Keeping your aquarium water Crystal Clear?

[fnlyreefready]

Ever see those reef aquariums where it looks like there isn't any water in the tank? How in the world do people get their aquariums so CRYSTAL CLEAR? Like there's no water at all in there! Let's talk about that today.

1. Would you consider your aquarium water to be "Crystal Clear?"

2. What are the best ways to keep your water consistently clear?

image via @Marco A. Martins

So mines clear due to a redneck filter.

 

[A2dahlberg]

1. Would you consider your aquarium water to be "Crystal Clear?"
Absolutely not! I don't know how people do it! It feels like a magic trick that I'll never quite understand or obtain the skills for!
2. What are the best ways to keep your water consistently clear?
I guess if I had a larger tank, food might not put as much an affect. I suppose just constantly cleaning my filtration and even more water changes could provide results. I also don't own a protein skimmer, so getting one may help. I just never found them incredibly necessary for such a tiny tank though. (Fluval 13.5)

I do notice some good clarity a few hours after a water change. Then once my clowns start making a mess, it all starts over again.

I'm with this guy. Same tank same problem. It does look clear with my stock blue light on.

 

[WallyB]

If you want clear water, most carbons will do the job. I avoid long use of carbons. Just spot treatments when water get too dingy/yellow.

But for me Chemi Pure is the best for the Ulitimate in Clear water. Every so often I treat myself to a couple bags to cheer up the tank. I always run more than one bag. I swap out one old one, when the new one goes in. Keeping one old bag to retain bacteria.

https://chemi-pure.com/products/chemipure/

Nothing has worked as good as Chemi Pure bags. They will polish the water, and remove any tinge of yellow.
There are other Benefits. (Just read the brochure).

Of course if you have particulates and constant dust blowing around, nothing will clarify suspended particules except maybe removing Sand and going Glass Bottom. Blowing off your rocks with a power head also helps.

All my tanks have a dead flow spots (or lowest flow spot).... even the SPS tank which has pumps in every corner has a settling area. Those dead spots accumilate the particulates in little mounts. I Sweep those areas during water changes.

Of course there is a trick with Lighting. If your lights are pointing from Back to Front, it's like seeing dust in your room when the light shines thru the window. I have a few of my lighting modes, when light shines away from the Front Viewing area and that's when my Tank looks the clearest. This is achieved by Banks of T5, so at some points the Back T5's are off. Center Radion shines straight down. (But lighting doesn't help if you water color is murky green ).

 

[biggie4jets]

Hands down... filter socks will make your water column clearer

But.... the quality of your front glass has a lot to do with that as well. Betting the pic above is low-iron starfire glass


.

Never ran filter socks, finally decided to run the clarisea filter roller and my gosh what a difference. It’s only been a week too. Best purchase by far for my tank.

 

[GGonzo]

Filter socks, carbon, and sponges.

I do this with my 6 foot long and couldn't see the other side if I squinted one eye and closed the other LOL

 

[GGonzo]

Sure wished I could keep chaeto. It disintegrates in 2 days! UGH!!

Same problem I had when trying to use Chaeto...stuff just dies on me

 

[Cali-Saltwater-1st-Timer]

Hands down... filter socks will make your water column clearer

But.... the quality of your front glass has a lot to do with that as well. Betting the pic above is low-iron starfire glass


.

Agreed 100%. Socks require a bit more work/maintenance but nothing polishes the water like them.

 

[mindme]

Once that goby sifts through all the sand and those particles skim out it will be back to clear. Just a bit of waiting.

That's what I'm hoping for. He moves a lot of sand around, it's pretty amazing.

 

[OREGONIC]

UV and carbon. Also I have found blowing off rock and taking a turkey baster to the sand one to two times a week really helps once everything settles.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Ever see those reef aquariums where it looks like there isn't any water in the tank? How in the world do people get their aquariums so CRYSTAL CLEAR? Like there's no water at all in there! Let's talk about that today.

1. Would you consider your aquarium water to be "Crystal Clear?"

2. What are the best ways to keep your water consistently clear?

image via @Marco A. Martins

Proper equipment and years of experience!!
My old 120 was pretty darn clear.

 

[charliethetuna]

Filter socks,uv,ozone,zeo coral snow

 

[lefkonj]

Proper flow, filter floss, and a well maintained skimmer

 

[Alexusmc]

My water wasn't that crystal clear and I was at a loss as to why for a while.. everything tested perfect, had filter socks and changed them every 3 days like clockwork, and an overflow filter in the sump as well.. macro algae, protein skimmer, gfo and carbon... but still dirty looking water.. now the tank was only like 2 months old and only had a few fish and rock in there, so I bought a 145$ hang on the back as a temporary lets see how it does UV sterilizer.. let it run over night left for work( didnt even look at the tank as I left) abd came home to "what the heck" all my water is gone!... it was so stupid clear it didnt even look like there was water in there.. I even to a picture to show a friend.. so now every week from about 8pm to 8am i run it and its been perfect ever since

Which UV did you purchase? What size is your tank?

 

[Alexusmc]

My water is pretty dang clear. Run a mesh filter sock, Octo 130 skimmer, small UV, and carbon, on a ~80 gallon total system. Also carbon dosing. No complaints with this approach.

Which UV do you run?

 

[drblank1]

I don't really try to have CRYSTAL clear water. The water column stays pretty clear, but not crystal. I do use carbon almost all the time. But I am concerned with the micro fauna population and don't want to kill it out with socks and pads. I'm not even sure socks and pads do but seems like they would hurt the pod population by my limited knowledge and reasoning. I have a fuge with rock and chaeto that I seed every 4 weeks with pods, (well 1/2 goes in fuge and 1/2 in the DT). I want them to flourish. I'm afraid socks and pads will hurt those little buggers flowing through the system. So I don't try for crystal clear water. I only try to achieve water that is not cloudy or colored.

 

[Fish man]

I didn't even know this was a problem for some. I think there's water in it, at least the fish are not flopping around on the bottom and corals are waving back and forth. I just got up and looked through mine end to end, 4' tank, crystal clear. Filter socks, clean glass once a week, protein skimmer and carbon. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[reef4now]

Chemipure,polyfill,partial water change and consistency.

 

[stanleo]

My water is pretty clear but there are always floating particles in the tank. I had them worse when I had filter socks.

 

[Freenow54]

1. Would you consider your aquarium water to be "Crystal Clear?"
Absolutely not! I don't know how people do it! It feels like a magic trick that I'll never quite understand or obtain the skills for!
2. What are the best ways to keep your water consistently clear?
I guess if I had a larger tank, food might not put as much an affect. I suppose just constantly cleaning my filtration and even more water changes could provide results. I also don't own a protein skimmer, so getting one may help. I just never found them incredibly necessary for such a tiny tank though. (Fluval 13.5)

I do notice some good clarity a few hours after a water change. Then once my clowns start making a mess, it all starts over again.

I also have a small tank. They are way harder to keep. Running a fluval. But also a skimmer my water was never as clear as it is now. Two things I did recently changed everything, you be the judge ( it needs cleaning as well ). Remember I was way below the line as far as proper approach goes for 5 to 6 years. First I put Matrix biofiltration media in the fluval. I was using so called RO water first from culligan , and then from a local outlet. Both claiming excellent water. Forget that. Because I am starting a new tank, I invested in an RO system of my own. A watts zero waste. My TDS was about 4-0. Another member suggested a DI filter. I bought one, and now TDS 0. All the difference in the world. Now I have to keep at it to make up for my past mistakes. See the leather? It hasn't

looked like that for years

 

[wrassie86]

Yes, UV, Filter sock, Carbon in reactor.