Tiny dust like particles in water.

[AndyH24]

Hi, I've been getting small dust particles in my 10gal tank. I have tried squeezing the 2 sponges from my ac30 filter in some old tank water. That made it worse at first because taking the filter inserts out stirred up some junk from the filter housing. Im running two sponges and a biomax bag. Any ideas on how to get better filtration for smaller particles? My sponges look like they are too porous for the smaller stuff.

thanks,
Andy

 

[FreshyFresh]

Maybe try some floss or actual filter cartridges for your Aquaclear.

A somewhat dirty sponge will grab and hold onto smaller particles than a clean sponge will.

 

[grundsau]

A diatomaceous earth filter would do the trick. If you use a Marineland Magnum filter you could try using the micron filter without the diatomaceous earth.

 

[AndyH24]

Ok, I'll try some floss. I'm not sure about actual cartridges for my ac30. All I have seen are the inserts. Will floss filter finer particles than the sponge?

 

[authmal]

Maybe try some floss or actual filter cartridges for your Aquaclear.

A somewhat dirty sponge will grab and hold onto smaller particles than a clean sponge will.

Aquaclear doesn't do cartridges. It'll be a sponge block as the mechanical filtration, then (in my case, at least) the biological ceramic stuff, and purigen for the chemical filtration.

 

[platytudes]

You could try a flocculant such as Accu-Clear by API, it binds smaller particles into bigger ones that your filter can more easily process. A chunk of polyester floss (such as PolyFill, used for quilting and such) will work well too, the two together are a great combination.

 

[stephcps]

Platy...the accu clear works well?

 

[platytudes]

Yep! I use it in all my tanks after large water changes, even the ones with inverts. I usually only need a 1/2 dose. It makes your water look like smoke is forming in it at first, then it clouds...by the next day, at the latest, your water will be crystal clear, if silt is what made it cloudy. It does nothing for bacterial cloudiness, though.

 

[ktrom13]

Ive used accu clear on a tank before it did wonders! Like platy said, it would take a day at the very most to clear it out but after that the water is nice and clean. Also, like platy said, it wont do scratch to a bacterial bloom

Sent from my SGH-T989 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[AndyH24]

I've noticed what looks like a few white spots on the fins of my black skirt tetras. One of the white spots came off while the fish was swimming. Could this and the particles I see floating in the water be ich? Or could some of the debris in the water just be sticking to the fish?