Dealing with Filtration Issues: How to Improve Water Quality?

[marinkitagawa]

Hello all,

I've been running my current setup for a while, but I'm struggling to keep the water crystal clear. I suspect my current filtration might not be adequate for my tank size.

Should I look into upgrading my filter media, or is a complete hardware upgrade necessary? I’d love to hear your suggestions on how to optimize my filtration for better results.

 

[phreeflow]

Water quality and water clarity are two different things. You could have high water quality, biologically and chemically, which can support life.
However, it could still look unpleasant with with small floating particles of debris, algae, etc.

There are plenty of lakes and rivers with lots of turbidity or tannins that have great water quality for fish. But if you want crystal clear water for better aesthetics, you can add more mechanical filtration to any of your filters and change them more frequently. There are different types of mechanical filtration to capture different particles sizes so you can stage them for best results

 

[HarleyK]

What filter are you using?
If it's a canister: try putting a sponge filter over the intake and rinse it weekly

 

[danotaylor]

So many factors that influence the answer/s to your question and you have given zero information.
Tank size
Inhabitants
Feeding regime
Water change schedule
Filter type
Without this info it is actually impossible to assist you efficiently

 

[triamond]

Clarity issues are usually caused by small suspended particles in the water. Assuming there is no sediment from rivers, clay from gravel, or clouding additives in fish food, these particles are likely biological in origin: bacteria, archaea, and protozoa.

There are two solutions:

1. Mechanical filtration — use a 1-micron filter, replaced every several hours as it clogs and restricts flow.
2. Increase biological filtration — provide enough surface area to reduce dissolved organic carbon (DOC), effectively starving microorganisms in the water. Add foam or K1 media (highly effective biomedia), and remove inefficient media that only occupies filter space, such as ceramic rings, Matrix, etc.

 

[eon aquatics]

Size of aquarium and type/size of filter.
You can try like one internal filter and one external, or bare bottom/no gravel.

 

[duanes]

A large part of filtrations effectiveness, has to do with maintenance.
I try to rinse mechanical media daily (or at least every other day) to keep gunk from building up in the mechanical media.

I notice if I allow a few days to go by without rinsing, particulate and turbidity color the water.
And at the same time as rinsing mechanical, I like to do every other day 30 -40 % water changes, that equal, about 100 % of the tans total volumm, once per week.
This keeps nitrate down, that can sometimes yellow the tank water color tint.

In most areas where I collect cichlids, nitrate levels are undetectable, so I try to base the nitrate levels in the tanks, to mimic nature
Natural river nitrates pic
below



Tank test below

 

[triamond]

Over the last five years I’ve only had to clean my filter once.
There was a 45 ppi sponge (used as a second stage after a 30 ppi sponge) which compressed during an overfeeding period (about 2× normal) when I had a 24-hour blackout; I then restarted the pump at full speed instead of the usual 30%. It happened after the sponge had been in the filter for a year.
Now there is just a 20 ppi first stage, followed by many 30 ppi sponges. Before using sponges I had static K1.
Drip water change system — no maintenance at all — and crystal-clear water.
The trick is to provide enough surface area for the gunk so the system is energy-limited, not surface-limited; and enough entry surface so the filter won’t clog before the wastes are broken down.
There is a slight yellow tint to the water, barely visible along the long axis — some dyes aren’t readily broken down by the filter. This can be treated with resins or activated carbon (which then makes the water slightly blue). But that requires maintenance.

I notice if I allow a few days to go by without rinsing, particulate and turbidity color the water.

I guess the surface area is too low, so the gunk becomes too thick and restricts flow. Some areas of the media become closed off and effectiveness drops.