# Crystal clear water



## NavemadaMan (Apr 28, 2011)

Hey what do you all do to get crystal clear water in your tanks? Tell me what techniques you use


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## maknwar (Feb 28, 2008)

Seachem purigen


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## Ceiji (Aug 5, 2010)

filter floss + seachem purigen


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

With good water flow and filtration your water will be clear. Don't over feed. Keep your bioload at a good level for your size tank. Keep your plants healthy and it all comes together! So easy!!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Ditto on Tex Gal's comments. I won't say that I have perfectly clear water all the time, but I'm close.

Check this discussion: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...club/75400-excited-word-about-filtration.html Based on that information I try to maintain good flow rates, and I've switched to 100% lava rock in my filters, with coarse sponges on the intakes. The sponges prevent the lava rock from becoming clogged with large particles, so the flow rate through the filters stays high and constant. I run both HOB and cannister filters this way.

But even the best filtration will not do the job unless light, plants, substrate and bioload are working well together.


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

my water is clear, but when i look through my peninsula tank out to a sunny window i notice a milky haze in the water - is that normal or something that can also be removed. i use all sponge media, purigen, and my well planted tank is long cycled.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

With proper biological filtration only you can get the water so clear that you will not be able to see it. The fish will look suspended in thin air. You can look through 6' of such water and still see nothing.

It's all about using the power of biofiltration. Mechanical/chemical/physical filtration is a crutch. And most people use it because of lack of knowledge.

--Nikolay


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## goldier (Feb 13, 2010)

Don't overfeed, good light, good bioload, good plant growth = crystal clear water for me, even without mechanical filtration. The plants are indeed great filters.


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## NavemadaMan (Apr 28, 2011)

Well my tank is well cycled with a bio-wheel as biological filtration along with marineland emperor filter cartridges which include activated carbon, and filter floss inside of a media basket.. And well, still cloudy. Here's a picture










I'm thinking of putting in a UV sterilizer into my tank, a powerhead, and some purigen...

But these cost a lot of money and I heard from some of you that as long as I have a proper hold on my biological filtration I'll have totally clear water. Bio filtration is super cheap or even free so I'd really like to know how to up it to make my water really clear. Soo then how do I increase my bio filtration?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...club/75400-excited-word-about-filtration.html

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...478-discussion-laminar-vs-turbulant-flow.html

Or if you are lazy and don't want to read:

Get a filter that has a volume of 10% of your tank volume. More if you can/want.
Have flow that is 10X the volume of your tank. 
Direct the flow in such a way that it forms a U - without any pumps shooting against that main flow. 
Use only Lava Rock as biomedia.
Do not rinse the filter in aquarium water every week or every month to "clean it". This disturbs it royally.
Shut off the CO2 at night. 
Do not let the pH drop below 6.7. 
Use only Seachem Prime or ChlorameX as dechlorinators.

All of the above have one single goal - to keep your biofilter in top shape.

What I just told linked you to and told you briefly is what the Japanese do (with a few common sense additons). You will not find that information summed up in one place anywhere else.

Does it work? You decide.

--Nikolay


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

Now that my problem is behind me with my 65 gal. I must agree completely with Nikolay and Texgal. All our tanks are generally crystal clear except that one recent exception which proved to be a gravel decomposition issue. The tank has been crystal clear (just like all our other tanks) since changing out the substrate I'm happy and relieved to say.

You need as much bio-capasity as possible, the more, the better. That must be your first priority. Secondly is good water circulation to ALL areas of your tanks. I also like aggressive mechanical filtration but that is merely an add-on. The very best thing is high volume bio-filters with easy flow through media and REEGULAR WEEKLY WATER CHANGES.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

NavemadaMan said:


> Well my tank is well cycled with a bio-wheel as biological filtration along with marineland emperor filter cartridges which include activated carbon, and filter floss inside of a media basket.. And well, still cloudy. Here's a picture
> 
> 
> 
> ...


YOU DO NOT HAVE A BIO-FILTER ON YOUR TANK. That filter you mention is a mechanical filter, not bio-filter. Bio-wheels do little if anythig in terms of a bio-load, just another gimmick in my experience. Do not add any more fish until you can get a bio-filter established but looks like you are off to a good start once you get that taken care of.

PS, loose the carbon.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Here, I found a motivational video for you. Japanese. Biofiltration only with Lava Rock only (as part of their meticulously developed system).

Pause at 1:05 and see what I mean by "clean water". You may want to sit down on a good chair before watching:


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

In the meantime Navemadman monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels very closely. Looks to me like you have a major ammonia spike going on, hence the grey cloud. I do not know how many fish you have in your aquarium, (I see guppies and what looks to be a member of the anostomous ((sp??)) family who may turn out to be too aggressive for your guppies) but you may need to carry out small daily water changes to avoid fish loss until you can stablize your tank with some sort of bio-filter. That cloud means your water is NOT SUITABLY SAFE FOR YOUR FISH.

