side effects that I can see.

 

[Ba19Ma88]

Nope not microbubbles and I cannot even tell really if sand particles

 

[G.T]

tank

Running without chemical filtration will make the water go eventually yellow. This can be sorted with carbon and or a polyfilter or a nice bit of ozone

 

[Triggerfish]

carbon here as well... about 3 lbs in sump..changed monthly.
mechanical is couple pre-filter flosses(soon to be removed) and sump filter media.

 

[Kevin McG]

You guys might think I am going crazy but I was having a problem with looked like bleaching coroline on the sides of the tank so for kicks I removed the carbon cause that was the only thing I thought was causing it as all my parameters were spot on.
Since I removed the carbon the bleaching is turning pink again. i am going to add some more carbon this weekend and see if the bleaching comes back.

I might be crazt though

 

[wrassefan]

You guys might think I am going crazy but I was having a problem with looked like bleaching coroline on the sides of the tank so for kicks I removed the carbon cause that was the only thing I thought was causing it as all my parameters were spot on.
Since I removed the carbon the bleaching is turning pink again. i am going to add some more carbon this weekend and see if the bleaching comes back.

I might be crazt though

Kevin, could it be that the high lights are bleaching out the coraline and when you don't run carbon, it is murky...reducing the light penetration...thus lowing the light into a more favorable environment to grow coraline??? ...otherwise, your just crazy

 

[ReeferMedic]

Kevin, could it be that the high lights are bleaching out the coraline and when you don't run carbon, it is murky...reducing the light penetration...thus lowing the light into a more favorable environment to grow coraline??? ...otherwise, your just crazy

That was my first thought also.......

 

[Kevin McG]

Kevin, could it be that the high lights are bleaching out the coraline and when you don't run carbon, it is murky...reducing the light penetration...thus lowing the light into a more favorable environment to grow coraline??? ...otherwise, your just crazy

High lights? not sure what you mean. I have my light about 10" off the waters surface.