How can I get clearer water in my tank

[danny240]

I would give you the tank but I have to much invested and I am not even done yet I will try to get pictures posted. I have probably invested around $5000 to $6000 and not even done yet. I have over 300lbs of rock in this tank and refugium. I put a oceans motions motor on it and it has broken allready. I did have a calcium reactor on it but sold it and just went back to the drip method. I just started putting corals in the tank but it has been setup for about 3 years. I am just working on it as I can afford to this is a exspensive hobby.

 

[Curtswearing]

That would be fine (other than it will trap a lot more detritus) once it is submerged. I don't think you'll want carbon exposed to air as I "think" impurities in the air, it will absorb as well (which I figure is why they use them in cat litter boxes to absorb the odor) so I figure it will exhaust it quicker. Could be wrong, though but just a thought. Hopefully someone else will chime in to give a coreect answer if I'm off

You're right Krish. You don't want carbon exposed to air but it's not air impurities that are the issue. Trapped air actually prevents impurities/organics from traveling from the transport pores to the adsorption pores. The adsorption pores are the ones that trap the nasties for us.

 

[Krish]

I would give you the tank but I have to much invested and I am not even done yet I will try to get pictures posted. I have probably invested around $5000 to $6000 and not even done yet. I have over 300lbs of rock in this tank and refugium. I put a oceans motions motor on it and it has broken allready. I did have a calcium reactor on it but sold it and just went back to the drip method. I just started putting corals in the tank but it has been setup for about 3 years. I am just working on it as I can afford to this is a exspensive hobby.

Sounds like a really nice setup!! You'll definately have to get us some pics

You're right Krish. You don't want carbon exposed to air but it's not air impurities that are the issue. Trapped air actually prevents impurities/organics from traveling from the transport pores to the adsorption pores. The adsorption pores are the ones that trap the nasties for us.

Thanks Curt for clearing that up!! For some reason though, it didn't look like you were online! See...Gone again:lol:

 

[danny240]

I have to reduce the size of my pics or just take new ones because the jpeg size of the pic that I have takne is 155 and I cant put it on there because it is to large.

 

[Krish]

Yeah..I use microsoft paint to minimize pics to upload as attachemts or I'll just upload the pics directly to this website www.imageshack.us select 15 inch monitor and use "Hotlinks to Forums1" for the address to post a pic here. You will get a "text" link to copy and paste, but when you hit "reply", you'll get the pic instead

 

[aquarookie]

Can you put carbon in the overflow?

My thinking was, how would you get it back out? If you use a mesh bag, it might not conform exactly to the shape of your overflow, so the water would flow around it rather than through it. The articles I just read say that it is a lot less effective that way... If you don't use a mesh bag, then scooping (or siphoning) it out would be a pain in the tail!

 

[Haole]

Welcome to RF danny!
Can’t wait to see the pic’s!

I’m surprised that your UV isn’t helping out any... This also makes me think that there probably isn’t any kind of bacterial or algal water bourn bloom taking place. Although, how old is the bulb in your UV unit? It’s recommended that they should be replaced around every 6 months. The carbon will no doubt ably help, but I agree as well that you might also need to run some kind of mechanical filtration to polish the water for a day or so. Just don’t forget to change out or clean the filter media that you choose to use if you’re running it longer than a couple of days.

 

[Scooterman]

Usually after I vacuum things up, & blow rocks with a turkey baster & get things really cloudy I continue to use the micron sock filter & put it on the drain return. The thing the coast to coast overflow does really well is get the detritus down to the sump, after a night with the sock on I take it off & wash it, if the tank isn't totally clear It usually better after a day or two at worst.

 

[danny240]

I have notice that alot of the cloudiness is really fine bubbles coming from my returns. I just have to figure out what is causing this to do that. It seems like that it is always something with a aquarium that requires something else or you attention. I set this tank up and I did not know anything about this kind of thing so hopefully it is something simple. I am using one return pump a little giant it returns the water to both ends of the tank next to the overflows. The tank is a acrlic from tenecor and had the returns in place already.

 

[Krish]

Are you using lockline? If so, and they are exposed to air, then that can cause micro-bubbles. Lockline typically needs to be submerged. Next thing would be the sump...Do you have a bubble trap leading up to the return pump or something to catch bubbles before it hits the return pump? If not, then you may need to factor something in there. Micro-bubbles are known to be transferred back to the tank from the sump a lot. Let us know on the sump layout as that could be the culprit. One last thing that comes to mind is new plumbing. Typically new plumbing needs time to "slime up" for whatever reason to prevent micro-bubbles. Many people have had to wait it out some for this same reason...Allowing the plumbing to slime up. Also, trapped air in the lines can cause it as well...Just a few thoughts for starters. One thing I use to do as well to help with the micro-bubble issue coming from the sump, was use an elbow on the suction for the return pump and let the pump suck from like an inch off of the bottom of the sump. Bubbles will rise so the lower you suck water from, the less chance you have of picking up bubbles. Hope that helps some

 

[danny240]

Yes I do have locklines for the returns but they are submerged. I also have baffles seperating my sump from the overflow lines to the return pump. MY sump was made by lifereef and the return pump is in the center of the sump and the front bottom center of the sump connected with a elbow. The only thing is I can not remember if there are clamps on the rubber tubing connecting to the locklines it is possible it could be sucking air couldnt it.

