To those who have crystal clear water.......pix

MikefromNH

MikefromNH

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Nov 21, 2004
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A while back I was having problems with green water. I spent the $ and picked up a Coralife UV sterilizer. A couple of days after installing it I had crystal clear water. Now, my Malasian driftwood is leaching tannins giving it a yellowish tint. I boiled the #^@& out of it but I don't think it's possible to get it all out by doing that. I understand it takes time. Lately I've been using carbon in my filter and the usual water changes to clear it up. Aside from the tint, I think my tank water looks perfectly clear. I have some bubbles from a problematic AC powerhead but it's not too bad. I'd rather they weren't there but I'll deal with that later.

My question is, when I look through the side of the tank I can see the "cone" of light shining through the water. For those who have crystal clear water, is this normal?

Like I said, my water is extremely clear but this makes me wonder if it is in fact not totally crystal clear. I can't imagine the slight tint from the driftwood is causing this. Aside from adding carbon to the filter, I haven't changed anything. Have I just lost my reference point as to what crystal clear water looks like?

You can see the tint against the sand at the bottom of the pic.
sidecone7an.jpg


frontclear5ey.jpg
 
boiling wood doesn't even come close to getting all the tannins out, you'd be boiling them for days to even come close. Just enjoy the blackwater, it's beneficial to fish like angels and dwarf cichlids, as well as every softwater fish on the face of the planet. It also does wonders for your plants.
 
It doesn't look "crystal" clear to me. My gauge is looking down the length of the tank (as the first pic) w/o any haze/cloudiness. Tannins could make the water not perfectly clear. Micro bubbles could also cause this "haze".
Looking at the bottom pic, I wouldn't worry about the clarity. Try to get the bubble thing under control (yes, saw your other thread but don't have much xp w/power heads :( ) and it should clear up...eventually.
 
You will always get a tint from driftwood, its one of those things that cant be helped unless you get it perfectly rite, i think the tank looks great and im a lover of the black subtrate :)
 
I don't consider my water crystal clear (there are some particulates), but I don't see the "cone of light" that you're talking about when looking at my tanks. Your water looks good to me in the pics though.

BTW, which substrate is that? I like the look!
 
I have a bit of bogwood in my tank too - gives the water a slightly yellow tint but I think your cloudiness is due to small air bubbles. They can make the water look very murky if there are enough.
 
cdawson ---boiling wood doesn't even come close to getting all the tannins out, you'd be boiling them for days to even come close. Just enjoy the blackwater, it's beneficial to fish like angels and dwarf cichlids, as well as every softwater fish on the face of the planet. It also does wonders for your plants.
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A LOT of tannins came out of that wood when I boiled it but it's so hard that it will take forever in the tank to get it all out. Oh well.....

beviking ---It doesn't look "crystal" clear to me. My gauge is looking down the length of the tank (as the first pic) w/o any haze/cloudiness. Tannins could make the water not perfectly clear. Micro bubbles could also cause this "haze".
Looking at the bottom pic, I wouldn't worry about the clarity. Try to get the bubble thing under control (yes, saw your other thread but don't have much xp w/power heads ) and it should clear up...eventually.
Click to expand...

I didn't think so either but from the front it dosen't look problematic....to me anyway. I agree with your guaging method, thats pretty much why I'm posting. As far as micro bubbles go, I'm sure that isn't the problem. The top pic looks overly bubbly because I used the "general" setting on the camera. The second was using the "sport" setting which is probably why it looks better.

Maj0rFiSh ---You will always get a tint from driftwood, its one of those things that cant be helped unless you get it perfectly rite, i think the tank looks great and im a lover of the black subtrate
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Someday the tannins will stop leaching at such a fast rate. Good thing there's carbon to keep it at a minimum. Thanks for the compliment!

Aqualung ---I don't consider my water crystal clear (there are some particulates), but I don't see the "cone of light" that you're talking about when looking at my tanks. Your water looks good to me in the pics though.
BTW, which substrate is that? I like the look!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I didn't think I was supposed to see the "cone" either. The substrate is Tahitian Moon sand. Thanks!

sammydee ---I have a bit of bogwood in my tank too - gives the water a slightly yellow tint but I think your cloudiness is due to small air bubbles. They can make the water look very murky if there are enough.
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I agree with the bubble theory but it's not the culprit in my case. I love the look of drift/bog wood in an aquarium. I had some "Greek ruins" ornaments in there but it didn't really work with the black substrate.



It's starting to look like a bacterial bloom. A few days after installing the UV sterilizer (a month ago) I had the relatively elusive "crystal clear water". It wasn't til a couple of weeks ago that this slight cloudiness started. I haven't changed anything other than the water (1/3rd partials).?? :confused:

Thanks to all who read/responded. Any additional info is welcome of course!
 
I think you might be right about the bacterial bloom. Looking more closely at the pics (kinda funny that I couldn't notice it until you mentioned it), I can notice a faint whitish haziness that would suggest a bacterial bloom.
 
Hmm just thought of something. In our swimming pool when we get an algae problem, we overdose on chlorine to kill it all. When algae dies it makes the water white and cloudy, just like your tank. You said you had an algae problem... I'm wondering if the UV might have killed it all and it could now be clouding up your tank? It would look just like a bacterial bloom.
 
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