Keeping your aquarium water Crystal Clear?

[hans4811]

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

So your no need for socks means no one should even consider socks?

Interesting thinking....

Never said any such thing. Was just disagreeing with your statement that socks is hands down the way to clear water. Myself and apparently many others here use other methods to get clear water.

 

[jarviz]

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

what was it about the HOB vs all your other filtration methods that cleared up the water?

 

[Saltandfresh]

Have a slightly undersized uv, and slow flow through refugium gives debris a place to settle. Don’t run socks or carbon and water is clear

How come you don’t use filter socks or carbon?

 

[hans4811]

How come you don’t use filter socks or carbon?

I can’t speak for theMeat, but I don’t run socks either. I have a Triton style sump with fuge first with Miracle mud, chaeto and caulerpa in it. Skimmer is in second chamber. Got tired of messing with socks and wanted to try this style of sump. Been working great so far, swapped it out about 2 months ago. What little detritus i see is usually in the Chaeto and gets removed when I thin it out every week or so. Tons of snails, copepods/amphipods, worms, stars keep it clean. Wanted a more natural way of filtration and less maintenance.

 

[hans4811]

Give you an idea of what it looks like....have to dose nitrates occasionally when I remove Cheato growth, as it works too good, but not complaining as I had nitrates of 25 for the first year and couldn’t bring em down till I added this.

 

[RobW]

Innovative marine 30g long. Yes, crystal clear! Water change every Sunday = 5 gallons. 15 watt aqua ultraviolet sterilizer, reef octopus hang on back classic 1000 skimmer, change filter sock every 2-3 days, have 2 mp10's for good flow in the tank to keep stuff suspended in the water colum to carry away to the filters.

 

[theMeat]

How come you don’t use filter socks or carbon?

Because I’d rather clean sump twice a year, than socks twice a week. And carbon believed to be linked to HLLE, and why use it if no need for cost and chore

 

[theMeat]

I can’t speak for theMeat, but I don’t run socks either. I have a Triton style sump with fuge first with Miracle mud, chaeto and caulerpa in it. Skimmer is in second chamber. Got tired of messing with socks and wanted to try this style of sump. Been working great so far, swapped it out about 2 months ago. What little detritus i see is usually in the Chaeto and gets removed when I thin it out every week or so. Tons of snails, copepods/amphipods, worms, stars keep it clean. Wanted a more natural way of filtration and less maintenance.

So you are running triton method with their “special” carbon?

 

[Larry J]

I'm old school...I still use PVC undergraduate filters along with fiber filter media.

 

[dlish89]

Feed Less! I tried all kinds of things even moving the tank because I thought it was too close to a window. Water changes, shorter light cycle and the best I would do is get one or two days of clear then back to foggy. Water perimeters were all spot on. I read everyone talking about feeding less and didnt think I was overdoing it by that much especially with zero nitrates. But I cut my feeding amount by half and my water is crystal clear. SO before you try everything under the moon just go a week with half feedings and see what happens.

 

[hans4811]

So you are running triton method with their “special” carbon?

Not using the Triton dosing method, just the sump. Wanted a bigger fuge is the reason I chose Synergy Reef sump. Using Red Sea carbon is all. Will eventually switch to the Moonshiners method.

 

[Gemdora]

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

Mine is a condo builder. He has his primary home and builds condos everywhere else. Sand is clean and water clear. I only use filter floss and macro algaein tank. Nothing fancy. Just takes a bit of patience.

 

[Gemdora]

Microbubbles. Clear except for microbubbles. How do people get rid of them?

Why get rid of them? Corals and fish seem to like them. When scuba diving and snorkeling they are everywhere around the corals.

 

[Seascapes]

Low iron glass front, uv, filter socks, red sea carbon, and maintenance with flipper

 

[MJV15]

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

Yes... well most of the time. As long as I clean my glass every few says

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

My recipe for clean water in my 180 gallon peninsula.
1. Filter Roller (theiling compact)
2. Skimmer (reef octopus 152s)
3. 50w UV
4. Slower, 2-2.5 tank turnover hour
5. ROX carbon for 2-3 days once a month.
6. Daily 2 gallon water change.

