Bio Home GOOD or BAD

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Tropical Joe

Tropical Joe

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 12, 2014
148
81
46
Queens NY
My 180 is not crystal clear. I am using 2- Eheim 1200 XL with Eheim pro media in one basket and bio home in another basket. I don't know if it is the filter media I am using or if these new Eheim pro 3's are not good. You know how there are Eheim people and there are Fluval people ? Well I am a Eheim person. But now I am having second thoughts. Anyone have experience with these Eheim's 1200 xl. They have two intakes and one return witch I am not crazy about ---just more tubing shown on the back on the tank. The water is cloudy--looks like it needs a UV or something to polish it like a Diatom. I think the water should be clear with out extra equipment. I am not running carbon and I do water changes once sometimes twice a week. Any ideas will be helpful.--------- Deep six the Eheim's or use different Media ???
 
Eheim pro and bio home are both just bio filters, you need mechanical. If you have the space a single ac110 with just foam pads would clear it up easily. If not you need foam in your canisters.
 
Tropical Joe said:
My 180 is not crystal clear. I am using 2- Eheim 1200 XL with Eheim pro media in one basket and bio home in another basket. I don't know if it is the filter media I am using or if these new Eheim pro 3's are not good. You know how there are Eheim people and there are Fluval people ? Well I am a Eheim person. But now I am having second thoughts. Anyone have experience with these Eheim's 1200 xl. They have two intakes and one return witch I am not crazy about ---just more tubing shown on the back on the tank. The water is cloudy--looks like it needs a UV or something to polish it like a Diatom. I think the water should be clear with out extra equipment. I am not running carbon and I do water changes once sometimes twice a week. Any ideas will be helpful.--------- Deep six the Eheim's or use different Media ???
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You're missing the mechanical/polish water filter pad, water clarity has nothing to do with Bio Media. If you have Mechanical filter pad and water still cloudy then you having bacteria bloom.
 
UV might be just what the doctor ordered. Free floating algae and bacteria blooms would explain the slightly cloudy water. A properly set up UV does wonders for water clarity.
 
I am not using a sponge. I am using a blue pre filter Eheim pad and some floss but no sponge. If you thick the sponge is the answer - what type of sponge ? where do I get it ? I heard of a company Swiss. Are they good ? Thanks Again
 
Tropical Joe said:
I am not using a sponge. I am using a blue pre filter Eheim pad and some floss but no sponge. If you thick the sponge is the answer - what type of sponge ? where do I get it ? I heard of a company Swiss. Are they good ? Thanks Again
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No, you're fine with that blue fine pre filter pad.
You're having bacteria bloom. How long did you setup your tank? I'm assuming your tank still in cycling phase, just do some water change and cut back lighting to avoid aglae bloom (green water). You can add UV but it's not require unless you gonna buy UV system for long term use, other than that do some water change (30%~50%) every few days or weekly until water clear up.
 
Tropical Joe said:
Tank was set up for 9 or 10 months. There is something definitely wrong.
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Time to get a test kit and monitor your water parameter and what did you do to your water recently to cause the water cloudy? Also, sudden increased of bio load will create a mini cycle in your tank too.
 
Do you have a pic so we can see how cloudy it is? People with "crystal clear" water are probably doing things like carbon, purigen and/or very fine pads that require a lot of maintenance or replacement. But "crystal clear" is a subjective term, so seeing it would help.
 
Tropical Joe said:
My 180 is not crystal clear. I am using 2- Eheim 1200 XL with Eheim pro media in one basket and bio home in another basket. I don't know if it is the filter media I am using or if these new Eheim pro 3's are not good. You know how there are Eheim people and there are Fluval people ? Well I am a Eheim person. But now I am having second thoughts. Anyone have experience with these Eheim's 1200 xl. They have two intakes and one return witch I am not crazy about ---just more tubing shown on the back on the tank. The water is cloudy--looks like it needs a UV or something to polish it like a Diatom. I think the water should be clear with out extra equipment. I am not running carbon and I do water changes once sometimes twice a week. Any ideas will be helpful.--------- Deep six the Eheim's or use different Media ???
Click to expand...
I definitely agree some type of carbon is needed.....it's annoying to replace it on canisters frequently, which iirc I think is why pops pops has stated every tank should have at least one HOB. I have a 75g w/ a Nat Geo PF70 and an Emperor 400, and I don't use any carbon in the canister, but it is very very easy to swap it out in the EMP.

adamsfishes said:
Do you have a pic so we can see how cloudy it is? People with "crystal clear" water are probably doing things like carbon, purigen and/or very fine pads that require a lot of maintenance or replacement. But "crystal clear" is a subjective term, so seeing it would help.
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I don't do anything special and my water is crystal clear.....just carbon, polishing /filter pad and some sponges, mainly and 60-80% WC once a week
 
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