Just Started

[cjken3063]

After 30 years of freshwater and 25 years of salt water I still don't know it all. I have been having a heck of a time getting my saltwater tank crystal clear like it used to be.

I had my 150 gallon tank spring a leak and over the last year, it is clear, but not crystal clear like my fresh water. Before the leak, It was crystal clear. I was able to save about 90 gallons of the 130 or so that the tank holds (I have about 200lbs of rock) It is making me nuts. The fish are healthy, growing and look fine. I have added on fish without incident, but it does not look 100% clear.

I have a wet dry filter (homemade with a 30 gallon tank supporting it). I just put in a brand new UV set up. I also have (2) hot magnums and a small wave maker to give plenty of surface movement.

I was recently told to purchase the Rena filter to clear up anything that might be preventing my tank from being clear again.

Any advise? I did change the skimmer box on my wet dry to go with a more powerful pump. I do see some microbubles in the tank, but I don't think there is enough to cause the tank to get cloudy

Any advise would be appreciated.

thanks

Chris

 

[marina]

Welcome to AA!!! OMG!!! If after 25-30 years you don't know it all...what will be of me???I cannot even pass the New Aquarium Syndrome phase!!! hehehe
I am sure you will find great advise here...these people really know what they are talking about!
Good luck!

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard

 

[neilanh]

Welcome to the site!

If you have all that filtration, adding a rena isn't going to help you. You do need to determine, however, if what you're seeing in the tank is particulate or microbubbles, as they are 2 very different solutions.

if you think it's particulate, try putting some filter floss in the wet/dry to collect it. Filter floss is just pillow batting, basically, that can collect the tiniest of particles.

 

[discus_lover]

hello and welcome here...

 

[cjken3063]

I never thought to put filter floss in the wet dry. It works great for the freshwater tank. I will give it a shot. Thanks

 

[jimv8673]

cloudy ???

It would be nice to know exactly what was causing the cloudiness, however one thought i have for you since you say you have Hot Magnums, is, In the past ive used DE powder to polish water using the Hot. What you do is put the cartridge filter in the Magnum, instead of the media filter,

Take your filter to a sink where youve pre-mixed some DE in water, in a container large enough to allow you to kind of hang the hot in it like it was the tank. have the magnum pre-primed, and turn it on. It will start to circulate the water containing the DE thru the filter, and the DE will collect on the cartridge filter. when the water in your container turns clear. Take the Hot back to your tank and hang it on, let that run for awhile and you will be surprised how much tiny stuff will be removed.

That works with the Hot Magnum just like a DE filter on a swimming pool, which by the way is a good place to get some DE powder... The pool supply place should have it.

 

[cjken3063]

I just got a Diatom. I didn't like the way the hot magnum worked. I will let you know if it clears up the issue.

I find it i funny that the tank has a slight haze, but the fish look great, are eating well and growing.

Whatever happened, happened when the tank leaked. Even though I never changed anything, I must have changed something. If the fish weren't doing so well, I would rather drain it and start from scratch

 

[neilanh]

I don't think draining it is a good plan, that will likely cause you to start having problems with your inhabitants.

It is odd that a leak would induce such problems after being in such a good state for so long though, so I'm a little stumped.