Just my .02

Water parameters
Nitrate 2
Phosphate.03
Auto feeder drops 4 times a day (mix seaweed extreme, TDO, and PE pellets)

 

[Tampaman]

150g old school glass but water extremely clean:
10x turnover going down through split drain
1st side drains hard and fast through 4 filter socks and big RO skimmer.
2nd side drains much slower through 36w UV, then into 29g refugium full of big spinning (sometimes) ball of cheato...with a carbon reactor running at a slow pace but 24/7.
2 4k gyres running at 100% alternating every 6 min.
Lots of filter feeders, softies, palys, zoa's, xenia...in addition to everything else.
Good size daytime clean-up crew, enormous night time crew...bristol worms, 8 year old rock, giant turbos (may be leaving soon).
Still not enough to combat the softies poising the water for SPS though. True mixed reef may just be an idea?
Water placed in white bowl is crystal though.

 

[Smarkow]

I solved yellowing with Ozone and occasional carbon, but my water could not be classified as crystal clear because there are always a lot of suspended particulates

 

[reefsaver]

Have only used Particulate filtered Rain Tank water am steadily looking into a RODI unit Australian Made. 3 months into the hobby, 90L 25G with inbuilt tri sump, [Brand: Waterbox 25G]. 2-3 inches of shell, coral substrate [A fair amount], large amount of dry cured rock. Handmade clear lid DIY. A large Sicce Voyager 2 mainly for surface agitation, a Tunze comline 9001 skimmer [was running all the time in the beginning but have left it off as I started dosing phytoplankton.] A Zetlight 1201 on an 11 hour light cycle. Auto Top Off. Parameters, 10.5 dKH 32.0 salinity, [main two parameters I steadily monitor]. Baffle to sump into filter sock[sump1], two zip-lock micron bags, one of activated carbon another with bio-balls and the skimmer sits on-top of both, the heater sits in the same area[sump2]. The return pump came with it so I guess whatever is good for a 25G, it's super loud and needs replacing. I'm about one water change away from going through my first 3.35 Kg of salt mix with around 650g's left. Every water change has been a 20% water change, [18L-90L].After my first month I bought a bunch of test kits and my first clownfish, month two I got a couple trochus snails and a Bicolor Goby dumped a bottle of pods that disappeared lol. Then I watched an episode of BRS and Ryan and Andrew were saying just go out and buy your first coral if you haven't, so I did in month 3 I got a Green Tipped Torch Coral and a Green Fungia Plate Coral and a Fire Goby, they had Helfrich's dartfish at my local store but were like $380 each, I didn't really want an epic rare super cool fish just yet. I'm only almost 4 months into the hobby and could you imagine doing something wrong and killing a $380 fish. Hell naah. My water looks great Corals look good, Torch coral seems nicely acclimated and is fully extending so I can see it's mouth, fungia plate coral is interesting to watch as it changes shape and color often. I'm really happy with everything so far, I hope nothing goes wrong so one day I can think about getting some SPS or interesting rare fish.

 

[SakuraSky]

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

What brand UV did you get? I am having the same issue and don't have room in my sump for a uv

 

[Carpenter Wayne]

My display tank water has clear for quite some time. I credit all to the Triton Method. Only been in the saltwater/reefing hobby for almost two years. A year and a half been running the full Triton method, what a game changer. People that say it is too expensive are the non-believers. Here is my break down for everyone to see.
I figured out cost of trace elements per ml. (for example: 1,000ml Bromine is $45 = 0.045¢ per ml or 100ml Nickel is $32 = 0.32¢ per ml) dosing every element from 5 to 1 stars costs $87.50 that is good for 3 month. Figuring weekly dosing the same is $1.78 x 3months= $21.36. I go through one bulk kit of Triton Core7 in 9 months, kit $147÷3= $49. I get the 6pk of Triton test kit for $270÷6= $45 every 3 months. Carbon I get the largest on BRS has for $95 switching it out every 2weeks using the entire container up on two separate tanks every 3 months for $95. Same thing with RowaPhos which is $162.
Main dosing $87.50
Weekly dosing $21.36
Triton Core7 $49.00
Test kit $45.00
Triton Carbon $95.00
RowaPhos $162
3 month cost $459.86 tax $0.056 = $485.61 Grand Total for 3 months

$161.87 per month to run the Triton Method has had no loss of life or needing water changes going on a year now.
Now figure out the salt needed for biweekly water changes, rodi filters, all the extra water testing, loss of life due to lacking elements and/or water chemistry fluctuation, and most expensive part in my opinion, your time either in additional maintenance or just worrying about the state your tank is in.
Penny wise, pound foolish. Every weekly dosing the tank water seems as the water disappears and the fish are floating, that is how clear the water gets.