How do I keep my water clear??? (Load Warning)

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Thanks Lupin! I really appreciate it! Mabuhay ka kabayan!
 
MarlboroMan;1013690; said:
I hate the air bubble look myself, I don't use airstones anymore because of that. I think maybe your driftwood is leaking tannins into your water, not sure though. When I got my driftwood, it made my water look like tea for a year.

On the contrary, I like the air bubble look. It provides aeration to the tank. With regards to the drift wood, if you mean color when you said tannins then it is definitely releasing color in the water and I have come to accept that fact.

The dust persist though. When doing water changes, I also use a water siphon, the type that you buy at LFS and I try to dig into the gravel and I do that 2-3 times a week like I mentioned earlier. But dust still abounds...

Once again, thanks LUPIN. You're the man! Filipino man!
 
Well, any surface agitation will do, air bubbles in the water is just aesthetics. Maybe the dust problem is from you disturbing the gravel, could just be very very tiny pieces of dust, getting disturbed quicker than they can sink. When I gravel vac, I do it very gentle, careful not to disturb the gunk to make the tank murky. Isn't it cool to see crap slowly rise into the tube and not your tank?
 
Don't gravel vac so much. Let it set for a while (the gravel) cut back your feeding. Looks like new tank syndrome. Stay on top of those tests and post if you need help at all. It is still "cycling" Or re cycling. If you have other tanks switch some bio media out of the older tank and put it in the new tank. The old tank can handle this, the new tank will accept it graciously. If you don't have another tank, Hope your fish make it through the cycle and read up on the topic and other water questions.
 
MarlboroMan;1013749; said:
Well, any surface agitation will do, air bubbles in the water is just aesthetics. Maybe the dust problem is from you disturbing the gravel, could just be very very tiny pieces of dust, getting disturbed quicker than they can sink. When I gravel vac, I do it very gentle, careful not to disturb the gunk to make the tank murky. Isn't it cool to see crap slowly rise into the tube and not your tank?

I agree on the dust not being able to settle in the bottom because of the water movement. I also thought about that so as of 7P.M. Pacific time, I changed the angle of the output tube. Instead of the usual horizontal 210 degrees, outgoing water is at approximately at 115 degree angle so that water circulation would be minimal. Hopefully by tomorrow morning, most dust have subsided.

It is cool to be able to see actual crap being sucked out of my tank. :)
 
bigspizz;1013750; said:
Don't gravel vac so much. Let it set for a while (the gravel) cut back your feeding. Looks like new tank syndrome. Stay on top of those tests and post if you need help at all. It is still "cycling" Or re cycling. If you have other tanks switch some bio media out of the older tank and put it in the new tank. The old tank can handle this, the new tank will accept it graciously. If you don't have another tank, Hope your fish make it through the cycle and read up on the topic and other water questions.

I doubt it if it is a new tank syndrome. I did a fishless cycling close to 6 weeks on the Penguin 350 and I guess I can say that the bacteria colony in it is already established. All in all, the tank is about 2.5 months old. In the case of the Odyssea canister filter, it is definitely in the cycling stage because I've had it for 4 days.

Maybe its just me but I don't see a connection between cycling the filter and free-floating particles in my tank but this is my first tank on my own so please do lend me your knowledge.

By the way my water parameters are acceptable (I think), I have 0.05ppm Amm, 0.05ppm Nitrite, and 10ppm Nitrate.
 
is one of them a barramundi
 
Would do water changes until your ammonia and nitrites drop to zero. You want zero ammonia and nitrites at any rate.:)
 
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