Yes I cleaned all my canister hoses with my tube brush and water parameters are still good
Dust looking particles, not cloudiness.
Didn't know where to post. So this past Friday I noticed my water had dusty looking particles. Right away I got a little nervous and checked water parameters. Saw that everything was good and I only fed them once in the morning (I feed once a day except with an occasional treat on Sunday). I did my usual Saturday 75% water change. 3 hours later, still saw dust particles. Decided to do another water change Sunday morning and same results and water parameters still good.
Started to notice the infamous white flakes which I had an issue with when I first started my tank cycle last year and just like last time, this turned out to be the biofilm and protein buildup in my canister filter hoses. So yesterday I wasn't thinking and took a chance on doing maintenance on both my canister filters.
The hoses were disgusting and so we're my canisters. I just did the fx6 3 weeks ago and 407 a month ago. Long story short, filters are clean again. Still have dust particles a day later and it almost looks like pieces of the substrate. I know peacock cichlids love to dig, but when they scoop it up, is there any way they break it down into tinier pieces to where it floats through the column? My red shoulder and blue neon are my notorious diggers (although the tank looks pretty awesome after they dig).
Started to notice the infamous white flakes which I had an issue with when I first started my tank cycle last year and just like last time, this turned out to be the biofilm and protein buildup in my canister filter hoses. So yesterday I wasn't thinking and took a chance on doing maintenance on both my canister filters.
The hoses were disgusting and so we're my canisters. I just did the fx6 3 weeks ago and 407 a month ago. Long story short, filters are clean again. Still have dust particles a day later and it almost looks like pieces of the substrate. I know peacock cichlids love to dig, but when they scoop it up, is there any way they break it down into tinier pieces to where it floats through the column? My red shoulder and blue neon are my notorious diggers (although the tank looks pretty awesome after they dig).
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Maybe run a "Micron" filter just to remove the particles? I use a magnum filter with the "Micron Cartridge" as needed.
I have a fx6 and 407 in the tank which is 75 gallon. Fx6 has 2 trays of bio media and top tray has course sponge and polyfil (ran out of polish pads) and 407 has course and polish pads on bottom, bio media in two middle trays with purigen bag and top tray poly fil. Everything has great for months up until Friday. I used to have a sponge filter but I cycled it for my quarantine tank a few months ago.Maybe run a "Micron" filter just to remove the particles?
You think in the 407, I eliminate the extra bio media tray and put more poly fil in it?
I can put the extra bio media in my quarantine tank and leave it because I'm going with a 125 in another month.
Like I said, most of the particles look like small pieces of the substrate from when my guys dig
Also Sunday when I did another water change I scrubbed my wavemakers, in tank thermometer, canister filter hose connectors(ones that sit in the water) and glass. They had biofilm all over these listed items.
Also Sunday when I did another water change I scrubbed my wavemakers, in tank thermometer, canister filter hose connectors(ones that sit in the water) and glass. They had biofilm all over these listed items.
I also want to add, would fasting them one day a week cause any aggression issues?
Starting from the basics: You have plenty of filtration on this tank. This is the tank with 15 peacocks in it? An Fx6 + 407 is plenty. After a month, these are likely still pretty clean. Do you have pictures of what you mean by disgusting? Really as long as it's not so clogged the flow is constrained it's probably fine.
Hard to tell what the dust is, could you send pictures? It could just be little air bubbles. I'm a bit skeptical that the white flakes are due to biofilm, since biofilm by definition will be most stable when it's not disturbed. Your tank is going to be cloudier after you clean the filters or vacuum the gravel, but it should clear up over a day or two.
What's the substrate? Are the fish showing any signs of irritation, like flashing? If not I'd probably just ignore it.
Everything in the tank will get biofilm, no sense fighting that.
Fasting once a week in my experience isn't likely to do too much to aggression if you're not having aggression issues now.
Hard to tell what the dust is, could you send pictures? It could just be little air bubbles. I'm a bit skeptical that the white flakes are due to biofilm, since biofilm by definition will be most stable when it's not disturbed. Your tank is going to be cloudier after you clean the filters or vacuum the gravel, but it should clear up over a day or two.
What's the substrate? Are the fish showing any signs of irritation, like flashing? If not I'd probably just ignore it.
Everything in the tank will get biofilm, no sense fighting that.
