Clearing up the water in my tank

[Fishbros]

I have a 75 gallon tank that is running a fluval 407 filter as well as a aquarium coop large sponge filter.  I have also added a pre filter sponge on the outside of the fluval intake.  I am having issues with the water being rather cloudy.  I have some pretty fine sand and several corys and I am thinking that the water might be cloudy with sand particles from them.  I have reduced feeding for the last few weeks and have not seen a change.  I tested my water with an API test kit and everything is zero except Nitrate with is 5ppm.  I do weekly and sometimes biweekly water changes and that helps for a little.  I have added some poly fill this week to see if that helps with no luck.   I cleaned my filter last week we tank water thinking it might be something stuck and preventing it from doing its job and no change.  I am out of ideas, what do you guys think? 

[Gwallace]

Is it a white cloudiness?  If so it could be a bacterial bloom.

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:21 PM, Fishbros said:

I have some pretty fine sand and several corys and I am thinking that the water might be cloudy with sand particles from them. 

Can you take a photo please. What kind of sand was used for the substrate?  Did you rinse it?  How often do you gravel vac it?

[Fishbros]

On 7/7/2022 at 4:19 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Can you take a photo please. What kind of sand was used for the substrate?  Did you rinse it?  How often do you gravel vac it?

I vacuum my tank at least once a week.  And the sand was washed very well and has been in there for months now.  It all started shortly after I changed to this sand to.  

 

On 7/7/2022 at 4:15 PM, Gwallace said:

Is it a white cloudiness?  If so it could be a bacterial bloom.

I have not thought of that I can look into that.  It's hard to see in the picture but it has a slight whiteness to it nothing thick though. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/7/2022 at 3:27 PM, Fishbros said:

I vacuum my tank at least once a week.  And the sand was washed very well and has been in there for months now.  It all started shortly after I changed to this sand to.  

Is it play sand or what kind of sand is it?  Is it specific aquarium grade sand?

What I see in the photo is a bacterial bloom. New filters can trigger it, heavy cleaning, etc.  If you clean the canister recently, that might be a cause or it might be a sign that you need to clean it / check on things.  Something might be clogged and adding the sponge in the tank gave bacteria a place to land.  If there was a recent ammonia spike, you'd see a bloom like this as well.  It's nothing to be concerned with and can take up to 2 weeks to clear up in some cases.

What I also see in the photo is that your HoB / Filter outflow is going across the tank, down the glass, and pushing an empty spot on the sand.  This increases the particulate in the air and can cause damage to your equipment.  I would try to make the output push water along the longest side of the tank if possible to reduce this affect.  you can also have a pre-filter sponge and/or raise up the intake slightly to try and reduce it from taking in the substrate. Especially if it is a very lightweight, fine sand.

[Fishbros]

On 7/7/2022 at 4:32 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Is it play sand or what kind of sand is it?  Is it specific aquarium grade sand?

What I see in the photo is a bacterial bloom. New filters can trigger it, heavy cleaning, etc.  If you clean the canister recently, that might be a cause or it might be a sign that you need to clean it / check on things.  Something might be clogged and adding the sponge in the tank gave bacteria a place to land.  If there was a recent ammonia spike, you'd see a bloom like this as well.  It's nothing to be concerned with and can take up to 2 weeks to clear up in some cases.

What I also see in the photo is that your HoB / Filter outflow is going across the tank, down the glass, and pushing an empty spot on the sand.  This increases the particulate in the air and can cause damage to your equipment.  I would try to make the output push water along the longest side of the tank if possible to reduce this affect.  you can also have a pre-filter sponge and/or raise up the intake slightly to try and reduce it from taking in the substrate. Especially if it is a very lightweight, fine sand.

I forgot to mention that, it is aquarium sand.  I have the caribsea super natural put in the tanks.  I am trying to work out my issues with the filter currently I am trying to figure out the best configuration for that tank. Thank you for the help with that

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/7/2022 at 3:47 PM, Fishbros said:

I am trying to work out my issues with the filter currently I am trying to figure out the best configuration for that tank. Thank you for the help with that

If you want to take a picture of it, by all means go for it.  Here's how to setup the canister itself.
 

 

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:21 PM, Fishbros said:

I have a 75 gallon tank that is running a fluval 407 filter as well as a aquarium coop large sponge filter.  I have also added a pre filter sponge on the outside of the fluval intake.  I am having issues with the water being rather cloudy.  I have some pretty fine sand and several corys and I am thinking that the water might be cloudy with sand particles from them.  I have reduced feeding for the last few weeks and have not seen a change.  I tested my water with an API test kit and everything is zero except Nitrate with is 5ppm.  I do weekly and sometimes biweekly water changes and that helps for a little.  I have added some poly fill this week to see if that helps with no luck.   I cleaned my filter last week we tank water thinking it might be something stuck and preventing it from doing its job and no change.  I am out of ideas, what do you guys think? 

Throw out the rocks and carbon in that 407, fill it with coarse foam like 30ppi, quit cleaning it and I bet it will clear. Only clean it when it starts to plug up. This takes many months.

I'm thinking bacteria because it looks milky (right?) and only more/better filtration will cure it.  

