Filter question

KSASTER2

So I've had my planted 30g up and running for about a month now with an AQUA CLEAR 50 (200gph) turned down to low and I put a sponge on the filter intake. I really have A LOT of floating particles in the tank the water definatly does NOT look polished. I run the filter with sponge, bio max, and purigen. The first few weeks the water was crystal clear but now with 7 neons, 2 corys, 2 fancy guppies, 2 dalmation mollies, "stuff" is constantly floating around making the water appear dirty. I don't know if this will settle down or what? Any help or advise is much needed. I really don't like the look of my water, other than that everything is great... New plant growth, fish are happy, and my water chemistry is perfect.

Angel079

That shouldn't be like that. You may get some debris removed with your weekly w/c but your filter should do a better job IMO. Sound like its maybe still too much movement and stirring matters up there?

LisaC144

Hmm, I used an Aquaclear 110 on my 55g and that didn't happen BUT my tank was not planted at the time. I'm not sure if it is the filter doing it becuase you have it diffused with the sponge. How many pwc have you done since setting it up a month ago? I know when I completely changed my tank over (drained tank, put in new gravel, fully planted it, filled it back up...the works) it was cloudy for about 5 or 6 days. HOWEVER, I had a mini-cycle so I was doing a pwc every day until the cycle was complete. My tank cleared up after several large water changes. I would just keep up on the water changes and the cloudiness should clear up. Whatever you do, DO NOT use polishers or clarifiers to clear the water.

KSASTER2

I've changed the water (20%) each week for the last 2 weeks and plan on doing this as a standard. I have the sponge over the intake because I don't want to lose any fish to the filter. But now maybe I'm thinking of taking it off because before I put it on things were great and after it when on that when I've had trouble.

Any thoughts on no pre filter with my inhabitants

BTW i have an ADF in there also

Angel079

Just to be clear you have the sponge covering the intake not a sponge in the top of the HOB to slow down the water flow that's coming out?

Honestly with either fry or a ADF I wouldn't take that over of the intake that's a very common death trap for ADFs.

KSASTER2

yes the sponge is on the intake tube

LisaC144

Agreed. I would leave the sponge on too. The fine particles can still get through to be filtered and your plants will do the rest of the filtering for you. I think patience and your pwc are the answer. From what you stated, you've only done 2 pwc since the set up. Mine took about 4 or 5 pwc before it was perfectly clear again. What I would receommend is maybe doing 30%-40% pwc and that should clear it up a bit faster.

Angel079

How fine (or not) is that sponge you're using on the intake? not that its so tight and superst fine and 3 layers rapped around it that it totally slows down your flow by 90% or so....

KSASTER2

thanks next week I will do a larger change I just did one yesterday. Also I don't vacum the substrate. Should I be? I think a lot of the particles in the water are coming from the fish stirring up the substrate. I also had a lot of plant matter in there from the original setup up quite a bit of stuff died off in the first two weeks. It's just been the past 2 weeks were they have come back and grown. Maybe that's where all this "stuff" floating around is coming from

KSASTER2

no the sponge on the filter is just an aqua clear 30 sponge that i cut a slit into to to put over the intake tube