# Floating Debris



## dominator (Dec 26, 2006)

I have recently set up my 75 gallon tank (2 months ago), and I still have fine particles floating throught the water which makes it appear hazy.

I have an Eheim canister filter with no carbon pad in it.

I have the following plants and fish in the tank:

PLANTS 

1 NYMPHAEA LOTUS (ZENKERI) 
1 CABOMBA CAROLINIANA 
1 CRINUM CALAMISTRATUM 
2 ALTERNANTHERA REINECKII "LILACINA" PURPLE 
2 MICROSORUM PTEROPUS 
1 CRYPTOCORYNE WENDTII "GREEN" 
2 HYGROPHILA CORYMBOSA "SIAMENSIS 53B" 
1 CRYPTOCORYNE PARVA 
8 LUDWIGIA REPENS 

FISH 

2 BOESEMAN'S RANIBOW 
1 TURQUOISE RAINBOW 
4 RED LINE TORPEDO BARB (ROSELINE SHARK) 
2 KOI ANGELFISH 
2 PLECO 
6 BLUE FLAME COLOMBIAN TETRA 
1 REDTAIL SHARK 
6 GREEN FIRE TETRA 
8 RUMMY NOSE TETRA 
6 CHERRY BARBS 
2 BLUE RAMS 
2 ACARICHTHYS HECKELII 

I currently do a 10% water change once a week (this will change to 25%).

No CO2 is added

Will a power head help?? do I have too many fish?? or can someone please tell me how to make the water cystal clear......


----------



## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

So this has been going on for two months? That is kind of interesting because usually these type of things settle out well before then. Have you tried a clarifier? Those are usually flocculant based and harmless to fish and plants at the label dosage.


----------



## dominator (Dec 26, 2006)

No I haven't tried a clarifier. 

Someone told me that maybe I had to many fish for the tank, I notice that the fish waste builds up pretty quick, that by midweek there are piles of waste on the gravel.

Also, the in-feed for the filter is at the bottom of the tank (24" deep), I was just wondering, would a power head do anything, or even adding carbon to my filter??


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Do you have driftwood or anything else in the tank that might be leaching something as well? Also, do you have a fine filter floss in the filter? 

A powerhead aimed somewhat towards the substrate will aid with settling debris and keep your surface vacuuming duties to a minimum.


----------



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Your Eheim should do an excellent job in keeping your tank water sparkling. From your description of piles of fish waste, I'd say you're overstocked.


----------



## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

My planted tank is (temporarily!) overstocked for a planted tank too.
I have a lot of debris building up on the sand too, but have always had this even when there were only 8 fish in it. The cause of this is my pair of Ancistrus chewing on the bogwood. I notice you have a couple of 'plecs' and they may be the cause of much of this.

Also the cichlids in my tank are responsible for putting some of this into suspension as they chew over the bottom, and i only have a couple of Nanochromis! Your Acarichthys (incredibly beautiful fish BTW!) and rams might be the other reason for suspended particles.

I reckon you could solve the problem though if you up the water changes (removing as much debirs as possible with a syphon) and add an extra, cheaper internal filter that you can run temporarily to remove the suspended debris. If you fill it with floss rather than the foam and then chuck that away after the cleaning it should help.

Long term though you might well have to cut your fish load a bit i'm afraid if things don't settle down.


----------

