Is your aquarium water as CLEAR as you would like?

Is your aquarium water as CLEAR as you would like?

  • YES

    Votes: 389 59.8%
  • NO

    Votes: 228 35.1%
  • Don't care that much

    Votes: 24 3.7%
  • Other

    Votes: 9 1.4%

  • Total voters
    650

DK450reef

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I've seen many reef aquariums where the water is so clear it seems that there is no water at all! Of course good glass or acrylic can play a part in that but it's mostly due to the ability to keep the water column clean! So let's talk about it today!

1. How clear is your aquarium water and does it matter to you?

2. What are the best ways you have found to keep your water clear?


@Broadfield has one of these super clear reefs!
32638538282_b18f6e6c3d_h.jpg
I selected other. Some days are clearer than others. I am ok with stuff in the water column and figure just like the ocean many small particulates are floating around and many of these are food based consumed by some organism. My mixed reefs inhabitants are happy so am I.
 

Jorge Sanchez

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This is my first post in this forum... that I have memory of?

I have been a reefer for 20+ years.. the DIY kind of (I made my own plumb and everything).

My short/long story, which I hope is not too boring:

Many years my old tank worked with the Berlin method, adapted / customized to my abilities (with various elements / devices but all manual)... 6 inches of fine sand from Cancun.

In 2019 this old tank had a major accident (the CO2 regulator in the calcium reactor broke down and in less than an hour it dispersed the CO2 into the tank, killing all the fish). Some of the creatures that died were over 15 years old ... I uninstalled everything and leave just a small 20 Gal tank with some snails, hermit crabs and some live rock...

After mentally recovering from the shock (1 year later), I decided to do a major upgrade of my system (new tank among other things) integrating, for the first time, an Apex controller and good lamps, as well as a top-off system with a RODI system.

I installed this new tank in September 2020 (taking advantage of the fact that the pandemic sent me to work from home).

Just on September 15 2021 (this new tank is one year old now) and I am thinking on adding invertebrates (corals and / or anemones). BTW all the rocks are from the previous tank, the coralline algae is all from the small rock I saved and kept in the small tank. (There are may happy things to share, one particularly interesting No aiptasia at all!)

The display tank (200 US gal), as you can see in the attachment, looks quite transparent. Reduced lead crystal helps. The main differences against my previous tank, which I share with you are:

The bottom is not completely empty but has a light layer of coarse sand (no natural denitrification as in the previous one!)

An area of chaeto algae in the refuge that lights up at night (reverse cycle). The main lamps (orphek) are still lighting up to 20% of their full capacity.

One 40W UV filter
20210923_141335.jpg
 

beginner_reefer

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My water is very clear and I'm not sure why. I do have a refugium with a skimmer that runs 24/7. All of a sudden I have developed white sponges all over my sump. Not sure where they came from. Maybe they are keeping the water clear. I do not do water changes, run carbon or anything.
 

James_O

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This is my first post in this forum... that I have memory of?

I have been a reefer for 20+ years.. the DIY kind of (I made my own plumb and everything).

My short/long story, which I hope is not too boring:

Many years my old tank worked with the Berlin method, adapted / customized to my abilities (with various elements / devices but all manual)... 6 inches of fine sand from Cancun.

In 2019 this old tank had a major accident (the CO2 regulator in the calcium reactor broke down and in less than an hour it dispersed the CO2 into the tank, killing all the fish). Some of the creatures that died were over 15 years old ... I uninstalled everything and leave just a small 20 Gal tank with some snails, hermit crabs and some live rock...

After mentally recovering from the shock (1 year later), I decided to do a major upgrade of my system (new tank among other things) integrating, for the first time, an Apex controller and good lamps, as well as a top-off system with a RODI system.

I installed this new tank in September 2020 (taking advantage of the fact that the pandemic sent me to work from home).

Just on September 15 2021 (this new tank is one year old now) and I am thinking on adding invertebrates (corals and / or anemones). BTW all the rocks are from the previous tank, the coralline algae is all from the small rock I saved and kept in the small tank. (There are may happy things to share, one particularly interesting No aiptasia at all!)

