Cloudy Water Has Returned - At My Wits' End...Is Purigen the Answer?

[Osage_Winter]

Thanks, Reef.

As I said, I'm probably being too optimistic about what I saw in terms of the water clarity -- but I think it cleared up just a tiny bit...

Unless I dropped those Omega One veggie discs in the tank, the water was never so cloudy that you couldn't see through it -- it just always had like a smoky haze about it, thicker in some areas and lighter and more transparent in others. Is it possible this was just a mini-cycle or ammonia spike?

I am still going to get the bucket Floyd suggested and the API test kit, and maybe a new gravel vac...but do I need a third filter at this point in addition to the Aqueon 55 and AquaClear 110? What about adding the Purigen?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

At this point, you do not need anything else. Your 2 filters should handle the bio-load with no problem, but you need to get the gravel cleaned and start adhering to a regular schedule of water changes.

While thinking back on the original issue with the gravel vac, and how you said you couldn't get it working, what were you trying to siphon the water into at that time? The flower vase?

 

[Osage_Winter]

At this point, you do not need anything else. Your 2 filters should handle the bio-load with no problem, but you need to get the gravel cleaned and start adhering to a regular schedule of water changes.

Okay...

While thinking back on the original issue with the gravel vac, and how you said you couldn't get it working, what were you trying to siphon the water into at that time? The flower vase?

LOL -- no, not the vase! We syphoned whatever dribbles we could suck up into a car-washing-sized bucket, that we still have, but cannot use for this project (well, for ADDING the water at least) because car wash suds and other gunk has left a residue, I am sure, on the inside of it...

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Ok!! I shivered at the thought of filling a 1/2 gallon jar...that would take less than 10 seconds!!

Still though, a 1 or even 2 gallon pail just won't do the job - you need a couple 5g buckets, then fill them to about 4g and they're pretty easy to carry around without sloshing water around. The Home Depot ones have lids that you can put on if you're really worried about that also. They're about $1 each.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Ok!! I shivered at the thought of filling a 1/2 gallon jar...that would take less than 10 seconds!!

No, we actually used a bucket for that one...

Still though, a 1 or even 2 gallon pail just won't do the job - you need a couple 5g buckets, then fill them to about 4g and they're pretty easy to carry around without sloshing water around. The Home Depot ones have lids that you can put on if you're really worried about that also. They're about $1 each.

That's where we're gonna go for the buckets, Floyd -- thanks. Home Depot run is in the future!