Whether or not you use water pumps for returns and an over-flo box on a DIY bio-system or buy a filter, I am not sure where you got the idea bio-filters are cheap but they are the most vital part of aquarium keeping. Lava rock is a very effective media and many on this site use it with incredible results. As an additional plus, it is also one of the more affordable bio-medias out there. The Emperor 400 won't go to waste as it is a very good mechanical filter when it comes to trapping large particulate matter for like when you are working on your new tank.

Best Of Luck


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## Jeffww (May 25, 2010)

A fluval 305 and about a gallon of bio rings. Never use purigen, carbon or anything else. Perfect water. Spilled some ammonia in there before. Gone in a few hours. This is on a 20 gallon btw.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

AAAARRRRGH, I'd take a Marineland C-Series 360 over a Fluval any day in that same price range. Fluvals have too much bypass, something that is well documented. I found that my Fluvals harbored too much organics and needed frequent maint. It is a matter of preferrance I guess. The only thing I do like about Fluvals is that you can get spray bar attachments (around $20)instead of the outputs they are sold with.

What size did you say your tank was? In taking another look it appears to be a 30 gal. I thought it might be a 55 at first but not with an Emperor 400 mounted dead center.

Regarding bio media, I like the idea of lava rock personally considering you will be needing to go through the expense of buying a filter on a limited budget. If you do go with some type of noodles, make sure they are of a "rough texture" vs. smoother pieces (such as those made by Rena) that can be home to valueable nitrifying bacteria.

Another option is a Rena in that price same range. They come with an assortment of attachments including an easily adjustable spray bar for your output and water movement and have a much higher bio-capasity than a Fluval as does marineland. The two biggest consideration is bio-capasity when buying any filter. The thing I don't like about Renas is their deep, sharp corners in their media baskets. Those corners make for the potential for possible hidden dead spots. I ended up buying sponges made for Fluval FX5s (as I could not find block sponges) and cut them down and used the sponges as my bio-media to be sure to avoid possible dead spots. Fluval also sells block sponges for their Aqua Clear power fillters if you really need to go the sponge route. Just be sure any sponge you may choose is "aquarium safe". That is about the cheapest, most effective bio-filter media you can get if you are really that strapped after buying your new filter but personally I'd go the extra SHORT distance and go with the lava rock because of it's super rough texture that is a huge haven for colonizing beneficial bacteria (as is a sponge). Whatever you use, remember never to wash your bio-media off in tap water. ALWAYS USE ESTABLISHED WATER FROM YOUR AQUARIUM if you do need to rinse.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

I've got a TEMPORARY idea which may help until you are ready. You've got a whole lot of power filter on that little tank, too much so for guppies, too much so period (400gph). No problem with water circulation on your tank! LOL 

What you can do for now however is use sponges in those duel wells in your Emperor until you can save enough to buy a real bio-filter. It is NOT the end-all solution but will boost the filter's bio-capasity a lot. Sponges that fit the Fluval FX5 should fit in those wells really nicely once cut down properly to fit securely allowing for no bypass. Just be sure to flip the sponges (weekly or so) top to bottom so you do not get dead spots down deep in those wells or build-up up top. Again, always rinse your sponges in used aquarium water when you do your weekly water change or when necessary.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Eheim substrate pro media, ceramic rings, filter floss, Purigen, and a bunch of aquatic plants makes my tanks clear.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

Yea, definately the way (and all we run in our active bio-filters "GO EHEIM") but something tells me this new aquarium owner can't afford $30 a litre for Efhastrat Pro at the moment!!!!! Trying to give cheaper options until he can do his research and also check out the U-Tube video Niko suggested. I like that title for the new tank of the month, Trial and Error, "AINT THAT THE TRUTH"


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## Jeffww (May 25, 2010)

The best budget biofilter out there is cut up weed whacker line. It's what ponders use a lot....Get the kinds with ridges.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Yeah what Jeff said. You can also use plastic hair curlers or plastic scrub dish pads. They all work, no kidding. It's all about surface area.

But for me and some other folk being cheap is what drags this hobby down. Before you decide you may want to look at this thread:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/water-bucket/78221-money-hobby-4.html#post591351


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

eheim filter with lava rock, good lighting, and healthy plants with doing regular. maintence.. wipe the bulbs if they are dirty, pull out plants that are growing... don't over feed... also use good fertalizer.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

Wow, interesting points made on the overnight last night. Cut up weed Whacker line, curlers, creative suggestions for Navemadman to ponder. I just mentioned sponges because I know they work in the Emperors as I did that set up for my sister who was redoing a client's of her's tank as a birthday present. He had the same problem as Navemadman, no bio-filter (and too cheap to buy one), so I know that trick did work for this guy but he had a small bio-load on 55 gal. tank.

I did emphasize this was only a TEMPORARY fix to help his fish. In another post on another thread, I mentioned, you get what you pay for. By all means, get the biggest and best you can afford.

I don't use our big Renas as bio-filters but as 450 gph mechanical filters which are washed out weekly on our basement installed 100 gal marine sump since the sump catches everything from the reef itself, the the frag tank and the refugium, it all goes into a central sump system and the Renas are on the job there. Sponges work very well in them because of those deep corners and sponges are very easy to clean. The live rock is th bio-filter on our reef.