The display tank (200 US gal), as you can see in the attachment, looks quite transparent. Reduced lead crystal helps. The main differences against my previous tank, which I share with you are:

The bottom is not completely empty but has a light layer of coarse sand (no natural denitrification as in the previous one!)

An area of chaeto algae in the refuge that lights up at night (reverse cycle). The main lamps (orphek) are still lighting up to 20% of their full capacity.

One 40W UV filter
20210923_141335.jpg
Welcome to the forum!
 

X-37B

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Clear enough to see my corals, lol.
Their is always bits floating around from the 2 tangs picking at the rocks.
I run 1 bag of rox carbon and it does help the clarity.
Filter sock amd skimmer thats it.
20210805_115735.jpg
 

SY2932

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I thought that we had polished water with BRS ROX 0.8 carbon until I plumbed in a UV sterilizer about two months ago...
 

Gergejr33

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I've seen many reef aquariums where the water is so clear it seems that there is no water at all! Of course good glass or acrylic can play a part in that but it's mostly due to the ability to keep the water column clean! So let's talk about it today!

1. How clear is your aquarium water and does it matter to you?

2. What are the best ways you have found to keep your water clear?


@Broadfield has one of these super clear reefs!
32638538282_b18f6e6c3d_h.jpg
My tank stays pretty ultra clear, bashsea skimmer, full sump, socks, and gfo and carbon canisters, water change and clean twice a month
 

DJ Lone1

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1. My aquarium water is fairly clear but it would always be better to be clearer. Sometimes it's hard to tell though because I don't clean my glass nearly as often as I should. I also don't do anything to help make it clearer, so no filter socks/pads/rollers and I rarely run carbon.

2. I have considered using ozone on my tank, but other than that mechanical filtration and carbon are common techniques to help keep water clear...I don't do any of these things.
Wow
 

lefkonj

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For the most part yes. Removing several large fish from my tank helped cut my nutrient load by a large percent. The water is clear, 99% of the time with a major cut in algae growth on the glass.
 

DJ Lone1

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Iv'e used carbon like most do or at least have but tried Chemi Pure Blue with no real expectations and seriously it's the best media Iv'e ever used bar non. Sometimes I just gaze over at the tank and have to do a double take.
Awesome, I will try. Any suggestions on use, 150g.
 

tamanning

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I don't know about gin clear but my water looks clear until you look really close then you can see small particulates. I don't try to get them all out because I'm as natural as I can.
 

Leroyc

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Innovative marine with 2 filter baskets and a home made fuge. The fuge made it crystal clear.
 

vetteguy53081

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1. How clear is your aquarium water and does it matter to you?

Crystal clear and at times looks like No water in tank

2. What are the best ways you have found to keep your water clear?


I use Chemipure elite in my tanks
 

blue-thumb

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My water is crystal clear 98% of the time. I have a 250 gallon system (display+sump+frag tank). I have the occasional bacterial bloom. I run a skimmer and UV. I don't use carbon of GFO. I have socks for particulate filtration. I rinse them almost daily. I do a 10-15% water change per week when I'm cleaning out detritis.
 

ilawis

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Nope; tons of particulates.

My filter roll (AquaCave sold it as a "Bubble Magus" but that brand isn't anywhere on the instruction manual so maybe they rebranded?) lasted about 10 days on a fresh-out-the-box roll. It worked quite well when it was working, but I wasn't prepared to reorder so soon. And if they always last 10 days, that's like $70 a month on toilet paper. So now I'm looking into those low-cost coolant filter paper things (anyone know a reliable source other than "buy some from eBay"?)
I made myself a filter roller and use https://www.bunnings.com.au/morgan-60-x-30cm-all-purpose-wipes-on-a-roll-100-pack_p4460950 as my filter roller and it works well i don't know if you can use this and cut it into narrower rolls to fit it in but any kind of roll that's 100% polister with no chemicals on it should do the job (don't know if this really helps you but its a idea at least)
 

shakacuz

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personally, no. if you get close you’ll notice fine particles. if you sit back, you won’t notice a thing.
 
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