Why isn’t my water clear?

[allymorris]

I have had my 40 gallon salt water tank for a couple months now and my water has little particles floating around in it 24/7. My waterline is low so it could be little air bubbles but even after i fill it back up the particles are still there. I also have a diamond goby that sifts the sand but it doesn’t seem like it should be this much.

 

[exnisstech]

I have three tanks running and none are crystal clear. The goby sifting sand could be adding to it. I had a dragon wrasse once and every time it dove into the sand the tank got cloudy.

 

[Uncle99]

What are that system’s parameters?
How stable are they?

 

[FUNGI]

If it aesthetically worries you, run a HOB/canister with floss once a week.... that should sparkle your tank.....

 

[exnisstech]

DIY Diatom Filter for under $100.00

I have 4 or 5 old Vortex Diatom filters in various stages of disintegration and I use one all the time to stir up the gravel in my 125 gallon tank. I also use it to blow out detritus in the pores my real rock. The tank uses dolomite gravel and the gravel has been in there for the 52 year life of...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[allymorris]

What are that system’s parameters?
How stable are they?

how do i check?

 

[FUNGI]

DIY Diatom Filter for under $100.00

I have 4 or 5 old Vortex Diatom filters in various stages of disintegration and I use one all the time to stir up the gravel in my 125 gallon tank. I also use it to blow out detritus in the pores my real rock. The tank uses dolomite gravel and the gravel has been in there for the 52 year life of...

www.reef2reef.com

I remember those....LOL.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What type of filtration system are you running? Do you have a filter pad in your filtration system to catch the debris?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

how do i check?

Use test kits to check them over a period of a couple of days. See what is fluctuating in your tank.

 

[allymorris]

If it aesthetically worries you, run a HOB/canister with floss once a week.... that should sparkle your tank.

Ok thanks any other suggestions i could try?

 

[FUNGI]

you could DIY a Diatom Filter per @exnisstech
but a filter floss HOB will clean it out pretty quick

 

[exnisstech]

you could DIY a Diatom Filter per @exnisstech
but a filter floss HOB will clean it out pretty quick

Probably be easier.
I just thought of this one tho the hob and floss would be fine. Marineland magnum polishing filter. I may be wrong but I think you can run them with DE powder for extra polishing.

 

[motortrendz]

What type of filtration are you running?

Also if your water level is dropping you need to top off your water with fresh water. Rodi preferably. Tour salinitly level will be rising as this occurs as well. Which could eventually kill your inhabitants. But it looka.like you have alot of sand particulates floating on the top of the tank water. Are you running a surface skimmer?

As for testing, You should be testing salinitly, and at the very least nitrates, magnesium calcium and alkalinity.

 

[FUNGI]

Probably be easier.
I just thought of this one tho the hob and floss would be fine. Marineland magnum polishing filter. I may be wrong but I think you can run them with DE powder for extra polishing.

Just FWIW....the suction cups on these sux...,,I have that same unit somewhere in my shed. Was using on a QT tanks, but kept falling of the glass

 

[exnisstech]

how do i check?

Just read you don't know how to test parameters. You may want to let the not crystal clear water pass for now and go back and research the hobby some more for some of the requirments needed to be succesful.

 

[Glowurm]

Sounds like you need to sit down and do some research TBH, a few sand particles bobbing around in water column will be the least of your worries if your not testing water parameters.

Nothing good comes from rushing in this hobby, if you you think your progress is slow already, half it again. Get the basics understood...