Enough filtration, water will not stay clear! HELPPP

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M

megan_mf

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 7, 2011
24
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Milwaukee, WI
I have a 120 gallon tank with 2 70 gallon aquaclear power filters, a 110 aquaclear power filter, a marineland c-220 canister filter and another canister filter that I cannot recall what it is off the top of my head at the moment (I am at work bored so I thought I would post, I will list what it is later :P), clearly more than enough filtration for the tank, I have a tiger shovelnose catfish, oscar, 5 parrots, 2 plecos and a couple goldfish in the tank. I have had this tank for about two years now and I love my fish to death, but for some reason I have had troubles with the water staying clear lately. I keep up with water changes and the fish are all healthy and the water perimeters are all fine and the tank is in the basement, I don't understand why the water keeps getting cloudy, it's like a milky green and I can still see the back of the tank it's just annoying. I would appreciate everyone's input on what may be causing this and all help is greatly appreciated. Help me!!!
 
Your water is nutrient rich from a bacteria or algae's point of view. They're much smaller than the holes in your mechanical filtration (unless you use a diatom filter) so your options are to change more water, less food, less light, and/or use UV.
 
I HAD a diatom filter that would be so handy right now but something possessed my mother to through it out, I guess it looked like a piece of junk anyway. I have tried leaving the lights off and I have been feeding them less, once a day. I have been looking into UV sterilizers, got any suggestions I'm trying to look for a cheaper one? I have a feeling its a bacteria or algae problem because the water is always a weird color not clear.
 
Well, I am looking in investing in a UV sterilizer, I believe this will solve my issue. Will it affect or hurt my plecos at all? They are pretty big plecos and I don't want them to starve or anything.
 
the filters are the same filters you can buy at your local big box store like home depot for house filtration.. they come in many different types.. some down to 1 micron
 
You have nine fish plus goldfish in a 120. How big are the fish? Tank could be overstocked. Seems like you have plenty of filtration. If your water is green, reduce the lighting on the tank. You may have to do larger water changes to keep the tank water clean. Big fish = big waste, especially plecos. They are poop machines.
 
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