Little Particles Everywhere???

[Guzzetta]

So my tank has been cycling for the last few months without and lights. Yesterday I installed a Current USA MH/T5 all-in-one hanging unit. Before this, without anything but light from the room, the tank appeared to be super clear. Fired up the lights, and wow.... thousands of tiny particles everywhere. Mirco bubbles? I have a bubble stop in my sump and even shut down the returns for a few hours to see if that would help things. Any ideas??? Not exactly what I was hoping for with my new light fixture....

Thanks in advance for all the great advice...

 

[Kwikdraw]

The same thing happen to me. I added a filter sock to my sump/refug and it eliminated the small particles. Because of the micro bubbles my HOB skimmer produces I run my skimmer at night when the lights are off so you can't see the bubbles. Now the water is crystal clear even with the lights on.

 

[Plankt0s]

well it could be pods or some other type of critter. my first thoughts were that it was microbubbles but you said that it wasn't. if you have a microscope (I recommend one for every aquarium hobbyist) I would do a count of organisms.

 

[Michael]

have you got a maxi-jet pump in there, i find unless the stopper is in they do produce micro bubbles, other wise air is getting in somewhere via the plumbing, you need to find it, and a good way is just checking all seals where the plumbing joins or is glued together

 

[PAZE]

Your plumbing will only suck air from the sump to the pump, from the pump to the tank it will be a water leak so check from the sump to the pump. Do you have crushed coral as substraight? it could be that, takes a bit for those particle to settle, any little movement from your pumps will kick it up, once your algae starts, it kind of glues everything together if that makes any sence LOL it should clear up, also try a filter socks I found they work really well. But need to be clean atleast once a week.