Filthy Mud Like Substance.

[Richie]

Hi all,

I have a 29G LR, LS, PS Hangon, MH, PowerHead with/ media filter,
button coral and one clownfish, along with a few surviving crabs and
lots of worms.

I say surviving because my cleaner crew slowly dissappeared over
time???

I had abandoned my tank, and for months would just replace the water.
The coraline algae was too thick, I didn't have the time to remove it
from the front.

Eventually, I just bought a new tank, and transferred the LR and LS
and livestock into the new tank.

The problem is, I can't get the water to clear up nice and clear as it
once used to be. There is this silt that just sits on the LR and LS,
and every time I try to clear it up, it makes the whole tank cloudy
and it eventually settles to the bottom again. I have changed the
media on the PW several times, but all I have to do is just touch it,
and a good amount of this mud falls off the filter. I've increased my
PS, but no avail.

I would appreciate any suggestions. I was going to invest in one of
those vacuums, but don't know if I'll just be wasting my money.

I have a yellow appearing tank at it's best.

TIA,

Richie

[olddog]

"Richie" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> I have a 29G LR, LS, PS Hangon, MH, PowerHead with/ media filter,
> button coral and one clownfish, along with a few surviving crabs and
> lots of worms.
>
> I say surviving because my cleaner crew slowly dissappeared over
> time???
>
> I had abandoned my tank, and for months would just replace the water.
> The coraline algae was too thick, I didn't have the time to remove it
> from the front.
>
> Eventually, I just bought a new tank, and transferred the LR and LS
> and livestock into the new tank.
>
> The problem is, I can't get the water to clear up nice and clear as it
> once used to be. There is this silt that just sits on the LR and LS,
> and every time I try to clear it up, it makes the whole tank cloudy
> and it eventually settles to the bottom again. I have changed the
> media on the PW several times, but all I have to do is just touch it,
> and a good amount of this mud falls off the filter. I've increased my
> PS, but no avail.
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions. I was going to invest in one of
> those vacuums, but don't know if I'll just be wasting my money.
>
> I have a yellow appearing tank at it's best.
>
> TIA,
>
> Richie

You have so many initials I can't understand what you are saying.

Looks like you have a 29 gal aquarium with a hang on skimmer.

My first question would be how long has it been setup?

How many pounds of live rock do you have?

It's been my experience that the more LR you have the better. In my coral
tanks I have as much LR as they can handle (all the way to the top!). Be
sure you have a quality aquarium. The rocks can cause the tank's bottom seam
to fail.

Also it takes months for your tank to "cure". My 55 gal tank took over a
year to become completely independent from daily water checks and almost
daily water changes.

Test VERY often for nitrates. Daily until it becomes stable. After you get
your nitrates stable check for the other elements and PH. Be sure you are
using RO/DI water and your PH is correct.

Live sand is only marginally helpful. My new tank is only going to have a
minimum of media on the bottom.. I know some of these guys are LS junkies
but LR is the ticket. LS is just messy and only improves nitrates
marginally. A vacuum is a necessity but I use a cheap gravity vacuum. If you
get rid of your LS it's easy to vacuum.

BTW: In my tanks I only need LR and circulation. I check weekly or nitrates
but I usually only have to change to replenish the trace elements. (About
once a month) I have skimmers but I really don't need them if I keep the
fish population down to >3 small fish. I have 3 small fish in a 30 gal coral
tank and 2 in my 55 gal coral tank. I'm going to move them all into a 120
gal tank as soon as I can find one. NO LIVE SAND. It's just a pain in the
ass.

Crab's? what kind? Sounds like you may have gotten some poor advice. Your
"media filter" is probably a rip off. All you really need is LR. On my 55gal
tank I put a small piece of the cheapest bulk media filter in the skimmers
effluent and change it when I clean the skimmer cup.

Your crabs probably ate your snails and your crabs may have died off after
the snails are gone. I have no use for either one.

Good luck and I hope this helps!!!!

od

[wolfdogg[_5_]]

Richie wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a 29G LR, LS, PS Hangon, MH, PowerHead with/ media filter,
> button coral and one clownfish, along with a few surviving crabs and
> lots of worms.
>
> I say surviving because my cleaner crew slowly dissappeared over
> time???
>
> I had abandoned my tank, and for months would just replace the water.
> The coraline algae was too thick, I didn't have the time to remove it
> from the front.
>
> Eventually, I just bought a new tank, and transferred the LR and LS
> and livestock into the new tank.
>
> The problem is, I can't get the water to clear up nice and clear as it
> once used to be. There is this silt that just sits on the LR and LS,
> and every time I try to clear it up, it makes the whole tank cloudy
> and it eventually settles to the bottom again. I have changed the
> media on the PW several times, but all I have to do is just touch it,
> and a good amount of this mud falls off the filter. I've increased my
> PS, but no avail.
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions. I was going to invest in one of
> those vacuums, but don't know if I'll just be wasting my money.
>
> I have a yellow appearing tank at it's best.
>
> TIA,
>
> Richie
hi richie,
can you place a foam prefilter in the water column at your water outlet
somewhere, preferable in an overflow box, and a powerhead in your tank
to get that stuff stirred up as much as possible, then clean the foam
filter once a day being careful when you extract it? get a pitcher and
yank the filter out quickly into the pitcher so it loses as little as
possible back into the tank, rinse it with luke warm water.

try to get as much circulation as possible so it doesnt have a chance to
settle, if it does, take your powerhead and aim it towards the dust in
the mornings, and clean the filter in the evenings. water changes and
carbon addition will help any yellow water that you may have left in the
tank, but this is different that the silt problem.

[Tynk[_9_]]

On Apr 13, 7:20*pm, wolfdogg > wrote:
> Richie wrote:
> > Hi all,
>
> > I have a 29G LR, LS, PS Hangon, MH, PowerHead with/ media filter,
> > button coral and one clownfish, along with a few surviving crabs and
> > lots of worms.
>
> > I say surviving because my cleaner crew slowly dissappeared over
> > time???
>
> > I had abandoned my tank, and for months would just replace the water.
> > The coraline algae was too thick, I didn't have the time to remove it
> > from the front.
>
> > Eventually, I just bought a new tank, and transferred the LR and LS
> > and livestock into the new tank.
>
> > The problem is, I can't get the water to clear up nice and clear as it
> > once used to be. There is this silt that just sits on the LR and LS,
> > and every time I try to clear it up, it makes the whole tank cloudy
> > and it eventually settles to the bottom again. I have changed the
> > media on the PW several times, but all I have to do is just touch it,
> > and a good amount of this mud falls off the filter. I've increased my
> > PS, but no avail.
>
> > I would appreciate any suggestions. I was going to invest in one of
> > those vacuums, but don't know if I'll just be wasting my money.
>
> > I have a yellow appearing tank at it's best.
>
> > TIA,
>
> > Richie
>
> hi richie,
> can you place a foam prefilter in the water column at your water outlet
> somewhere, preferable in an overflow box, and a powerhead in your tank
> to get that stuff stirred up as much as possible, then clean the foam
> filter once a day being careful when you extract it? *get a pitcher and
> yank the filter out quickly into the pitcher so it loses as little as
> possible back into the tank, rinse it with luke warm water.
>
> try to get as much circulation as possible so it doesnt have a chance to
> settle, if it does, take your powerhead and aim it towards the dust in
> the mornings, and clean the filter in the evenings. water changes and
> carbon addition will help any yellow water that you may have left in the
> tank, but this is different that the silt problem.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -