Crystal Clear Water

[SimplyPatsy]

I just started a small 10 gal fish tank. Half of the water in the tank is established water from another fish tank. The water is pretty clear, I used a water clarifier by Seachem to clear up the water more, but my tank still has a grayish tint to it. I was wondering if it had anything to do w/ my background? I used car window tint to cover up the back.

Does anyone have any idea how to make my water look crystal clear?

[sourapple]

it could be your background or it could be your substrate. my tanks with both natural gravel and sand usually takes about a week to clear up completely.

[SimplyPatsy]

thanks!

what kind of simple background is best for water clarity?

[sourapple]

imo, non reflective blue but no background is good too lol. the background usually is based on how you want your set up to look. doesnt really affect water clarity.

[cichlidchic]

honestly, krylon spray paint. it's by dupont. i used the oxford blue on my 140, and the hunter green on my 80 and love it! plus, if you get tired of it, take a razor blade to it and your brand new again! :) tadaaa!
welcome by the way!

[Zulaab]

The greyish tint could be from your Nitrite bacteria in your tank. This is good bacteria that needs to establish in your tank. This takes time. You will have crystal clear water in about 14 days after starting a tank. Specially if its the grey tint you want to get rid of.

[Complexity]

Using water from an established tank to start up a new tank really doesn't serve any useful purpose.

Generally, the goal in using something from an established tank to start up a new tank is to seed the new tank with nitrifying bacteria. Very little bacteria, if any, is in the water. Instead, it's in the gravel, in the filter, on the decor and the sides of the tank itself. To jump start a new tank, either use an old filter (or just old filter media), use some established gravel, add mulm, or anything along those lines. If you want to use gravel, but the gravel colors don't match, then put the old gravel in a bag (pantyhose works well) and put that inside the tank. The bacteria will migrate from the bagged gravel into the new tank's substrate.

As far as water color, there are many factors involved. For example, if you use new driftwood, you'll get lots of tannins in the water (turns it yellowish brown). The lighting can have an affect. The substrate, background, color of the rocks and plants, and just about anything else can have an affect. My personal preference is a black substrate with a black background because it makes the colors pop out.

If water clarity is the problem (and not the color), then that could be due to many things, as well. When you first start up a new tank, you could kick up dust from the new substrate. It'll take time to settle out and for the filter to clean it out of the water. If the water looks hazy, you could have problems with ammonia, nitrite or nitrates, or you could be experiencing a bacteria bloom (when the nitrifying bacteria suddenly explodes throughout the tank). A bacteria bloom is not a bad thing and will resolve itself in a few days to a week. If water quality is an issue (ammonia, etc.), then you must do a water change and keep a close eye on things until the tank becomes established with nitrifying bacteria. If it's dust from the substrate, a water change can help and then let the filter do it's job.

As you can see, there are many reasons for water color/clarity issues. It's most helpful if more details are provided. Pictures help, as well.

If you have added water from an established tank to help cycle the new one, then please add something else, as I mentioned above. Do not load that tank with fish until you have actually tested the water to be sure it has cycled. If you find yourself with an uncycled tank that's full of fish, then do daily 50% water changes until the tank has finished cycling. Also, add live plants to help ease the cycling process.

[CichlidFan]

Said in my best Yoda voice.....

Agree with the complex one I do....

CF

[geoff_tropheus]

For water clarity I have always been a big fan of "fine filtration" The more of it you have the better your water clarity will be.

Lots of mechanical filtration, and with a large volume of fine mechanical filter media.

You can also purchase diatom filters that you only run for like 1 day a week and it keeps it really nice.

[i_am_poor]

in

[cichlid1409]

micron socks!! but they would really only work if you have some kind of overflow.

[geoff_tropheus]

I have thought about putting micron socks as the top layer in my 2260/2262's but man would they plug up.

[cichlid1409]

yeah you have to clean then very often, every few days or so, so you would need to put them some where thats easily accessible.