Water- help!

[Ichthy]

[I think this is in the right section, if not, sorry!!]

After seeing atleast 10 different tanks and seeing the water crystal clear with spots of green algae, i'm wondering why my water isnt.
Running: I have 2 canister filters XP3 size 6, a Skimmer up to 150 gal, 2 fans for extra water movement.

Am i needing something else?
Should i just wait a little bit longer? Tank's been up for about a week.

[Randy@pollyspets]

I would recommend wait... Your tank is still cycling. If I'm not mistaken, I believe you used some water from your old tank, Which is good, but the tank still needs to fully cycle. Make sure you keep the feedings low, no need to add excess of anything this early in. Small weekly partials 5-10% would probably be your friend as well. Gets new water in without severely changing existing conditions. Of course these are just suggestions, every tank is different, so I could be wrong, I'm just recommending things that seem to work for me!

-Randy

[Ichthy]

Yes i did use my old tank's water, i believe about 90% or 95% cause there's maybe an inch or 2 left in my old tank.
After last time i talked to you about the clear water, you did say to cut the feeds down which i had been feeding them 2x a day and they semi threw a fit but they got used to the feedings of once which i have stuck too.
I didn't feed the new guys i got wed. cause i got into the routine of feeding at 1pm.
The fans seem to be throwing what i think is sand, it looks like little specks.
I just been hearing complaints "Randy's tanks are crystal clear, what are you doing wrong?"
So i start thinking that maybe i am doing something wrong.
Thanks for the help, i'll have to write your advice on my fish memo board & my fish book so i dont forget it! :)

[Regric25]

Are you talking about it being cloudy? If its cloudy and its been running for a week I would just give it some more time. It takes a while to get the water to clear up durring the first week or 2. Patience is key. You might get a smaller micron mechanical media for your filter. That should help catch some of the dust and crap. Just remember that it will cause you to have to change the filter media a little more often at first because it will get clogged faster. Also try using Microbacter 7. It will help with clarity and will help cycle the tank faster. Im not sure what kind of fish you have but I feed mine every other day. Do weekly water changes also that will help. Just my 0.02. :)

[Ichthy]

Yeah, if you look at mine and the tanks at Polly's, my tank looks a little cloudy.
Thanks, i'll have to try the micron media cause it looks like my fans after blowing up the sand, atleast i think it's sand.

:)Thanks for the help, i just want my tank to be crystal clear like ones i see.

[Big_Pun]

also try adding some chemipure elite, works great. But yeah it takes a while to clear and lil specs are probally some sort of "life" floating around, or even micro bubbles if your skimmer is close to the return or overflows directly into your tank.

[hobogato]

running some carbon will also help with that.

[CoryDude]

running some carbon will also help with that.

++ on that. A micron bag full of carbon or adding some to your cannisters could help.

[Ichthy]

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE ADVICE!!!
I spent about 5 years reading books before getting a tank and the books i read where not as knowledgeable as you guys!!
I'll try each advice! :)

[allan]

Wow, I hate to add anything to what's posted above.

But...

I used to get the same complaints "Their tanks are crystal clear, why isn't yours" for the longest time. In fact I'd bet dollars to dougnuts that I know exactly who's making those comments.

Aside from the fact that your tank is still settling down I'll tell you what I tried. I tried running the carbon, and I've skimmed, and I've used mechanical filtration as well. That's my definition of using the filter floss stuff as it 'mechanically' separates the particulate matter out of your water column. Ping once told me that it's best to get rid of the filter pads once every three days to prevent it turning into a nitrate factory. Not religously doing so, but everytime I think about it I change the filter pad.

I don't add chemicals other than Kalk.

I've not had the opportunity to add a phosban reactor although I think I will since the advice of the seasoned veterans all indicate this is a feasible COA.

My wife doesn't ask me about the clarity of the water any longer. In fact she says things like "wow, it looks so pretty" and "the water is really clear now".

You're probably asking yourself, "well, what did he do?" with your eyebrows all extended up and your left hand scratching your head, right hand scrolling the mouse roller deal thing.

I tend to write a lot.

This isn't for everyone, nor is it significantly impacting my cyano problem although I've noticed a moderate receding of cyano.... that's the main reason I want a phosban reactor.

I recently picked up an ozone generator. I run it for about an hour a night in the fuge through an airstone. It took me awhile to realize that it isn't the detritus and particulate matter that you have an issue with, but rather those tiny little buggers that you can't see that in sufficient number obscures your tank's water column.

I couldn't be happier than a two year old boy in a puddle of mud. My wife stopped hassling me about the water clarity, and I can actually see the difference.

That isn't the only cure. Some dude called finner or fenner told me that a HOB micron filter cannister ran a few hours a week or day will also "polish" the water. I never got around to following his advice, but he had went on to say that there is a lot in that water column that coral likes/needs and cleaning it too much would have a negative impact on the inhabitants.

Hope this helps although I think you should wait a few months to see where the cards fall before taking any hasty steps that might turn your water opaque rather than clear.

[Ichthy]

I bet you dollars you could guess who's giving me hard time about not having crystal clear water.
Wow, you had what i was doing right to the end!! Believe me, you could write a novel about this AND still have my attention!
I'm always wanting advice about the smallest thing to the biggest thing.
I dont have a sump/fuge yet so i'm not sure the ozone generator would work for me.
I only have 4 corals, 3 small ones and 1 big one so i haven't really cleaned anything since the tank is still new but my calcium is at 400, which i just tested yesterday[after i went out and bought a kit]

But i'll try what you said :)

[allan]

If you don't have a fuge I wouldn't bother with the ozone till you do. The bubbles caused by the ozone should either be limited to the skimmer, or far enough from the return that they don't end up in the DT.

If you don't have a fuge/sump yet, well I'd go in that direction first to establish that extra little facet of the hobby that makes it so enjoyable. Right now I'm growing trees! Okay, they're man groves but they are basically trees. In my fuge, lots of sand rock macro algae and a LOT of coral that I simply don't want in my DT. Mushrooms, Kenya, a little Xenia, some GSP... a Linkia star fish (have a harliquin in my DT). For what ever reason my fuge water is always crystal clear. I think that's due to the moderate and steady flow of my fuge as opposed to the turbulent forces at work in my DT.

How big is your tank? Forgive me as I am a newby myself. My first assumption was that you were in a biocube after you said you didn't have a fuge/sump. But I'm thinking you may have a larger tank with a closed loop system.

Anyway, keep your eyes open for the ozone, but before you go that route I'd definitely get yourself a fuge/sump set up. Much fun, and very interesting.

[Ichthy]

I have a sump now but i believe it's different than normal ones i see on here, the one i got hangs on the back, it's just not set up cause i have no idea how to do it but Steven at Polly's said he would help tues.
Then most likely in Aug/Sept i'm gonna get the fuge cause i want copepods for the green mandarin.
I have a 75gal right now. I want to turn my 20gal into a "nano" tank just for corals.