Help! How to keep clear water in my tank???

[Ban]

Dear All,

I have a 4ft tank consists of;

1. 50kg Live rocks,

2. Protein skimmer,

3. Soft & hard coral,

4. varies of marine fish,

5. 30kg of crush coral, grade "0" & etc.

Now encounter, the sea water is not CLEAR. Have alot of small or tiny white particles circular on the tank. Can be seen be clearly when the white light is "ON". Is it due the the crush coral grade 0??????

Anyone, pls help me to how to maintain a crystal clear water??

Is there is a type of liquid solution to settle the tiny particles? If have, what is the best Brand to use which will not harm the live rock, soft & hard coral, fishes & living creature???

If you know, pls help me. Thanks alot in advance.

[Shark]

Do you have a fliter ?

[Achilles Tang]

How old is your tank?

What are your water parameters?

Have you been dosing calcium, kalkwasser or some alkalinity additives recently?

Do you use mechanical filtration?

Describe your filtration system.

[Ban]

Hi,

My tank have been running about 2-3 wks. Of course, it have a filtration with sponge & coral chips. It have a sump. 2 big bag of coral chip in the sump. 2 pumps, 6600 & 2500 litres pump.

Recently, spotted alot of white spots on the fishes about 3-4 days ago. NO2 is on the safe side. PH is at 8.0-8.2. Now is under control, using liquid solution added in the tank which is zero grade copper. Safe for live rocks, soft & hard corals. Before that the water already having this problems, alot fine tiny pacticles circular in the tank.

Until now, no other type of additive is added.

[Achilles Tang]

I think before we can solve your fine particle problems, we have to address some issues first.

1. 2 - 3 weeks is too soon to have soft and hard corals plus fish! You should be in the midst of a cycle now where you should have NO livestock in your tank.

2. Please report the full water parameters. Your NO2 is on the safe side? Meaning? How about ammonia and nitrates? Alk and calcium levels? You are keeping corals so you need to make sure these are monitored too.

3. Coral chips serve no purpose. Throw them away.

4. Do you have a DSB or how do you propose to deal with high nitrates?

5. You poured in an anti-ich medication? How much and what's the brand?

6. Have you read any basic marine tank-keeping materials or you listen to the LFS advice?

[jsoon]

I think the "white dots" on the fishes are ICH.

Try to catch the fishes and treat it before the infection grow worse. The fishes may die if not treated.

[jd_n]

Dear All,

I have a 4ft tank consists of;

1. 50kg Live rocks,

2. Protein skimmer,

3. Soft & hard coral,

4. varies of marine fish,

5. 30kg of crush coral, grade "0" & etc.

Now encounter, the sea water is not CLEAR. Have alot of small or tiny white particles circular on the tank. Can be seen be clearly when the white light is "ON". Is it due the the crush coral grade 0??????

Anyone, pls help me to how to maintain a crystal clear water??

Is there is a type of liquid solution to settle the tiny particles? If have, what is the best Brand to use which will not harm the live rock, soft & hard coral, fishes & living creature???

If you know, pls help me. Thanks alot in advance.

Could it be tiny air bubbles cause by the return pump's water outlet in the tank or powerhead?

I had it too, on closer look ,.....its actually tiny little air bubbles cause by the water outlet as its pretty near the surface though my water is clear.

[honfui]

I had it too, mine is not the air bubbles.. Dunno wat is tat, but after let the protein skimmer and the filter runs for few days, it's gone

[blueheaven]

I would recommend that you finish the cycle first and then add this thing called Fritz Clearifier. It will clump all the particles together and hopefully get sucked into ur filter. Its abt $10.

[junyong84]

I would recommend that you finish the cycle first and then add this thing called Fritz Clearifier. It will clump all the particles together and hopefully get sucked into ur filter. Its abt $10.

what if ur filter didnt manage to suck em it... eh...

[Ban]

Dear All,

Thanks alot for yr advise. My tiny particles is confirmed NOT air bubbles? My coral chip are mean for the sump, about 50kg.

My LR is being left in another tank for 2 week before it being placed into my tank.

Hi jd_n,

Is it ready work? Fritz Clearifier? Will it casue any side effect? What happen it don't go to the filter? Where can I buy it?

Thanks

[ai[k²]wan]

y dont u listen to AT's advice first before even trying to solve the not so important stuff.

if u dont listen u might be ready to throw away not just your coral chips but also all your corals as well.

the particles could be likely due to any of the reasons

[Ban]

Hi ai[k²]wan,

U mean throw away my all my Died coral chip fm the sump? I'm confuse!!!! I thought that was used on the filtration? what going to use for the filtration on the sump?

How about my DSB, grade 0?

Pls kind explain to me in details. Maybe, pls call my hp: 97927097

Thanks

[metals99]

actually..

do u know that coral chips are quiet useless..

for marine filtration..

Use Deep Sand Bed Instead..

and u must have patience..

and at this rate.. u gonna lose money and waste..

