Floating debris be gone.

[Covetous]

Ok, so I recently did a remodel on one tank and switched from sand substrate to tile just to try something new. The biggest drawback that I have noticed is floating particles in my water. Be it, poop, minor food particles, algae I've cleaned, ECT ect. It's nothing super major but I don't like it. The sand captured alot of these things before and my water was much clearer.

The tank is a 135, 72x18x24 with two corner overflows into a 45 gallon sump. I use one large filter sock along with filter floss in each overflow. The return pumps is a Jabeo DCT8000. And inside the tank I have a
Hydor Koralia Evolution 1400-1500 powered.

I don't have any water parameter problems, simply this visual hickup. My question to you fine folk is would adding a cannisters filter and putting the intake closer to the mid lower level of the tank help with this? I have my powehead in the middle and pointing towards the surface but it isn't doing the trick. I'm considering the Jabeo stage 4 cannister. It's only rated up to 100 gallons. But considering it's not the sole filtration I feel it would work. What are your thoughts? Am I being dumb and skipping over something simple? Or should I just add sand back to the tank.

 

[xraycer]

I would think that increasing your turnover rate, via adding another filtration system, would definitely reduce the particulates. Perhaps going to a finer mesh sock may also work, although it would mean cleaning the socks more often since it will clog up quicker

 

[Coryloach]

The particles by rule should be flowing towards the intakes or settling on the substrate in particular spots if the direction of the flow coming out from filters, powerheads is set up correctly.

All the outlets should be pointing in the same direction for that to happen. The water then hits the opposite side of the tank glass and flows back to where it came, where the inlets should be located. You can't do that in conjunction with a Koralia powerhead as it blows in all directions. For the same reasons I don't use powerheads and if I need more flow, I add another filter on which I can either use a spraybar (if setting up the flow from back to front all along the back side) or without a spraybar(if setting up the flow along the length of the tank)

Additionally, dump the floss or any fine mechanical media and use coarse sponges as mechanical media.....lots of them...preferably as part of the bio filtration. Do not cut them up in small pieces. They should be the shape of the container to force the water going through them. Hence use medium and coarse sponges only, not fine.

My set ups have always been majorly filtered by sponges as media inside external filters(trial and error)...crystal clear water and the biofiltration doesn't suffer either but I protect the internal sponges by using pre-filter sponges on the intakes as well, which get washed once a week. The flow doesn't suffer either by using sponges. If you use floss it turns into a rock when its clogged, it doesn't actually help much with water clarity as the effect is short lived...Filter socks have similar effect. One should not use anything that has potential of restricting the flow if one is lazy to wash it....

Set up the outlets to flow in one direction, either towards the length of the tank or opposite the front glass.

Additional reason for murky water is also insufficient filtration and turn over.

 

[Covetous]

That could be another thing to try is putting a better head on my return pipes..Right now they are facing each other so I should turn them so they face the front so their both facing the same way

 

[Coryloach]

Here quick preview of my pond, filtered by 3 external filters with 90% sponges as media, bottom half coarse and top half medium density sponges. I have a layer of ceramics in one of the filters only. I haven't cleaned the filters in 6 months and more. I clean the pre-filter sponges weekly.

..I am just trying to suggest something I figured some years ago after I was dealing with water debris...I kept multiple tanks at some stage, not so many now...Sponges, sponges, sponges ..My tank is round, so the flow setup is not comparable but as long as all outlets blow in one direction, it will do...

 

[Dixon81]

I have dual overflows that go into 200 micron filter socks. After those filter socks the water goes through a heating chamber with submerged media then onto the drip plate for my Wet/dry. There is a 25 micon filter pad over the drip plate that collects all the fines.