Less feeding helps of course but still.....

BTW I don't buy what the "pond guru" is sellin' (or sayin')

This is more like it,  Cory is doing HOB's but this applies to canisters too. 

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Wrencher_Scott

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/7/2022 at 5:48 PM, Wrencher_Scott said:

BTW I don't buy what the "pond guru" is sellin' (or sayin')

This is more like it,  Cory is doing HOB's but this applies to canisters too. 

Cory actually has a video specifically on the fluval canisters.

Buying / Selling by someone isn't the point. The method is why I bring up pondguru's stuff. 

Foams --> Fine filter --> Biological ---> Chemical.

That's generally the setup for everything.

 

[Kurt Brutting]

I had a bacterial bloom not to long ago on one of my newer aquariums. I added extra beneficial bacteria and it cleared it right up.

The exact product I used was Evolution Aqua Pure Bio Balls. I put a few in the filter and crystal clear water in about a week or so. It’s fish, shrimp, snail, and plant safe. 

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 7/7/2022 at 6:16 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Cory actually has a video specifically on the fluval canisters.

Buying / Selling by someone isn't the point. The method is why I bring up pondguru's stuff. 

Foams --> Fine filter --> Biological ---> Chemical.

That's generally the setup for everything.

 

Ya, that wasn't my point either. It was simply use foam because it is the best biofiltration. I run zero mechanical (fine filter) and zero chemical (charcoal) 

and my water is super clear. The key is LOTS of biofiltration. We are talking bacteria here, no filter will catch bacteria, but lots of bio will kill it off. 

I see that other stuff as nothing but a waist of space that could be used for course foam (excellent bio) and fine filters will plug quickly. 

There is more to our water than what those API kits and strips tell us. You can have the nastiest milky bacteria laden water there is and still see zero nitrite,  nitrate and ammonia. 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Wrencher_Scott

[BradfordAquatics]

I agree that it does look like a bacteria bloom which will generally correct itself over time. However, if it is just particles in the water column, adding some Seachem Purigen to your filter will do wonders and make it crystal clear! 

[Gwallace]

Several opinions here.  Pretty interesting.  Here are mine...

Bacterial blooms only require one thing to clear.  Time.  No need IMO to add anything...especially more bacteria.  The bloom will settle out on it's own.

Bio media is pretty much bio media.  It is my opinion after 40+ years in our hobby that far more bacteria are in the substrate and on the surfaces of "whatever" is in the tank than in any filter.

Yes some media will be more bacteria friendly than others but most all commercially (and DIY!) available medias will work.

I use foams exclusively and have since suitable foams became available 2 decades ago.

I use cans exclusively FX4's and FX6's and they are full of foams.  I start at the bottom with very coarse foams and then medium.  No fine foams or floss.

Just my opinion...your mileage may vary... 

 

[andreson]

Use Filter media to clean your water.

On 7/15/2022 at 2:38 PM, andreson said:

Use Filter media to clean your water.

SunSun Sun CBR Canister Filter Media Set is an excellent filter media you can use to clean your water you save in your aquarium.

[andreson]

On 7/15/2022 at 2:38 PM, andreson said:

Use Filter media to clean your water.

SunSun Sun CBR Canister Filter Media Set is an excellent filter media you can use to clean your water you save in your aquarium.

In addition to these, Seachem Purigen is also a good choice. 

[_Eric_]

Agree it looks like “bacteria bloom”.  Note that it isn’t the nitrifying bacteria that we talk about a lot but a bacteria that feeds on organic matter.  Nitrifying bacteria need to be on a surface to reproduce and there has to be a lot of bacteria reproducing in the water for us to be able to see it with the naked eye. There are organic eating bacteria that also grow on surfaces and in the filter and these need time to establish as well.  In my opinion this is part of the “seasoned tank” vs “cycled tank” Cory talks about.

The best solution is to do nothing.  No water changes, no cleaning, etc.  things to watch out for are ammonia spikes (as organic bacteria release ammonia) which can happen if your beneficial bacteria is still ramping up. And oxygen depletion as the bacteria can utilize oxygen in the water.  likely wont have either of these problems but be on the lookout.  Change your water if nitrates get higher than you want but otherwise just wait it out.  

[sankaz]

_Eric_ that sounds like the best advice I've heard yet. Thanks!

[Procrypsis]

For what it's worth:

I set up two 20L tanks with Amazonia aqua soil, lava rocks, java fern, java moss and cholla wood. I had the intent of adding shrimp frm my breeding colonies. Tanks had HOB tidal 35's and sponge filters. They had been cycled - up and running for over 2 months. Crystal clear water, great algae growth.

My interests turned to dwarf loricariids - Otocinclus types. I decided to utilize these tanks for Parotocinclus, Nannoptopoma and Rhinocinclus. As I did not have a lot of husbandry info to go on, I decided to add ~1" of cleaned/rinsed pool sand to one tank. Even after rinsing the sand thoroughly - that tank gained a white haze that looks very similar to what you are picturing above.

It is now been 2 months since the sand was added and the tank is finally as clear as the other. No changes to filtration were implemented. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Procrypsis