How to get crystal clear water?

[ibrat82]

I've had my Red Sea Reefer 450 tank for 3+ months and I've always had this issue of tiny white dust always floating around the tank and I can't seem to get that crystal clear water I see on YouTube videos.

I don't know if it's dust from the tank being in the basement or what it is. How can I achieve crystal clear water?

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Filter socks help a lot. And Carbon to keep it nice and clear.

 

[CStrickland]

A filter sock can help with particles. They come in diff grades from mesh to felty, the finer they are the more they'll catch. But you have to clean them a couple times a week, the more they catch the more stuff they have in there rotting.

Carbon is good for cloudiness, but if you have tangs there's an hlle risk. Some say rinsing well helps that.

Keep in mind that vids on YouTube and pics of tanks are usually taken right after a deep clean, and water polish. Their tanks don't always look like that

EDIT: Great minds think alike, but diving types faster

 

[frankv702]

I'd run filter socks and carbon. That should keep your tank water pretty clear.

 

[heathlindner25]

I achieve crystal clear water with vodka.... no granulated carbon necessary.

 

[drillsar]

why is carbon bad for tangs?

 

[CStrickland]

why is carbon bad for tangs?

If you google "tang carbon hlle" the first 3 or 4 articles explain the risk better than I really can. HLLE isn't a typo, it's a disease fish can get especially tangs. There's also some threads on this site. Idk exactly how it works, just that it's something to keep an eye out for.

 

[davocean]

Keep in mind that vids on YouTube and pics of tanks are usually taken right after a deep clean, and water polish. Their tanks don't always look like that

Yep, this is true and I know many will run carbon for just a few days and often in prep for vids or photos
Also often people don't realize they may have micro bubbles that keep the water from looking as clear as it can be

 

[Flippers4pups]

UV and socks work very well for water clarity.

 

[micgloth18]

I don't have a tank that large but I have a GFO reactor and Carbon reactor for mine I got them from BRS they do a great job. FYI unless you have a sump you are going to have to get better tubing the tubes that come with are not easy to deal with

 

[kmbyrnes]

Time.
I have tried filters, carbon, UV, Water changes, vacuuming, you name it.
Every time I start a tank it looks less than pristine, sometimes downright cloudy, no matter what I do. Then somewhere around the 6 month mark, everything settles down, the biofilter stabilizes, and apparently overnight the tank goes clear as glass.
I haven't changed anything, but the water looks perfect. As long as the fish are healthy, the corals aren't PO'd and your tests are in line, wait it out.
Like everything else in this hobby, time and patience are your friends.

 

[ca1ore]

Socks, carbon and UV are all band aids. May be worth figuring out where this 'dust' is coming from. It's unlikely to be airborne dust getting into the tank. Healthy tank water should be crystal clear without resorting to aforementioned band aids.

 

[Hal]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned diatom filters. They will generally polish the water by removing fine particulates even better than carbon or filter socks.

 

[Sk8r]

Diatom filters used to be a must when dealing with crushed coral sandbeds, because they can whisk 100 gallons of totally corrupt nasty dusted water you can't see through into crystal clarity in under a minute.

Unfortunately they also remove microlife that your tank may need. I don't know but what the old diatom filters might help sps keepers get to that crystal clarity they need---I'd be interested in hearing from any sps keepers still using that mode---but they may be a case of 'too clean' in most tanks.

 

[travis9791]

I run filter socks that helps Alot with large particles.. I also throw some carbon in a mesh bag in the sump now and again. That usually takes any of the cloudiness out of the water and turns it crystal clear. I recently added Seachem matrix in between the last baffle before the return pump. I have not heard of others doing this, but I feel like it is a rather good filter, and a good way to get flow through the Matrix media.