Water Clarity

Glennrf38 · #1 12-31-2006, 04:18 PM

Just wondering how everyone gets their water so darn clear. My water never seems as clear as say the LFS (some of them)

So lets hear about water clarity.

Glenn

Ruth · #2 12-31-2006, 04:27 PM

Charcoal, heavy skimming and proper maintenance works for me. I have also heard of people using diatom filters and those magnum filters but I have never tried them personally.

bassman · #3 12-31-2006, 04:33 PM

I used to notice the same thing until I got metal halide lighting, then my tank was as sparkling and clear as the LFS. Of course everything Ruth mentioned must be done as well.

Glennrf38 · #4 12-31-2006, 04:48 PM

Just installed the 175W 10000K MH retrokit. Supplemented with 1 - 24W 6600 T5 and 1- 24W Actinic T5.

Can you add charcoal to a phosban reactor?

Glenn

Ruth · #5 12-31-2006, 05:11 PM

Yup. I usually just run it passively but I know lots of people who use a reactor or other filter to run charcoal.

Glennrf38 · #6 12-31-2006, 05:16 PM

Now I get to show my lack of experience. "Passively" as in put it in a media bag and let it float in the sump?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruth

Yup. I usually just run it passively but I know lots of people who use a reactor or other filter to run charcoal.

Ruth · #7 12-31-2006, 05:36 PM

You got it. I will quite often just knead the media bag a few times a week.

WWWD · #8 12-31-2006, 05:53 PM

Try emptying a your overflow thru a micro bag in your sump. They will pull an amazing amount of junk out of your water column.

Glennrf38 · #9 12-31-2006, 08:35 PM

Just what I was thinking this morning went and got media bags and charcoal. Gonna put charcoal at the exit of my phosban reactor and a media bag on my overflow outlet.

Ohh yeah and a couple of fish.

Snappy · #10 12-31-2006, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennrf38

Just what I was thinking this morning went and got media bags and charcoal. Gonna put charcoal at the exit of my phosban reactor and a media bag on my overflow outlet.

Ohh yeah and a couple of fish.

Big difference between a micro bag or sock as they are often called and a media bag. For example the micro prefilter socks are usually 100-200 microns. 1 micron is 1/1,000,000 of an inch. I use them in my tank and they work wonders for removing all floaties including excess bubbles.