 

[DonW]

Excuse me but I am new to this so I am going to ask a silly question what the h$#$ is a ozone and what does it do? I just put carbon in between the baffles on my sump in a bag.

Ozone is O3 it will oxidize and help get rid of nutrients in the water. It will definately help make clear water.

Don

 

[danny240]

what all do i need with the ozone and what size do i need with a 240 gallon aquarium. Also how do i connect it to my tank and set it up?

 

[DonW]

what all do i need with the ozone and what size do i need with a 240 gallon aquarium. Also how do i connect it to my tank and set it up?

Click the reef links below my name. Its all in the first two articles. There's a little more to ozone.

Don

 

[wrightme43]

Hey Danny whats up man? I will try to give you a call and ride out there and see your tank if you want.
Read up on ozone before you use it, like Don said. It has some issues that have to be taken into account before use and the way it is used.

You guys have seen pictures of Danny's tank. I post pictures along time ago. I am on the laptop so I dont have access to them but they are still in the desktop.
Its a really cool tank.

 

[danny240]

Hey steve that would be good maybe you can come up and see the tank now since it is enclosed in the wall now. I have added a refugium under my tank next to my sump and you can see it also thru the wall. I am making my tank and refugium look like a pic frame in the wall. I still have to get a MBV because the oceans motions shaft keeps tearing up. It works great for a while and then calcium buildup strips it out again. For what it costs it should have worked alot better than it does. I would like for you to look at what corals I do have it seems like they are not happy, my water was tested by mitch at fishey business and everything was good except calcium was a little high but he said it should be fine it is at 480. My clam looks good but I put some Montipora and some sps corals also a birds nest and they pretty much died. I might not have aclimated them long enough. They told my to just temp aclimate and then put them in so I did and they look like they are dead. This crap is to exspensive to just let it die .

 

[wrightme43]

I hear that.
Do you have a phosphate test kit? If so what kind?
Its hard to tell without seeing and testing.
Have you ever used phosban or rowaphos?
Do you have any chaeto algae in your fuge?
What kind of light is on your fuge?
I used a phosban reactor to get my phos down and then have been using chaeto and mangroves to keep it down. Its worked well for me.
Just let me know when you will be around.
If you call me in the morning, if your off work, I will ride on the bike, and bring some test kits.
I am going to bed now though, Tiffany is probley wondering WTF I am doing up still.

 

[danny240]

Steve came up today to check out my tank and we come up with that I need to attach two filter socks in my sump this will help on the tiny particles in the water. Also today I recieved my other 250 watt aqua medic mh light. This afternoon steve is checking my phosphate level and water quality and is supposed to post it on this sight for me. Hopefully me levels is what is making it hard to keep hard corals. I am also going to take off my closed loop and put it two tunze jets with controlers. So I am going to sell my 2700 gph dolphin pump. Right now I changed it to a single 1" pipe jetting water against the back wall of my tank and it is circulating to other side and swirling back to the front back towards the pump. So this helps on my circulation of water. We also decided that I needed a stockman standpipe in my overflows to soften the noise.

 

[wrightme43]

Going to go test it right now.
I had a great ride today. Went from your place up the disgruntled moose marina. LOL
Awesome curves where you live man.

You guys should see his place. Up on a big hill overlooking Mammoth cave national park, and Nolin lake area. Its beautiful there.

 

[wrightme43]

Here is what I got.
Phosphate like we talked about is high.
Phosphate @ 2-3 ppm It needs to be unmeasurable.

Ph is perfect @ 8.3

Nitrate is high @ 15ppm It should be zero but we talked about how to fix that with chaeto after the phosphate is down.

Calcium is great @ 425 I wouldnt try to push it any higher bad things will happen because of the next test result.

Ok this is crazy. I ran the test three times. It used up a LOT of reagent.
KH is @ 54 in DKH or 19.42 in Meq/L That is insanely high. There is a possibility my test kit is bad but it reading right on my tank, and the customers tank I used it on tuesday. I would stop immediately using Kalkwasser, stop adding any buffer compounds. It would be a very good idea to do several large water changes. I am talking over 80 gallons two or three times. I do not understand how it can be so high. Maybe one of the chemistry gurus can explain it for us.

Magnesium is @ 1290 its fine It could be a little higher if you want up to 1500.
I keep mine at 1500 it seems to help coraline grow.

All in all, I believe several massive water changes with rodi water, reef crystals salt will get you where you want to be.
As a added benifit it will lower the nitrate level, and lower the phosphate level at the same time. That way when you get your phosban reactor it wont have to have the media replaced as often.

From looking at your sand bed I think there are alot of bound up nutrient in the bed as well. So right now the more you change water the happier your tank will be. It might be a good idea ( I will probley get crap for this but I do it when ever I think my customers tanks need it) Stir the hell out of your sand bed and then do a water change and run filter socks to get that crap out.
Anyway thats what I recomend.