An Aquarium "Side View" Question...

[Osage_Winter]

Is it considered normal to find the water a bit more hazy and cloudy when viewing a tank from the side rather than head-on?

It seems when I view my 60 gallon from the front, the water is beginning to exhibit that "polished," oxygen-rich, clear look, but when I view from the side(s), it looks murky and cloudy; is this normal? What would cause it if not?

 

[mfdrookie516]

You're looking through a lot more water when you look through the side. Thats the only explanation I've ever come up with

 

[mattrox]

You're looking through a lot more water when you look through the side. Thats the only explanation I've ever come up with

That's because it is the reason.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I always saw that on my tanks in the past, and some of the saltwater tanks I work on are kind of brownish from side to side. This one:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/tank-journal-135-fowlr-124418.html

Was really bad in that respect, after I did a lot of clean-up and added Purigen (I know, I talk about it a lot) it went crystal clear. This one:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f45/tank-journal-225-sw-fowlr-possible-future-reef-127906.html

Looks great from the front, but very brown with only 10,000Ks on, better with Actinics on also.

My 55 planted community has been and side to side ever since using Purigen. It really polishes the water up well. I had a 55 cichlid tank when I was a teenager and it was always cloudy from side to side (but it was running a UGF and in front of a window). So I don't know if it has anything to do with live plants or Purigen or filtration method (Marinelane C-360) or frequent PWCs (50% weekly) or something else, but my tank is almost perfectly clear all the time, no matter which direction you look through it.

 

[BillD]

If it looks cloudy from the side, it isn't as clear as you thought.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Here's my 55 from the front

Side with then without flash

Funny that you can see the PWC line. Algae doesn't grow back as fast from the exposure to air! Hard to tell from the pic, 'cause the 'no flash' pics always are washed out - but it's clear as a window.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Is it considered normal to find the water a bit more hazy and cloudy when viewing a tank from the side rather than head-on?

It seems when I view my 60 gallon from the front, the water is beginning to exhibit that "polished," oxygen-rich, clear look, but when I view from the side(s), it looks murky and cloudy; is this normal? What would cause it if not?

As I said over at AC, it should really be clear! Have you tried adding some filter floss to your filter? Supposedly this will 'polish' the water by removing most suspended particles.

 

[waynotcars]

That is the WAY I judge whether or not my 220 is REALLY clear. I always view it from the side. If I can see straight through ALL 6 feet of tank right through, crystal clear, then I KNOW my tank is clear. If it's a little hazy, I know I need to do something. ie-change my carbon, water change, etc.

 

[BigJim]

Look through the glass, then look through the water from the top with the filters off. My water is clearer than my glass and the only things in my filter are sponge and ceramic biomedia.

 

[FishEggs]

I only clean the front glass so the sides have algae on them so it's never clear when viewing from the side.

 

[spoonman]

Is it possible that manufacturers use better glass on the front than they do on the sides????? Just asking.

 

[BigJim]

Some tanks are built with Starphire glass on the front, some with it on the front and sides. I think you'd know about it though because the Starphire glass is a lot more expensive than regular glass.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Some tanks are built with Starphire glass on the front, some with it on the front and sides. I think you'd know about it though because the Starphire glass is a lot more expensive than regular glass.

You should be able to get just about as good a side view looking from one end of the front I guess.

 

[Osage_Winter]

You're looking through a lot more water when you look through the side. Thats the only explanation I've ever come up with

That doesn't seem to be the concensus I'm getting at AquaticCommunity -- it seems the water should be EXACTLY the same, no matter which viewing angle...I'll address that in detail when I can...

 

[Osage_Winter]

That's because it is the reason.

The water shouldn't appear in the same kind of clarity from the side and front?

 

[Osage_Winter]

I always saw that on my tanks in the past, and some of the saltwater tanks I work on are kind of brownish from side to side. This one:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/tank-journal-135-fowlr-124418.html

Was really bad in that respect, after I did a lot of clean-up and added Purigen (I know, I talk about it a lot) it went crystal clear. This one:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f45/tank-journal-225-sw-fowlr-possible-future-reef-127906.html

Looks great from the front, but very brown with only 10,000Ks on, better with Actinics on also.

My 55 planted community has been and side to side ever since using Purigen. It really polishes the water up well. I had a 55 cichlid tank when I was a teenager and it was always cloudy from side to side (but it was running a UGF and in front of a window). So I don't know if it has anything to do with live plants or Purigen or filtration method (Marinelane C-360) or frequent PWCs (50% weekly) or something else, but my tank is almost perfectly clear all the time, no matter which direction you look through it.

So, Floyd, then what should it be -- just as clear from the sides as it is from the front?

 

[Osage_Winter]

If it looks cloudy from the side, it isn't as clear as you thought.

Now this is concerning me; indeed, perhaps the water isn't as clear as I think because from the side, it looks cloudier and "whispier"...

 

[Osage_Winter]

Here's my 55 from the front

Side with then without flash

Funny that you can see the PWC line. Algae doesn't grow back as fast from the exposure to air! Hard to tell from the pic, 'cause the 'no flash' pics always are washed out - but it's clear as a window.

Yeah, the second side view picture looks much clearer -- mine isn't that clear from the side...

 

[Osage_Winter]

As I said over at AC, it should really be clear! Have you tried adding some filter floss to your filter? Supposedly this will 'polish' the water by removing most suspended particles.

Hello Mark,

No I haven't added filter floss to the Aqueons; would Purigen be considered a floss?

 

[Osage_Winter]

As I said over at AC, it should really be clear! Have you tried adding some filter floss to your filter? Supposedly this will 'polish' the water by removing most suspended particles.

Also, Mark -- I realize that you said over at AC that it should be clear from the side, but early in this thread here, THIS was stated:

You're looking through a lot more water when you look through the side. Thats the only explanation I've ever come up with

...and this was agreed upon by mattrox...

So, what do I believe? Should the water be clear DEFINITELY when looking from the side, or is it normal that I am seeing this because you're looking through a lot more depth?