What’s in your filter

[bradym]

Hey guys, new reefer here with a 75 gallon tank using 2 tidal 75 HOB’s as I cannot use a sump. I’m wondering what should be in the filters to provide optimal mechanical filtration? Currently I use a sponge, filter floss, and bio media and my tank always seems pretty dirty it has never been crystal clear and my filters get dirty pretty quickly too. I have live rock and sand so do I need biomedia in the filter?

 

[Bucs20fan]

I have a sponge, Seachem Matrix, and A bag of carbon in all of mine.

As far as being pretty "dirty" do you mean cloudy water? If so we need more info for that.

How old is the tank? is it fish only or does it have corals
What are your parameters. Nitrate, phosphate, ammonia, ph, salinity, and temp.

Then we can get to the bottom of it. Just judging from experience with no info, sounds like a bacterial bloom.

 

[bradym]

I have a sponge, Seachem Matrix, and A bag of carbon in all of mine.

As far as being pretty "dirty" do you mean cloudy water? If so we need more info for that.

How old is the tank? is it fish only or does it have corals
What are your parameters. Nitrate, phosphate, ammonia, ph, salinity, and temp.

Then we can get to the bottom of it. Just judging from experience with no info, sounds like a bacterial bloom.

Tank is about 2 months old, was upgraded from a 20g long with pre cycled live rock. Parameters are ammonia - 0 nitrite - 0 nitrate - 5-10. I have 2 small coral frags that have been there since the beginning. No new additions. I suspected a bacterial bloom and just added GFO and carbon into the filter, and added a UV sterilizer all added yesterday so going to see if that helps. As far as dirty the cloudy water is one thing but I just find myself cleaning the glass of occasional green algae, the sand gets covered occasionally, and I believe there is cyano algae on the rocks. So I’m just wondering if it’s attributed to being a new tank and I just need to wait for all the kinks to establish more. Thanks for the response!

 

[Bucs20fan]

The algae is probably diatoms from new rock and sand. Even with old rock, the new stuff added silicates, Even adding one new rock can cause a diatom bloom so dont fret. Be careful with the gfo, you dont want to bottom out your phosphate.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

my hob filter has a pouch with carbon and a filter pad. I change them both every week.