thelizardkin
New member
i use a uv and the intake tubes are green and outake are clear
Secret to crystal clear......
- Thread starter Ninja1
- Start date
Greedo
New member
Through weekly maintenance. I clean the skimmer, "dust off" the LR, agitate DSB, 25% WC, and replace the carbon/phosguard in my reactors as needed. After I do this I hook my diatom filter up for a couple hours and might dust the rocks off one or two more times and after it is all done you can't even tell there is water in the tank.
lhm nole
New member
turkey baster does the trick
Greedo
New member
Nah I use a super soft nylon brush and a power head to knock all the crap off of the rocks. The first go round I usually pull some rocks off the top and prod my brush down into the rock pile to keep the build up down and the last one or two dust offs are just on top for aesthetics.
This works well too.
rnscross
New member
there are 3 main types of filtration, alot have already been outlined. As long as you are using an effective type for each then water clarity will ensue.
Chemical-activated carbon(as has been mentioned many times) etc
Mechanical- filter floss, filter sock, skimmer (all have been mentioned)
Biological- This is where LR and DSB come into play. Flow in a tank helps particles to be filtered out by either coral or for particles/chemicals to be transported to LR to allow for bacteria/microbes to absorb/remove/eat.
Most people double up on one or more of these to ensure that they have an effective filtration. You will need to increase one or more areas dependent on your system.
If you are starting out then RO for top ups, carbon for chemical(ensure its replaced regularly 1-2weeks depending on bioload etc), a decent skimmer for mechanical and good flow in the DT to ensure that all debris is in the water column and thus improving efficency of the other filtration components should lead to good water clarity. If it doesnt meet your standards then start to look at UV/filter socks/biopellets etc.
Chemical-activated carbon(as has been mentioned many times) etc
Mechanical- filter floss, filter sock, skimmer (all have been mentioned)
Biological- This is where LR and DSB come into play. Flow in a tank helps particles to be filtered out by either coral or for particles/chemicals to be transported to LR to allow for bacteria/microbes to absorb/remove/eat.
Most people double up on one or more of these to ensure that they have an effective filtration. You will need to increase one or more areas dependent on your system.
If you are starting out then RO for top ups, carbon for chemical(ensure its replaced regularly 1-2weeks depending on bioload etc), a decent skimmer for mechanical and good flow in the DT to ensure that all debris is in the water column and thus improving efficency of the other filtration components should lead to good water clarity. If it doesnt meet your standards then start to look at UV/filter socks/biopellets etc.
stevedola
Master of my domain
If you maintain a healthy system but still have unclear water its probably from microbubbles. Using a good sump with baffles and a filter sock/filter floss will give you the crystal clear water you desire. I run carbon also to take out any toxins or colorings from food or chemicles. Do those 3 things and you will have clear water.
kellerexpress
New member
a good skimmer, carbon, and filter socks do it for me. Crystal clear water.
pretty sure im going on 6 months without testing anything, could be closer to a year. :eek2:
I'm in the same boat... I've tested twice maybe in the past 12 months ... But that's out of laziness & convenience (I work 3 weeks on 1 week off fly-in/fly-out so I'm only home 1 week of each month..) so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else heh.
Planning to actually do a bit more testing in the near future so that I can finally establish a dosing regime and get the tank up to SPS standards
(LPS & softies going great guns for me atm..)
psykobowler
New member
Crystal clear water is so easily done with ozone. I only run it in a timer with carbon pads in the sump. Just look at chingchai's tank. Besides the bubbleking the sanders 500 mg ozonizer does the job. Ozone used to be taboo for me but now that I tried it I will never start a system without one.
Ninja1
New member
Can you please shed some details. I'm sure I can google it but would like to know a little more as it sounds like you had good results. I'll try to search info on ozone- btw do you have a link to chinghai?
Here's a link to Chinchai's thread Ninja:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1692183&page=231
Andrew17030
New member
Chemical filtration: Ozone, UV lights, activated carbon all will help with water that is tented by organics. Ferric oxide will help with inorganic compounds like PO4.
Mechanical filtration: FIlter socks, filter feeders, canister filters, sponges (usually place between baffles in the sump), filter floss, strainers will all remove particulates.
The bigger and more important question and really what you need to research is why these are present. Are you over feeding, feeding a food that is not helpful, is it your light's color, is your macro algae breaking down before you are exporting its nutrients, do i have an algae or coral that is broadcast spawning etc.
If you are using mechanical filtration, nutrients can be trapped in there as well that will eventually tint the water.
Learn how all of these work, plan how you will export chemical compounds as well as the physical particulates. Learn why sometimes you will have particulate matter in the water column within a well planed system. Your rock can start to die off it it is live when you remove it from water, this will cause it to shed a little. Your sand may be too fine and/or you may have too much flow. Even if you have a larger grain sand you will have a period where you are going to have sand particulate until you either physically filter it out or it settles out of the high flow areas. Go to reefkeeping.com go to authors and read everything written by Randy Holmes Farley. If you haven't read it before you start your tank you will be directed to it sooner or later, asking HELP questions. Go through some build threads with a large amount of replies. You can find almost anything you might need to know by using the search option. I stopped asking questions when I learned that there is almost nothing that someone hasn't already answered in great detail.
Mechanical filtration: FIlter socks, filter feeders, canister filters, sponges (usually place between baffles in the sump), filter floss, strainers will all remove particulates.
The bigger and more important question and really what you need to research is why these are present. Are you over feeding, feeding a food that is not helpful, is it your light's color, is your macro algae breaking down before you are exporting its nutrients, do i have an algae or coral that is broadcast spawning etc.
If you are using mechanical filtration, nutrients can be trapped in there as well that will eventually tint the water.
Learn how all of these work, plan how you will export chemical compounds as well as the physical particulates. Learn why sometimes you will have particulate matter in the water column within a well planed system. Your rock can start to die off it it is live when you remove it from water, this will cause it to shed a little. Your sand may be too fine and/or you may have too much flow. Even if you have a larger grain sand you will have a period where you are going to have sand particulate until you either physically filter it out or it settles out of the high flow areas. Go to reefkeeping.com go to authors and read everything written by Randy Holmes Farley. If you haven't read it before you start your tank you will be directed to it sooner or later, asking HELP questions. Go through some build threads with a large amount of replies. You can find almost anything you might need to know by using the search option. I stopped asking questions when I learned that there is almost nothing that someone hasn't already answered in great detail.
Ninja1
New member
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