How to obtain clear water

[CoolLibs]

I do about 25% water changes each weak, my chemical levels- besides nitrate- are on point. I haven’t been able to find a way to get that crystal clear water that other people have. Looking for any and all suggestions on how to fix this. Also what the best fish to clean sand that won’t damage corals?

 

[piranhaman00]

Carbon and UV. Getting clear water with UV is easy, does not require an expensive unit.

 

[Labora]

Try adding Brightwell Microbacter7 once a day for a couple weeks. Also get some copepods.

 

[cshouston]

UV is probably the best way. Dosing H2O2 also does, but you don’t really want to do that unless you have a good reason to. Using 100 Micron filter socks for a while can also help.

 

[4tanks]

+1 on the uv made mine crystal over night

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I do about 25% water changes each weak, my chemical levels- besides nitrate- are on point. I haven’t been able to find a way to get that crystal clear water that other people have. Looking for any and all suggestions on how to fix this. Also what the best fish to clean sand that won’t damage corals?

Are you referring to particulate in water or green or cloudy water ?

 

[Karen00]

+1 on the uv made mine crystal over night

This is an interesting thread. So how does the UV keep the water clear? Does it kill microbes in the water column that can lead to less than clear water? The learning never ends!

 

[((FORDTECH))]

For particulate in water need mechanical filtration for brown or green water use carbon. For cloudy water test water and correct parameters

 

[cshouston]

This is an interesting thread. So how does the UV keep the water clear? Does it kill microbes in the water column that can lead to less than clear water? The learning never ends!

Precisely

 

[((FORDTECH))]

This is an interesting thread. So how does the UV keep the water clear? Does it kill microbes in the water column that can lead to less than clear water? The learning never ends!

Yes pretty much kills free floating things but then they still need to be mechanically filtered out some how

 

[Karen00]

Precisely

Thank you!

 

[jgirardnrg]

If you decide to run UV (I do), keep an eye on the tank temperature. UV WILL add heat. If I leave mine running for 24 hours it will raise my tank temp around 2 degrees. Having said that, my water is invisible.

 

[Karen00]

Yes pretty much kills free floating things but then they still need to be mechanically filtered out some how

Thank you. I wasn't sure why folks had these. Now I do. Haha. Another layer of the onion peeled off for knowledge!

 

[terraincognita]

UV works, but IMO it's just a time thing and tank establishment. trying to make it happen on it's own and forcing it out of whatever maturity cycle it's going through is not how I like to do things.

Sounds like it's a new tank, and possibly your first reef based on your questions?

I'd just let it do it's thing.

My 10G used to be super cloudy, all tanks are at the beginning. It's now the clearest water I've ever had in any tank... I don't know what chemically is occurring in this tank vs the others I've had in terms of clear water, but I just personally never run UV

With that said, some people noted above Carbon as a great clarifying agent. If you're not running any carbon do that before UV.

 

[jnvd3b]

I do about 25% water changes each weak, my chemical levels- besides nitrate- are on point. I haven’t been able to find a way to get that crystal clear water that other people have. Looking for any and all suggestions on how to fix this. Also what the best fish to clean sand that won’t damage corals?

Oxydator?

 

[4tanks]

This is an interesting thread. So how does the UV keep the water clear? Does it kill microbes in the water column that can lead to less than clear water? The learning never ends!

Yep what everyone else said also helps keep parasites down too but as others have said mechanical filtration too

 

[CoolLibs]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good UV system for a Fluval 13.5 gallon tank?

 

[cshouston]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good UV system for a Fluval 13.5 gallon tank?

Something like this should work.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auqa-shield-uv-sterilizer-desktop-innovative-marine.html

 

[ScubaFish802]

I run chemipure in my fluval 32.5 and my water is super clear . . I actually started using a smaller bag than what the chemipure bottle says for my tank size. I would try that before you spend money on a UV to be honest.

 

[terraincognita]

I run chemipure in my fluval 32.5 and my water is super clear . . I actually started using a smaller bag than what the chemipure bottle says for my tank size. I would try that before you spend money on a UV to be honest.

+1

In a 13.5 UV IMO is overkill. You can generally control such a small water volume much easier than a larger one. UV on a large tank would be much better seeing as doing a 100% WC on 13.5G vs 100% on 200G is like trying to move a car with your hands and rope vs driving.

While additives and dosing makes a bigger impact. Just getting the water clean and stable with a lower volume is like 200x easier.

You haven't mentioned if you're running any type of Carbon Filtration media, or doing Carbon dosing at all.

Are you doing that? I know the FIRST response you got and most of them were "UV, UV UV UV UV " but what else have you tried my friend?