As far as our planted tanks go, all but one tank (5 out of 6) have big Eheims and Efhastrat Pro. On the tank that doesn't, it has no fish yet and we use a Marineland C-360 for the time being as we do intend to add fish soon. It is well seeded and kept up on bio-feeding from our other tanks. It too will eventually become an Eheim wet/dry canister tank but we are coming off a long and lean winter. I have had no problem with the wet/dry canisters affecting our CO2 and I already have them on three of our planted aquariums. They actually retain the CO2 better than the big Eheim canisters. I like filters I don't have to maintain when I have this many tanks and still work and commute into Jersey daily.


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## NavemadaMan (Apr 28, 2011)

Okay so thanks to all of you for your input. And I actually have an Emperor 280 sorry for not specifying and my tank is a 29g. And what Ive done so far is I've looked for some rough rocks around my house, boiled them and stuck then in my tank. They're actually not bad looking at all. Also, the polyfil floss inside of my media basket, that could work as some form of bio media correct? And I had to remove the guppies because they weren't doing to well and gave them to a friend who will take care of them. So far the water has gotten a bit clearer, I believe on a count of the filter floss that I've left undisturbed for a couple weeks now. I also have no CO2 in my tank, could that be a problem? I mean, I only have normal output T5 lights so I didn't think I really needed it.. Although I might be wrong.. Seeing as how I don't have what you'd call flawless water quality. 

And when I finally do get the money to finally get a really bio filtration system, what would that entail?


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## NavemadaMan (Apr 28, 2011)

niko said:


> But for me and some other folk being cheap is what drags this hobby down.


I don't have tons of money, and I'd rather be able to be a part of this hobby instead of not being a part of it because I have to get fancy equipment. I feel like if there weren't all the people that do the DIY projects because they can't afford the pre made equipment, that would drag down the hobby even more. I love this hobby more than anything else in my life, honestly. But things cost a lot of money and most of the time the companies that make aquarium accesories are terribly overpricedjust to exploit a label that it can be used in the aquarium world when you can DIY something just the same or even better for a fraction of the cost. It's like those annoying folk that go out and buy designer clothing for an arm and a leg when you can buy the same clothes without the cut little label for wayy less. All I'm saying is I try to do my best with what I have and the innovative people are what make this hobby such a unique and fun one among so many other facets.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Being cheap positively drags the hobby down. Inovative people like the guy that started this thread bring some excitement with their cheap "innovations" but at the end if the day if you consider the way we see this hobby they drag it down too. It's now a "diy", "cheap" kind of entertainment.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...s/44053-tiny-super-efficient-co2-reactor.html

Most people involved in this hobby can spend much more money on it. But they don't want to because the hobby is viewed as "inexpensive". Or "cheap".

I'd like to hear how many people here have to work two or three jobs just to pay the bills + be left with nothing at the end of the month. Eat once a day buying the cheapest food. Have to go to work sick. A car repair puts them in a really bad situation.

I speak from experience. Even if you are living like that I assure you - you have a lot. In the US we have so much that it's all about how we see a product or a service. Or the planted aquarium hobby. As I've said before - we value more a nasty fast food hamburger ($7) than this tiny wildcaught fish ($4-5):

http://www.hexazona.com/images/miscellaneous/whatfish373.jpg

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=22743

Also look at the prices of plants here:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/sale-trade

What I dislike in the high prices for aquarium equipment in the US is that it is not high quality. Lack of knowledge + us having this view of the freshwater hobby being cheap keeps that going.

--Nikolay


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## Gumbie (Apr 18, 2011)

I believe we spend discretionary income on what we value more and what makes us feel good. Do you really need a 52” Samsung, cable service, a home theater system, a tattoo, Pepsi instead of generic cola? Some people would argue yes.

Some people just want to have a tank with some fish and plants, maybe a no fishing sign and a treasure chest that pops open. Walmart and Petco probably suit their needs just fine. DIY projects may enhance the experience. Their aquarium gives them pleasure and maybe their children will have fond memories of that tank. That’s a good thing.

Other people want to be an aquarist, and fully engage in an activity they can explore, invest in, and possibly help advance their hobby to a level of excellence.

I don’t think there’s a problem with both existing in the same realm. 

I will also add, in an attempt to keep this post relevant to the thread, that I do weekly water changes, don’t overfeed my fish, remove dead leaves quickly, and read everything I can about aquarium filtration.

By the way, I don’t think the analogy to designer clothing would apply; but, I would counter with a drug company’s expenditures on research and development of anti-anxiety medications. Some people buy the name brand, some people buy generic, and some people grow their own. I know there’s a difference in price, and probably in quality, not sure abouts end results.  

Okay, after giving this some thought, I believe there is a third group of people who have a lot of money, but are just too cheap to pay a reasonable price for a high quality product, or perhaps just think they can invent a better fish trap.

.


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