View Full Version : Help with Particles
SpongeBob
10-08-2003, 8:34 PM
I used Southdown. I have a 125 AGA with good water flow. Tank has been up since January.
I have been annoyed because my water looks cloudy because of suspended particles of Southdown.
Normally, my hood sits right on the tank ridge top -- 3x250 MHs + 2x160 Actinics -- the bulbs are about 2.5" off of the water.
I just lifted the light hood with 2x4s -- so now it's 3.5" higher off of the water -- 6" total.
Bottom line... I can see far fewer particles than before. The water is much more appealing.
Am I nuts? Is it optics? If I build a hood to replicate this 6" gap, will I sacrifice light quality?
Yes, I am near insanity...
i would first get some kind of hang on sponge filter and just filter and clean and filter and clean and see if you can suck up the particles.
Guy
SpongeBob
10-08-2003, 8:49 PM
Thanks. But I've been doing the filter/clean iteration for months.
I don't want a quick fix...
I'm not sure this is because I've read that MHs should be up off of the water higher than I have had them.
Unless you have fish that stir/sift the sand a lot, you shouldn't really have a lot of southdown particles in the water column on a tank of that age. Are you absolutely sure it's not air bubbles?
Originally posted by SpongeBob
Thanks. But I've been doing the filter/clean iteration for months.
I don't want a quick fix...
I'm not sure this is because I've read that MHs should be up off of the water higher than I have had them.
I wasn't really suggesting a quick fix. That should'nt really be going on once the sand is that old, because it should be weighted down enough with biologics. I figured you just needed a fine polish. But if you don't have current stirring up the sand, or some kind of fish, you should have a problem.
SpongeBob
10-08-2003, 9:20 PM
I just turned off all flow -- return & powerheads. Yup, no doubt about it... particles. These things are tiny tiny tiny. But there are 1000s of them...
I must say, the tank sure looks different in this momentary "frozen" state. Two corals are not looking happy about the lack of water movement. On goes the return pump.
SpongeBob
10-08-2003, 9:22 PM
BTW, I wasn't suggesting you suggested a quick fix. Just that I wanted to know if lifting the lights was a "bad" move...
Thanks.
SamsonNY
10-09-2003, 6:01 AM
No idea regarding the lights.
But, regarding the particles, have you tried a canister filter (IE: Ocean Clear 340) with a micron cartridge.
I too had "specs" floating around until I installed the Ocean Clear and now, it's about 99% clear. The water itself was always clear, but, when you got close to the tank, you could see all of these floating specs. Now, they're all gone.
Originally posted by SpongeBob
BTW, I wasn't suggesting you suggested a quick fix. Just that I wanted to know if lifting the lights was a "bad" move...
Thanks.
I think that depends on a few factors.
1.) What kind of corals do you have in your tank? If you have high light requirement clams then raising the lights will slightly diminish the amount of light they are getting.
2.) Changing the lights on the corals may "shock" them if done quickly. Doing it over a period of time would probably be better.
3.) Will you sacrifice light quality? I don't think quality no, but yes quantity. The father the light has to travel the more it will diminish... although 3x250 + 2x160... I doubt a few inches will make much of a difference.
If you wanted to you could do a test. Purchase a Lux Meter and see how much light is hitting the bottom of the tank now, and then how much when it's higher off the water.
This is one such meter, but I don't know if it's water proof. You might have to find one that is. This one is about 50 bucks. http://www.familydefense.com/luxmeter.htm
You could also do a test showing where your corals are placed, how much light they get and their growth progress... If you feel like doing a project. That might be fun, educational, and if your in school maybe worth some credit in a biology class???
Overall the lux meter is probably overkill but it can put the question of how much light will I lose by rasing the lights.
Guy