# So much debris!



## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

I've had this tank set up for a couple of months now, and before I added plants, the tank water was always crystal clear. Now that it's planted (and has been for about 5 weeks), the water is getting more and more floating debris every day! i have 3 other tanks that I never have this problem with. I do a 40% water change every week and I suck up as much of the sunken debris as possible. I cleaned one of the filters two weeks ago, and the other one this afternoon. Any ideas or suggestions? 

Tank: 47 gallons--48x12x18
Filters: 2 aquaclear 70


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

There is always going to be some. But if things are growing well and you do regular trimming, it shouldn't be too bad. A quick net at the surface should take care of anything that is floating.


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks. I think my brain temporarily died because what I meant to say is that there are lots of tiny particles in the water. They're not floating, but suspended in the water. It's crazy how I mean to say one thing but something completely different comes out. Sorry about that!! Any suggestions about the suspended particles? there are too too many.


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## skiboarder72 (Oct 13, 2006)

Pictures? What type of particles?


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

Sure, I'll see if I can get good pictures of it today (after I turn on the lights). They're just tiny particles, just like what you would siphon up during a water change. It looks just like the mulm that collects at the bottom of the tank. Th water never looks clear :icon_cry: It's not cloudy though. There are just the particles. I guess when I said "floating", I simply meant that it wasn't sinking. 

If I could give it a name, it would be "water dust". 

I hope we can get to the bottom of this!


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## skiboarder72 (Oct 13, 2006)

Did you try activated carbon? I use some in my tank to help keep the water clean, no problems at all. I don't want to turn this into an AC debate (there are plenty out there) but I think it might help you out here.


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

Typically, planted tanks require more mechanical filtration that fish only tanks which require more biological. You might just need more filter capacity.


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## Oscar17 (Dec 7, 2007)

I have this too in my 30g. I know what you are talking about. I think part of it may be pods too. I just thought it was normal for a planted tank.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

More mechanical filtration would take care of this for you, but what you could do in the meantime is simply turn your filter off, let the dust settle (or float, as the case may be), and then net/vacuum it away.


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## Oscar17 (Dec 7, 2007)

Church said:


> what you could do in the meantime is simply turn your filter off, let the dust settle (or float, as the case may be), and then net/vacuum it away.


Good idea, gona try that next time I do a wc.. thanks! The stuff I'm talking about is not really visible from 3 feet away.. you really have to get close to the glass. I think with the shrimp shredding everything they can and disintegrating poop, food, and what not there is always going to be some particles. Granted more filtration could limit this problem.


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

diatomes possibly?


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

Have you toyed with the tank at all? Could it just be sand from the subtrate?


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## max chavez (Aug 7, 2009)

I've been battling this, as well. It settles on the slow growing leaves and moss, also. I just ordered some micron filter pad, to try that for a few days. I'll let you know if that works for me. Could be diatoms, but it seems to be so random and dust-like.


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

max chavez said:


> I've been battling this, as well. It settles on the slow growing leaves and moss, also. I just ordered some micron filter pad, to try that for a few days. I'll let you know if that works for me. Could be diatoms, but it seems to be so random and dust-like.


usually when i set up a new tank i get dust like stuff in the water colum also. i allways just chalked it up to diatomes... but it may be dust... it usually goes away on its own but sometimes it takes a while. the micron pads should def help though!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

What type of substrate are you using?

And are you sure it's not a bacteria or algae bloom?


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

The particles vary in size, so I don't know if it would be diatoms. The water isn't cloudy, so I doubt it's a bacterial bloom. The tank is cycled and there is no ammonia and no nitrites. 

I use sand as a substrate, but I have sand in all my tanks!

I won't be posting a picture because you can't really see anything. I'm going to add an extra sponge to each filter and see what happens. right now, there's only one sponge in each (along with the bio media). I'm at least glad to see that i'm not the only one!!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You might also try a sponge prefilter on the intakes, too.

I use the ZooMed 501 mechanical sponge, works great.


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

Actually, now I'm quite sure that it's diatoms. I know that they're common in new tanks, so I hope they will go away. They're really annoying! My HC is covered in it, and I hope the HC will make it. Is there anything I should do in the meantime? Should I dose ferts or excel differently?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Diatomacious algae shouldn't make water cloudy... if the water is cloudy you've probably got more than one algae issue.

Reducing light is always the first step. Then take a look at your CO2 & ferts. What are you dosing?


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

Oh no, there's no cloudy water. Just the diatoms (my hypothesis anyway). Right now, I'm using excel daily, as indicated on the bottle. I dose half EI because the dosing regimen on this site was for a tank with high light and pressurized CO2. Actually...i think I'll post a thread about my dosing. Lights were on for 10 hours/day, but I reduced it to 9 (couple days ago). Thanks for your reply!


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

can you try to post a macro pic of whats goin on in there?


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

I was able to get a picture of the particles:

(lol about the filter intake--I just did a rescape last night)


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

do you have a diatom filter you can run for a few hours to polish the tank?


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

unfortunately, no :-( This is so so frustrating, because the tank is so ugly to look at :-(


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

what kinda filter you got on there?


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## Amazonfish (Oct 20, 2009)

I have two aquaclear 70s


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

ok my suggestion is to get some 100 micron filter pads and stuff them in there...it will restrict the flow but catch alot of that junk floating...


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