Particles galore. Please help

[Darbna]

So I've had my 265 Gallon up for 7 months or so. Corals doing great. Fish getting fat. But I can't get the particles out of the water column. I have 300 gallons total. Running 2 larger socks and a sponge filter. The only water not being filtered is from the refugium prior to return but it runs through a ton of bioballs. Yesterday I turned the doser deposit around so it's not depositing in the return water but depositing in front of the sponge filter. Really frustrated and would love some feedback or direction. As far as flow in the display, I have 2 maxspect running between 10-20% so that's not an issue. I am on the back end of some green hair algae so I don't know if that has to do with it but I need some help.

 

[Brew12]

So I've had my 265 Gallon up for 7 months or so. Corals doing great. Fish getting fat. But I can't get the particles out of the water column. I have 300 gallons total. Running 2 larger socks and a sponge filter. The only water not being filtered is from the refugium prior to return but it runs through a ton of bioballs. Yesterday I turned the doser deposit around so it's not depositing in the return water but depositing in front of the sponge filter. Really frustrated and would love some feedback or direction. As far as flow in the display, I have 2 maxspect running between 10-20% so that's not an issue. I am on the back end of some green hair algae so I don't know if that has to do with it but I need some help.

Its hard to say without knowing what the particles are. You could have pods reproducing in your DT which will cause particles in your tank. It could also be algae or any number of other sources.
Do you feel these particles are causing problems or are you just worried about the aesthetics?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

+1^

but it runs through a ton of bioballs.

Yea it could be this....

 

[Darbna]

Its hard to say without knowing what the particles are. You could have pods reproducing in your DT which will cause particles in your tank. It could also be algae or any number of other sources.
Do you feel these particles are causing problems or are you just worried about the aesthetics?

Its def not pods. And its def not air bubbles either. i think some of it is a result of the hair algae but not all of it. Its driving me crazy. Not a hazard to the living situation for the livestock, just ascetics

.

 

[Darbna]

+1^

Yea it could be this....

why do you think the bio balls would do it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

why do you think the bio balls would do it.

the gather and hold detritus.
A quick fix would be put floss or sponge over the return pump, to see if its coming from the sump or is from someting in the display.

 

[Darbna]

the gather and hold detritus.
A quick fix would be put floss or sponge over the return pump, to see if its coming from the sump or is from someting in the display.

I just put some on both return pumps. We will see

 

[DanConnor]

Do you have a long horizontal in your return?

 

[Darbna]

Do you have a long horizontal in your return?

Long Horizontal? Not sure what your asking...

 

[DanConnor]

Like a long horizontal run in the pipe from the return. I have had that in basement returns that ran across the house, and had particulate problems that was only in the return. My best guess is sediment builds up and then flakes off in batches and flows into the display.

 

[Darbna]

Like a long horizontal run in the pipe from the return. I have had that in basement returns that ran across the house, and had particulate problems that was only in the return. My best guess is sediment builds up and then flakes off in batches and flows into the display.

maybe 2 feet at most. Not sure if that would do it though.

 

[Zack K]

I had the same problem. Especially when I put in a diamond goby. I used a carbon infused filer pad and made sure 100% of the water flowing through the sump had to go through the pad. Cleaned it up crystal clear in 24-36 hr

 

[Darbna]

I had the same problem. Especially when I put in a diamond goby. I used a carbon infused filer pad and made sure 100% of the water flowing through the sump had to go through the pad. Cleaned it up crystal clear in 24-36 hr

what carbon pad did you use?

 

[Y2KReef]

What happens when you shut all the pumps and return pump off? Do the particles just settle or turn into stringy gooie looking stuff? I know, not very technical.......

 

[Elegance Coral]

can you post a FTS and a pic of the filtration?

 

[Zack K]

what carbon pad did you use?

My LFS was out so I went to PETCO and whatever their generic carbon infused pad is. Let me find a pic.

Edit*** Here is the picture

 

[bif24701]

Micro bubbles?

 

[Darbna]

It's not bubbles. When I turn the system off, what's in the column kinda Jst hangs in the column. Not stringy or anything. I'm convinced that my return is not pushing fast enough, and that the particles are from algae.

 

[splix]

I'm having the same thing. I've got a 6' 125 with two gyre 250's on 20% anti-sync. I do have a heavy bioload due to being only FOWLR. I put 200 micron filter socks on, filter pads in the baffle before the return pump. This seemed to help a little but it's still not cleared up. I'm about to drop tropic eden reef flakes over my sand to see if that is causing it also. I used carrib sea fiji pink sand, and it's the worst sand ever.
I expect some particles, but my tank looks like the pic OP posted. I've seen full reef's with very little particles without any special equipment so I'm just perplexed as to what I'm doing wrong or what the problem is.
It's not calcium carbonate either, my levels are balanced and my mag is 1500.