[Ban]

Request my friend to setup for me. Thought that about 3 weeks should be fine due to his experience in this field. Partly because my 50kg of LR is left in another for 2 weeks before add to my tank. Just to make sure LR will be fine.

Here the water parameter are ;

NH3 = 0; NO2 = 0.1; NO3 = 0; PH = 8.0

"Coral chips serve no purpose. Throw them away." Fm AT

I'm alittle confuse here. My coral chips is used in the sump. So, you mean to throw away my coral chips fm my sumop. What will be my filter medium?

I use Marine-MAX. Some pple say that this is a preventive fm ICH. It casue me S$26.00. It come with 2bottles with difference solution.

I think the tiny white particle should be due to the filteration. Yes, still very green in marine setup. That why I am to request for help.

[Crab]

If your tank is cycled, NO3 cannot be 0. What test kit do you use? Sera gives me 10mg/l, while Salifert gives > 100.

I think what AT mean is coral chips will turn into a nitrate factory eventually, cos it traps debris. Its fine for Fish only but a problem for reef tank. Lots of reefers here use live rocks for filteration.

[Ban]

hi,

Thanks for your advise. It cost me S$9.00/set. Need to check the brand when I go back.

It come with 3 things consist of 1st bottle solution, 2nd in powder and then 3rd in bottle solution. After the test my water sample become yellow to clear. Cannot foound on the chart. So, is it 0 for NO3?

First time use it, if I'm wrong. Pls advise. thanks

[Crab]

FYI, Salifert NO3 is S$32/set.

Cheap cheap thing no good, good good thing no cheap

[Ban]

Yes, everything cost will $$$.

By the way, what is the idea size of the sump compartment to have the coral chips and the size of the coral chip for 4ft x 1.5ft x 2ft(Height) tank?

[mUAr_cHEe]

Yes, everything cost will $$$.

By the way, what is the idea size of the sump compartment to have the coral chips and the size of the coral chip for 4ft x 1.5ft x 2ft(Height) tank?

forget bout coral chips... its a thing for the past.... like wad AT said... "THROW IT AWAY" which part of "THROW IT AWAY" u dun understand?? heehee...

use DSB... its a good and proven method.... DSB compartment should be as big as possible if u are in the least bit interested....

[Achilles Tang]

I know it's painful to take out your coral chips, making you can give it away to some freshwater cichlids keeper?

Coral chips are better used as a very cheap calcium reactor media (danger: high phosphates may be released as a result if the coral chips are of poor quality).

As a substrate, coral chip are useless and do not serve any biological filtration purposes. In fact, as I have pointed out many times, they serve to trap detritus and contribute to higher nitrates.

Just grit your teeth, dig everything out... and replace with nice clean #0 sand. (make sure that your sump compartment is not a flow-thru type but a flat bottomed one where water only flows over the top and NOT through the sandbed).

Hope this is crystal clear...

AT

[jazzben81]

not really useless...

coral chips those big ones like 20 or bioballs are good for anerobic(forgot the name) bacteria to grow. which help to break down ammonia to nitrate. thus the name nitrate factories.

u need something else e.g DSB to further breaks down the nitrate .

correct me if im wrong.

cheers

[Achilles Tang]

IMO, if the coral chips are used in the wet/dry filter like bioballs are used... yes.. the surfaces of the coral chip will house aerobic bacteria and help reduce ammonia and nitrites but WITHOUT addressing the nitrates problem as they will help PRODUCE nitrates.

In Ban's case... I think they are used in the sump.

[Achilles Tang]

U mean throw away my all my Died coral chip fm the sump? I'm confuse!!!!

Yes, they take up space, trap detritus and contribute to higher nitrates.

I thought that was used on the filtration? what going to use for the filtration on the sump?

If you are referring to them being used in a wet/dry where water is allowed to trickle past the coral chip layer... yes... these will help to reduce ammonia and nitrites to nitrates. Full STOP.

If these are soaked in the water.... they serve no purpose in the sump except trap detritus and take up space... that space can be better used by water to increase the system volume.

How about my DSB, grade 0?

If you have your DSB properly setup... to about 5 inches to 6 inches.. with grade 0 sand... this will function as your natural nitrate-reducing biological filtration system.

Crystal clear?

[Ban]

Dear All,

Many thanks for your kind advise, especially AT.

My sump compartment is flow fm the top to bottom (flow-thru type). If I remove the coral chips & replace it with Grade 0. After sometime, maybe 3-5 mths, the water will not flow thru. Due to trap alot of detritus. Then it will flow out of the sump. I will have Big problems!!!!

What shall I do now? Shall I need to modify the sump to a non-flow thru type? Just the water flow on the top only. In this case, then what is the idea KG of Grade 0 to have in the sump for my tank, 4ft x 1.5ft x 2ft(H)?

Maybe another problem that I had to settle!!! My DSB is only 2-3inch thick only NOT to 5-6inch, propose by AT. In future, will I encounter problems?