I have a 90 gallon tank with a sump. When I first setup the tank, it was crystal clear. After about 6 months, I start running into problems with particles being suspended in the water. You know how when you muck up the gravel and some gunk starts floating around the tank? My tank constantly looks like that
All the water going into my sump passes through a 100 micron filter sock (which I've replaced). It also goes through some filter floss. The water in the return part of my sump is crystal clear. This tells me that the particles aren't even going into overflow.
I have to assume this is a flow problem? I usually run at a fairly low flow rate to preserve CO2, but I tried speeding up the flow for a few days and it didn't make too much difference.
A) Added a layer of polyfil to one of my canisters compartments. I wet it when adding to pack as tightly as possible. The dirtier it gets the better it filters.
B) Added purigen to my filter also to eliminate any organic material
C) Changed to a lily pipe (not needed, but I like the downward flow it produces
D) Added a Koralia Nano 240 that sits about 2"s from the surface and is pointed up as noted a few posts up. This makes a nice circular flow from down to up and back around to the intake.
My water is crystal clear now and fixed any suspended particle issues I had.
My two return pipes are pointed slightly down. It's interesting that you mention pointing a powerhead up, because it made me remember that my return pipes used to point slightly up. I pointed the return pipes down to help get my CO2 up. They were originally pointed up for surface agitation, but I figured I was getting enough O2 in the water with the overflow.
Anybody else think that point my return pipes up again will help? My other though is to add a powerhead in the back center of my tank pointing up. This would help with the deadspot I have back there.
I'm just tossing this out there. But my water is clearest when my filters are dirtiest. They get sort of slimy and I think that slime really hold a lot of particles. But then my water quality is junk!
Clean filter, means more particles, but also cleaner water.
If the sump has a dead space aria in it and it has light, then throw in a hand full of Hortworth grass in that aria.
If you are concerned that flow is helping to keep the particles suspended, then you can make a major change in that by directing
one of the returns down and the other one across the surface towards the end/w the downward return. I'd place it 2-3" under the
surface but slightly pointed up so that the flow breaks the surface about 8-10" away from the end of the return. Just 4-5 degrees
for that slightly upwards tilt. Depending on which end you choose for the downward flow, this will make a circular current that is either
clockwise or counter that. This will guaranty that the particles eventually pass the intake for the filter.
Your comment about the particles not even going into the overflow sounds like you may have nailed it already. If there is not enough circulation near the bottom of the tank, does that let things go for a ways and then settle again? This sounds like a place where a powerhead to go near the bottom might help keep things kicked up enough to go to the overflow.
Another thought, might the intake be extended to take in water closer to the bottom where it might pick up more of the heavier stuff?
That would be my suggestion. Angle them up for surface agitation and if you can center the overflow a little more. That might be out of the question with the center brace in the way and how you have it plumbed.
That setup center brace sure is annoying. It takes 1/3 of the top of the tank.
I'll try angling the return valves up.
I thought about putting a power head in the center back of the tank but now that I think about it, that will probably just push particles away from the overflow.
if you are still having issues after what others suggested, try closing the intake on the left (closer to the overflow) if possible. That way there isn't such a bypass.
Thought I'd post an update. Aiming the return valves up got rid of 99% of the particles. Amazing.
I do have to use more CO2 now to keep the levels up, which is kind of a bummer.
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