Stubbornly cloudy water

KiiNGGiiNGER

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2013
361
3
33
Marietta, Ohio
I have had my 360 gallon aquarium set up for a about 5 months now and while I keep up on my weekly water changes and gravel cleanings my water never seems to be super clear. I have two power heads running on the tank now 1300 gph and 500 gph and my filtration is an overflow box that runs the water down to the filtration material in my 75 sump that. The sump pump is a mag drive 2400 gph pumps and even with all this my tank seems to consistently be partially cloudy, any ideas what I could to to help? Stock are a couple large SD, lg BGK, lots of syno catfish and many other small cichlids and catfish.
 

asteele.19

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 11, 2014
107
13
18
Michigan, United States
Could be a bacterial or algea bloom. How much water are you swapping out in your water changes? I would up the water changes to at least twice a week until the cloudiness dissapates. What filter media do you have in your sump?
 

KiiNGGiiNGER

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2013
361
3
33
Marietta, Ohio
about 40-50 gallons each time and i have just the basic filter material on top, layer of carbon and ammonia reducing infused pads then bags of carbon on the bottom.
 

xraycer

Arapaima
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2013
5,383
2,571
203
Southern NH USA
Water change is way too little. 40-50gal per week is only about 15%. I personally do 50% twice a week for all my tanks. I would recommend you do 50gal twice a week or 100+ gal once a week.....at the very minimum. Ditch the carbon, it is unnecessary and will only create more issues if you don't replace them often enough. I haven't used carbon since the '90s and my tanks are clear and non-stinky
 

Yoimbrian

Dovii
MFK Member
Feb 11, 2013
920
252
102
Twin cities
It could be your ammonia reducing infused pads. That kind of stuff is awful. If you have always been using them it's possible your tank has never properly cycled. If the pads suck up ammonia before the bio media can reduce it the bio media never grows and matures, then when the pad is exhausted the bio med is overloaded.

If you have a properly cycled system with adequate bio media you don't need ammonia scrubbers.


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KiZZLe

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 3, 2008
150
0
16
USA
I had that problem too until I upgraded my system. I started with 2 fx5 for my 300g, now added 4 aquatop cf500uv with 3 big ass wave maker and the best media I can find. Problem solved. I tested my new filtration for a couple of months without water changes, while feeding my monsters twice a day.... The water was still crystal clear.


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pops

Alligator Gar
MFK Member
Nov 24, 2013
6,247
3,304
188
WA
that's a bacteria bloom, either under filtered or cleaning your filters with tap water instead of old tank water or not adding water conditioner such as seachem safe before adding new water leaving your tank filters not cycled. water changes way low, but this not cause the bloom, just be crystal clear toxic toxic soup. thinking not cycled , or under filtered.
 

KiiNGGiiNGER

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2013
361
3
33
Marietta, Ohio
Thanks for all the suggestions guys I'll ditch the carbon and ammonia pads. I'll try to start doing larger water changes and look into a few other things that you suggested. My tank seemed to cycle initially a few weeks after being set up but since has reverted so hopefully something here will help.

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