Ziss Bubble as a 2nd filter for 40g Breeder with 2 big goldfish a good idea?

[pedrofisk]

My kids have two very big goldfish in a 40g breeder with an Aquaclear filer on it. The water stays cloudy so it needs more filtration. Ammonia is fine the water is just cloudy. I am thinking about the Ziss Bubble bio filer as the second filter on the aquarium rather than a sponge or second Aquaclear.

Yea? Nay? Give it a shot?

Thanks!

[lefty o]

give it a try.

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/30/2022 at 12:50 PM, pedrofisk said:

The water stays cloudy so it needs more filtration. Ammonia is fine the water is just cloudy. I am thinking about the Ziss Bubble bio filer as the second filter on the aquarium rather than a sponge or second Aquaclear.

ACs have pretty course filtration if you aren't running filter floss. I run a ziss on everything that is 29G or larger because I like having the flow and when doing water changes there is still air going and things moving so I can take my time.  In my 75G I had two Tidal 75s and two ziss bubble bios.  The Ziss filters do "polish" the water a bit nicely and there is a product from seachem I use in the case of really *needing* to clear out fines in the water. (Clarity is the name)

There is also another filter from sicce that works but it's so fragile I do not recommend it. (shark series)

For your issue, you probably can get away with just running a fine filter pad from now on in addition to any other media.

[Kathy F]

Is the substrate fine sand?   If it is, then that might be your culprit.   Goldfish like to dig and stir up the bottom and when I had mine on fine white sand the aquarium was forever cloudy.  One of them always dug an entire corner of the tank bare, no matter how much sand I added, drove me crazy.  I had to get medium grit black diamond sand (much heavier but still sand like) and that stopped the cloudiness and them digging down to the glass. 

If that isn't the case then you should try more mechanical filtration not more biological filtration, either filter floss or polishing pad.   I use polishing pads.  You can buy a roll of polishing filter material off of Amazon or by the sheet from Aquarium Coop.  I make templates for the filter out of those thin plastic cutting mats and just custom cut the polishing pads to fit.   I also use those cutting mats as barriers b/w solid wood furniture and nano aquariums to protect the wood from accidental drips.  Amazon.com: Flexible Plastic Cutting Board Mats set, Colorful Kitchen Cutting Board Set of 3 Colored Mats: Home & Kitchen   

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 3/30/2022 at 2:50 PM, pedrofisk said:

Ammonia is fine the water is just cloudy.

Sounds like you are having particulate issues not nitrogen oxidation issues, if I understand you correctly.  That Ziss filter will work well for converting ammonia->nitrite->nitrate, i.e. biofiltration.  However, it doesn't look like it will have good fine particulate filtration.  So, I would concur with @Kathy F, that finding a finer particulate filter media might be your next move (assuming it isn't the substrate disturbance issue she mentioned). 

[Colu]

I use a fluval 307 external canister filter and a ziss 300F bubble filter on my tank and that has one 12 in comet in it  and it works well never get ammonia or nitrites and the water stays clear

[pedrofisk]

Thanks all. It's definitely not the substrate getting kicked up as I just have a thin layer of black gravel. The Aquaclear has the Coop polishing pads in addition to the sponge and some crushed coral. More mechanical filtration may very well be the solution still.

I suppose if I get the Ziss for bio filtration then I can put more mechanical media in the Aquaclear. I'm just trying to avoid a second Aquaclear but that's also an option of course.