Help me with my filter and dirty water!

[CanadianKeeper]

I will attach photos to show more clearly.
Initially my tank was crystal clear, ovb. Cycled and in go the fish. I left for work for 2 weeks and came home to this issue.
The water parameters are fine, fish are healthy. Had a little bit of an algae break out. Picked up a Chinese algae eater and he seemed to clean up MOST of that issue.
The tank is in a high light area aside from its own tank lights on a timer for 8 hours a day.
I figured I would add a second small HOB filter for more biomedia and water movement before I left for two weeks.
I thought it was just an increase in micro bubbles but after doing a large WC and not turning filters on the particulate is simply floating it is not bubbles.
The wife was feeding the fish every other day while I was gone.

55 gallon tank,
Live plants,
Tidal 75 HOB
Aquaclear 50 HOB

Stock is
x3 2" fire mouths
x1 2" Jack Dempsey
X2 Chinese algae eaters

Water changes are 50% Weekly.

Should I just get some fine filter floss to help grab the small particulate that the sponge in the HOBS is obviously missing?
Should I upgrade to a Canister? Should I add a second Tidal 75 but put finer floss in it?

As a side bar, I normally keep tanks 90 gallon and larger. Usually use canisters or sumps... The HOBS micro bubbles and slashing annoys the heck out of me, but im not sure if I want to risk a canister dumping this tank on the floor as its upstairs not in a basement.

 

[tlindsey]

I will attach photos to show more clearly.
Initially my tank was crystal clear, ovb. Cycled and in go the fish. I left for work for 2 weeks and came home to this issue.
The water parameters are fine, fish are healthy. Had a little bit of an algae break out. Picked up a Chinese algae eater and he seemed to clean up MOST of that issue.
The tank is in a high light area aside from its own tank lights on a timer for 8 hours a day.
I figured I would add a second small HOB filter for more biomedia and water movement before I left for two weeks.
I thought it was just an increase in micro bubbles but after doing a large WC and not turning filters on the particulate is simply floating it is not bubbles.
The wife was feeding the fish every other day while I was gone.

55 gallon tank,
Live plants,
Tidal 75 HOB
Aquaclear 50 HOB

Stock is
x3 2" fire mouths
x1 2" Jack Dempsey
X2 Chinese algae eaters

Water changes are 50% Weekly.

Should I just get some fine filter floss to help grab the small particulate that the sponge in the HOBS is obviously missing?
Should I upgrade to a Canister? Should I add a second Tidal 75 but put finer floss in it?

As a side bar, I normally keep tanks 90 gallon and larger. Usually use canisters or sumps... The HOBS micro bubbles and slashing annoys the heck out of me, but im not sure if I want to risk a canister dumping this tank on the floor as its upstairs not in a basement.

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Yes add some aquarium floss and hopefully that helps.

 

[jjohnwm]

I am a devout follower of large and frequent water changes...but my work also takes me away from home for three weeks at a time on a regular basis. I than do several large (75+%) with in the first few days back, and it has been working for the past ten years now.

The mechanical filtration in my sumps has on occasion become clogged, but it's set up in such a way that the water level above the initial mechanical media rises and builds up a "head pressure" that continues to force all the water through the media. If I were away much longer, the water would overflow the compartment and by-pass the media. Could that be your issue? A simple lack of primary mechanical filtration?

And the idea of my wife...or anyone else...feeding my fish in my absence still scares the daylights out of me, after several near-disasters. The only way I would do this is to leave pre-measured feeding packs and a schedule for feeding, with strict instructions to be followed to the letter.

I'm sure she means well, but...

 

[CanadianKeeper]

I am a devout follower of large and frequent water changes...but my work also takes me away from home for three weeks at a time on a regular basis. I than do several large (75+%) with in the first few days back, and it has been working for the past ten years now.

The mechanical filtration in my sumps has on occasion become clogged, but it's set up in such a way that the water level above the initial mechanical media rises and builds up a "head pressure" that continues to force all the water through the media. If I were away much longer, the water would overflow the compartment and by-pass the media. Could that be your issue? A simple lack of primary mechanical filtration?

And the idea of my wife...or anyone else...feeding my fish in my absence still scares the daylights out of me, after several near-disasters. The only way I would do this is to leave pre-measured feeding packs and a schedule for feeding, with strict instructions to be followed to the letter.

I'm sure she means well, but...

I may have to demonstrate, I did just say a pinch.

Im surprised that I have this issue. I have a "rated 75 gallon" and a "rated 50" gallon HOB filters... I know that rated and actual are different but still... im over 2x "rated"... I think I may just full send an Fx4 or a 407 if this fine filter floss I ordered doesnt help.

 

[brianp]

I will attach photos to show more clearly.
Initially my tank was crystal clear, ovb. Cycled and in go the fish. I left for work for 2 weeks and came home to this issue.
The water parameters are fine, fish are healthy. Had a little bit of an algae break out. Picked up a Chinese algae eater and he seemed to clean up MOST of that issue.
The tank is in a high light area aside from its own tank lights on a timer for 8 hours a day.
I figured I would add a second small HOB filter for more biomedia and water movement before I left for two weeks.
I thought it was just an increase in micro bubbles but after doing a large WC and not turning filters on the particulate is simply floating it is not bubbles.
The wife was feeding the fish every other day while I was gone.

55 gallon tank,
Live plants,
Tidal 75 HOB
Aquaclear 50 HOB

Stock is
x3 2" fire mouths
x1 2" Jack Dempsey
X2 Chinese algae eaters

Water changes are 50% Weekly.

Should I just get some fine filter floss to help grab the small particulate that the sponge in the HOBS is obviously missing?
Should I upgrade to a Canister? Should I add a second Tidal 75 but put finer floss in it?

As a side bar, I normally keep tanks 90 gallon and larger. Usually use canisters or sumps... The HOBS micro bubbles and slashing annoys the heck out of me, but im not sure if I want to risk a canister dumping this tank on the floor as its upstairs not in a basement.

View attachment 1451395

View attachment 1451396

View attachment 1451397

To me, these pictures indicate the presence of a flocculant, which is causing dissolved substances to aggregate and precipitate. So, you appear to have something dissolved in your aquarium water, which needs to be diluted out. Generally, this would be addressed with water changes. If the wcs are not helping, it may be something in your municipal water. Alternatively, this could be a microbiological bloom, attributable to the influx of a carbon source, which is accelerating bacterial growth. If it was me, I would perform wcs over the next couple of weeks and see if this corrects the issue. I would also, as you suggest, employ some type of fine filtration material to both, improve the aesthetics and to remove this substance from your tank.

 

[Toby_H]

Good input thus far...

I'm a big fan of utilizing filtration for "water polishing", using fine mechanical filtration media. I generally pick the bigger stuff up spot cleaning or with weekly water changes. In my experience, bio filtration takes care of itself as long as my water is moving. So, I agree with the approach of adding fine mechanical media.

Once whatever is in your tank is taken out, whether from water changes or filtration, it should be gone. Unless like Brian said, there is something that is causing clumping of minerals (at least I think that's what Brian said). If water changes and/or mechanical media doesn't solve it, I'd try adding carbon to your filtration for a time and see if that removes the clumping agent. Then hope it was something on your substrate or decor, not something in your tap water (it seems unlikely to me this would be something in your tapwater or it would be a common community concern).