help with tank

turbo21

Member
in my 100 i have a problem. if you look directly at the tank it looks pretty clear- but if you through the tank up at the lights it looks like there is smoke in the water. i have a trate problem cause of crappy aquaclera filters(put new amt filter on yesterday, gonna wait thirty days then take off the aquaclears) my trates are at about 50 ppm. could the trates make the water look smokey? or is it something else? someone please help!!:(
 

turbo21

Member
we do have carbon ,and we do water changes normally, yes we do use tap water but we have no probablem in our reef the water in their is crystal clear
 

fshhub

Active Member
how is a uv gonna help with clarity, all it does is nuke the little critters(many that we want too) making them dead little critters which now becomes organic matter(yada yada yada)
and how old is this tank
the trates probably are not the culprti but how is the other tests?
 

turbo21

Member
all the other test are fine their is no amonia the only thing is our nitrates but i got the nitrates down with our last water change but the water still looks like their is smoke in it. The water doesnt look cloudy but it looks like smoke. I took the water to our fish store out here to be tested and every thing was fine but the nitrates were a little high. We also have two different protein skimmers on it and we did get a really expensive filter for it so i am just worried about the smoke in the water
 

power

Member
Potassium can be used to correct an overfed system. It is highly toxic so be careful but it will clear up smokey water.
 

turbo21

Member
i guess we fixed the problem our new filter is working great we aslo went and got a new protein skimmer i did a big water change and the tank seems clear thank you for helping us!
 

beach bum

Member
how is a uv gonna help with clarity, all it does is nuke the little critters(many that we want too) making them dead little critters which now becomes organic matter(yada yada yada)
UV sterilizers are most commonly used in ponds for the effect of water clarity - not "critter nuking". It will kill free floating algaes more readily than it will kill parasites.
 

shadow678

Member
At a properly matched flow rate for the type and wattage, a UV sterilizer will kill all living organisms that flow through it, whether it be free-floating algae, parasites, or bacteria. It kills indescriminately, which is why it is suggested not to run one when you are attempting to set up a new filter, as it will reduce the amount of bacteria that reaches the intended media, extending the setup time.
 

beach bum

Member
the overwhelming majority of beneficial bacteria are found on surfaces, hence live rock, live sand, bio-balls, bio-wheels, etc.... and will not succumb to a UV sterilizer in the way parasites and invertebrate life do. fwiw :)
 

fshhub

Active Member
free floating algae in a pond, yes, kill it, but ion a sw tank, if it is properly maintained, then you do NOT want to kill it, b/c you are talking about the algaes we want(ex, coraline and other macros) since hair is rare in a properly set up and running system
 

beach bum

Member
free floating algaes are not what I consider desireable. As they (and cloudy water in general) generally signal a high dissolved organic content in the water column. Filamentous and calcareous algaes are not at issue and are neither hindered nor enhanced IMO by a UV sterilizer.
Bottom line is a UV will help water clarity, not to mention parasite loads in a closed system, which is what our boxes of water are.
 

fshhub

Active Member
let me get this right, you do not want coraline, or halemedia or calupera in your tank???
NO color?
no nutrient export?
no food for herbivores?
lets not forget phyto plankton too(food as well as nutrient export)
Unless I miss my guess, this stuff all grows and reprodues through water, NOT climbing like vines.
If this is correct, then use one, if youw ant this stuff, think of those facts too, like i said, it has to get around somehow, adn yes some do PARTLY grow, but most are spread throught he water column(or both).
Again, IMO it does not help water clarity in sw, even if it does kill it, it does NOT remove it. and after many yrs dealing in pools and water chem, killing is only half of completely removing it if there is that much.
 

beach bum

Member
I hope my position doesn't upset you, I'm not trying to be antagonistic at all. In fact I really can't delve further into it, because I simply don't have hard info for you, I have used them and not used them, and can say that from my POV it didn't not hinder anything in the tank.
Here is a photo of a reef tank that I have seen in person running a UV bigger than most people's skimmers (tank of the month at -- awhile back)

Many people (more knowledgeable than I) run them with success, so I don't think it's fair to say bad, bad, bad, when there is some good.
 

fshhub

Active Member
not neccessarily all bad, jsut IMO not needed and many people think they are a cure all where they are not to be relied upon
I do admit they can help but again, are not a cure all and IMO not worth the money when there are so many other places we can spend that money in this hobby.
AGAIN, just MY OPINION
 

turbo21

Member
well i do have a uv on the tank we put one on the other day it doesnt seem to be harming anything but i think someone said that it isnt good to put one on if i just put a new filter on should i take it off?
 

itchy

Member
speaking of Uv's I was told to put it on a timer and only run it 12 hours a day. This way it will not kill off some of the good things in the water we want around. Just my opinion.....which doesnt count for sh*t.....lmao;)
 
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