Head scratcher for ya

[SamuelW]

I've been having dirty and cloudy water for the past couple months. Water parameters and tests are all good.

I just have a standard aqueon HOB filter, but with added carbon. Whatever is making my water dirty is too fine of a particulate for my filter to pick up.

Looked at my water under a microscope and didnt see bacteria. My only livestock is a clown, few leathers and hermits. All of them are doing well.

Tank has been running since February. I have been doing large waterchanges to get rid of it but it comes back in a week. Top down pic is today after a substantial water change. Side shot was my tank at its worst. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[cracker]

Looks like Bacteria bloom thing maybe. However this usually clears up in a short time. OK some question
Is the sand real silty? Can You put more carbon with water running thru it .
Water changes aren't working. This is a head scratcher !

 

[SamuelW]

Looks like Bacteria bloom thing maybe. However this usually clears up in a short time. OK some question
Is the sand real silty? Can You put more carbon with water running thru it .
Water changes aren't working. This is a head scratcher !

Sandbed is a mix of stuff, but fairly coarse. I have as much extra carbon in my filter as I can, and water flows through it just fine.

 

[JCOLE]

What are your parameters? Alk, calcium, nitrates, and phosphates?

How old is the tank? Do you use RODI or tap water for water changes?

 

[BadFish619]

Starting and stopping your filter to do water changes can really kick a lot of gunk into your tank including micro bubbles. Probably a combo of a lot of things

 

[Peace River]

As others have already stated, cloudy water can be caused by a bacterial bloom, stirred up sand, micro bubbles, or more. You're water parameters may point to the issue. If it is a bacterial bloom and you are already using activated carbon then you may want to change it on a weekly basis. Another possibility is to use a product like Chemipure Blue or even add a UV filter to address the bacterial bloom. Both activated carbon and Chemipure will remove the dissolved organic material that feed bacterial blooms, however it is important to go back and troubleshoot where the organic material is coming from (e.g., is the filter not adequate for the bio load, is the sand bed to deep for the current configuration, are there dead spaces in the tank where waste is collecting, etc.). Good luck!

 

[BadFish619]

+1 Chemi pure and a uv filter

 

[SamuelW]

What are your parameters? Alk, calcium, nitrates, and phosphates?

How old is the tank? Do you use RODI or tap water for water changes?

Havent tested alk or calcium yet. Nitrates and phosphates are zero. Tank has been up since end of February. I use rodi from a water place in town.

 

[Peace River]

Havent tested alk or calcium yet. Nitrates and phosphates are zero. Tank has been up since end of February. I use rodi from a water place in town.

Have you tested the TDS or conductivity of the RODI water before you mix it with salt? It may or may not be related to this issue, but I have learned the hard way not to trust LFS RODI systems.

 

[SamuelW]

Starting and stopping your filter to do water changes can really kick a lot of gunk into your tank including micro bubbles. Probably a combo of a lot of things

Talking out 5 gallons for a water change puts the water level below my filters inlet. I dont run it dry. Surprisingly, my filter has been white for the past few weeks

 

[BadFish619]

Talking out 5 gallons for a water change puts the water level below my filters inlet. I dont run it dry. Surprisingly, my filter has been white for the past few weeks

And you're getting flow? Not just a pump making noise but actually water returning after running through it?

 

[Hermie]

a UV filter would likely solve the symptom

whatever is causing it is another question

 

[MnFish1]

What is in your filter to 'catch' particulates? If its just the sponge and the ceramic (and the carbon packet) - they quickly become 'clogged' - and the water just goes around the filter. You can see it flowing over the top - as compared to through.

Check out this DIY water polisher - Consider changing your sponge more often - and rinsing carefully. Did you rinse your sand when you put it in the tank - it may just be recirculating 'fine particles' that quickly clog the aqueon.

In any case - try the water polisher - it will work quickly no matter what the cause

 

[road_runner]

If its bacterial bloom which what its look like to me.. you can run UV for couple of days it will bring it down.
I like to run the UV 3 hours on. 3 hours off for couppe of days so I do not wipe out all the bacterial populations.

If its dirt or sand particles, you can run small carbon reactor. It will be bit better than the HOB filter since its forcing water through carbon...

 

[MnFish1]

If its bacterial bloom which what its look like to me.. you can run UV for couple of days it will bring it down.
I like to run the UV 3 hours on. 3 hours off for couppe of days so I do not wipe out all the bacterial populations.

If its dirt or sand particles, you can run small carbon reactor. It will be bit better than the HOB filter since its forcing water through carbon...

The thing is - bacterial blooms burn themselves out - due to exponential growth - which then causes a rapid die off. IMHO - the best way to remove particulate material is not carbon.

 

[BadFish619]

The thing is - bacterial blooms burn themselves out - due to exponential growth - which then causes a rapid die off. IMHO - the best way to remove particulate material is not carbon.

9 months does sound like quite the bacteria bloom. Should long be gone. Who knows though!

 

[MnFish1]

Try the $20 DIY water polisher. Change the filter floss regularly for 2 weeks and report back.

 

[road_runner]

9 months does sound like quite the bacteria bloom. Should long be gone. Who knows though!

The length of bacterial bloom is decided by whats fueling it..
If the source persist the bloom persist as well.
Again, I am not 100% sure what you have is bloom, it just look from the picture like a bloom.
If you put uv for 24 hour straight and water clears up. Then its bloom.
There are some cheap submerged hang on box UVs that I have used and did the trick in 3 days..

 

[MnFish1]

Looked at my water under a microscope and didnt see bacteria. My only livestock is a clown, few leathers and hermits. All of them are doing well.

BTW-when you looked under the microscope what did you see? PS - did you put your water in a vial and centrifuge it (no im not joking) - just that you might not see bacteria in a random sample even if its that cloudy. I think you have water bypassing your filter and merely flowing around and around.

 

[road_runner]

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