water still not crystal clear help

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S

sweets

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 4, 2014
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United Kingdom
Hi guy's this is my first post here can you help my cichlids tank is clear but not crystal its 125 gallons im running a fluval fx5 and a fluval 405 for filtration yet still not crystal clear despite regular weekly water changes

Tank stocked with 2 6" oscars 2 blue acara 4" 1 blood parrot 5" 2 red shouldered sevs 7" 1 red spotted sev 4" 1 jewel cichlid 3" 1 common plec 10" 1 bristlenose catfish 4" 1 salvini cichlid 6"

Is my tank overstocked? ??
 
Filter floss might help clear your water woes. I use polyfill which you can get cheap at your local supermarket (or walmart if you have one).
 
Fx5 also has a fair amount of bypass, maybe a polishing media would help, like a fine filter pad.
 
Get a UV sterilizer. It's hard to imagine that you don't have enough carbon(you've been changing it on schedule, right?) in your filters or that you don't have enough mechanical filtration with the two filters you have on a 125.

The polishing pads that people are mentioning do help a lot in many circumstances, but they also need to be changed weekly in a heavily stocked tank. Most likely what you're seeing is a bacteria bloom, which a UV sterilizer will take care of. I'd recommend the Coralife 12x, as it's flow rate characteristics match up nicely with your 405. Put it on the output of the 405, between the filter and the tank.

As an added bonus, you won't ever need to worry about anything like Ich, HITH or green water as long as you replace it's lamp every year or so.
 
PS - When you have a properly implemented UV sterilizer(which you would with the 12x and the 405 in a 125g) your tank can look very good while the water is very bad. Do not use water clarity as an indication of water conditions or get lazy because it looks so good if you do this.
 
Cheers guys water tested and levels all as they should be just striving for the tank to be at its best maybe the filter floss in the filters need replacing as came with when bought tank setup and will add polishing pads at the same time.

Does my tank seem overstocked tho?
 
sweets said:
Hi guy's this is my first post here can you help my cichlids tank is clear but not crystal its 125 gallons im running a fluval fx5 and a fluval 405 for filtration yet still not crystal clear despite regular weekly water changes

Tank stocked with 2 6" oscars 2 blue acara 4" 1 blood parrot 5" 2 red shouldered sevs 7" 1 red spotted sev 4" 1 jewel cichlid 3" 1 common plec 10" 1 bristlenose catfish 4" 1 salvini cichlid 6"

Is my tank overstocked? ??
Click to expand...

I think you're just starting to get a bit cramped. You got a several large messy fish in there, so that's probably why your tank is not crystal. This filter with the water "polisher" media may help, along with setting that FX to be more mechanical.
http://www.kensfish.com/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-filters/magnum-250-hot-filter.html
 
What would you suggest to be more mechanical? Both have carbon, filter floss and bio rings in them all with sponges what needs changing for clearer water?
 
Make 1 of the canister all foam/floss. Ditch the carbon, its not necessary.
 
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