Floating particles in my aquarium

[Stanzzzz7]

Try putting a layer of floss under the bottom tray in your filter.
There is normally a void about 1/2 inch deep under the last tray.
Small particles of sand dust etc can escape through this void.
You could also attach a fine sponge pre filter to the intake on your external filter intake. This will need to be cleaned regularly but will help control the particles interning your filter just to be pushed back through into the tank.
Also make sure you vacuum the substrate with a gravel syphon during water changes.

 

[MattyV55]

180 gallon. 2 Rotkeil Severum (4”)one chocolate (6”)cichlids, 4 Geophagus pellegrini (2.5”) Vieja Breidohri (4”) And then some plecos. 2 bn, 2 L29 galaxy vampire, 1 green phantom

 

[mattison187]

How exactly would I do that? The powerheads look like this

View attachment 1282476

Sorry i meant on like this kind of powerhead:

 

[MattyV55]

Just did a 70% water change and vacced the sand. Haven’t fed in 2 days and still there

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Are you cleaning your filter media enough?
My water can start to look like that if I skip cleaning filter sponges and pads.

 

[MattyV55]

Yes I have 2 canisters and clean one each month, as recently as last week. So, my system is setup to where I have 2 canisters plumbed into the tank. The tank is drilled on the bottom. So the intake is deep down in the overflow box and I am not sure how strong the suction is there. It seemed to go well at first but not sure how great it is working. I cant see the particles being sucked into the overflow at all...

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Can you put the intake in the main aquarium rather than the overflow just to see if it makes a difference?

 

[MattyV55]

No it is not possible. I may just cap off the holes and redo the system. Cap off both and then get new canister tubes and run it over the back of the tank and use it like a normal canister.