Fasting once a week in my experience isn't likely to do too much to aggression if you're not having aggression issues now.
I have sand but it's not that ultra fine sand. I use caribsea cichlid substrate and I do a light surface vacuum every other week when I see fish waste, usually next to one of the rocks in the tank. I have 14 after having to rehome one not long ago.Starting from the basics: You have plenty of filtration on this tank. This is the tank with 15 peacocks in it? An Fx6 + 407 is plenty. After a month, these are likely still pretty clean. Do you have pictures of what you mean by disgusting? Really as long as it's not so clogged the flow is constrained it's probably fine.
Hard to tell what the dust is, could you send pictures? It could just be little air bubbles. I'm a bit skeptical that the white flakes are due to biofilm, since biofilm by definition will be most stable when it's not disturbed. Your tank is going to be cloudier after you clean the filters or vacuum the gravel, but it should clear up over a day or two.
What's the substrate? Are the fish showing any signs of irritation, like flashing? If not I'd probably just ignore it.
Everything in the tank will get biofilm, no sense fighting that.
Fasting once a week in my experience isn't likely to do too much to aggression if you're not having aggression issues now.
Fish are not showing any irritation by rubbing their bodies sideways in the substrate.
I wish I did take pictures yesterday. The flow on the fx6 was not as powerful. But both my canister filters hoses had that biofilm/protein gunk buildup and I cleaned them out, and boy oh boy what a mess I made in the bathroom with them lol. So got them cleared out. I know the actual glass will get it and I use my glass magnet to clean it off while I do my water change with submersible pump and filters off.
But fish are doing great with no aggression at all and swimming normally. I did notice before I came to work at 3pm, that the tank did seem a little clearer but still had some particles. Almost looked like fine substrate. That's why I didn't know if it's possible for the guys that dig the sand, do they chew into finer pieces causing it to float?
Like I said, when they reposition the sand, it looks actually pretty cool.
I also keep lights on normally for 4 hours Monday thru Friday and 6 hours on weekends.
Glass lids have been clean. I did notice the calcium buildup on upper part of glass (very light) when I did my water change Saturday but I got that cleaned up.
The substrate was new when you got it? My guess is the cichlids are digging around and releasing fine pieces of dust from the substrate. Even if you cleaned it before you put it in the tank, it's impossible to get every single piece of dust off the sand. If you dig up the substrate yourself with a siphon, do you see the water getting cloudier? I think the thing to do is to vigorously vacuum the substrate whenever you change the water for the next few weeks. Eventually the dust will go away.
Calcium buildup is pretty hard to avoid, if you want to clean off the glass that's fine but the fish won't care either way. It's hard to fight in a hard water tank.
Calcium buildup is pretty hard to avoid, if you want to clean off the glass that's fine but the fish won't care either way. It's hard to fight in a hard water tank.
If its just the ring at the surface, a stiff toothbrush cleans it right off - as long as you don't wait too long to scrub it. I have that in my tropical tank because my tap water has pretty high GH and KH.
I purchased the substrate brand new and rinsed thoroughly in February. Yea calcium buildup is inevitable.The substrate was new when you got it? My guess is the cichlids are digging around and releasing fine pieces of dust from the substrate. Even if you cleaned it before you put it in the tank, it's impossible to get every single piece of dust off the sand. If you dig up the substrate yourself with a siphon, do you see the water getting cloudier? I think the thing to do is to vigorously vacuum the substrate whenever you change the water for the next few weeks. Eventually the dust will go away.
Calcium buildup is pretty hard to avoid, if you want to clean off the glass that's fine but the fish won't care either way. It's hard to fight in a hard water tank.
When I use a siphon, I've never seen it get cloudy nor when rescape after they dig during water change.
I'll give it a good siphon through the substrate and see if that works
Yea that's what I did the other day. I have tank toothbrush just for that and for my wavemakers lolIf its just the ring at the surface, a stiff toothbrush cleans it right off - as long as you don't wait too long to scrub it. I have that in my tropical tank because my tap water has pretty high GH and KH.
From what I can see in the photos that doesn’t look like sand to me.
I had something similar in my tropical tank - added JBL Clearol which is designed to remove micro-fine particles (sure there will be equivalent other brands) and 24 hrs later the tank was crystal clear again.
I had something similar in my tropical tank - added JBL Clearol which is designed to remove micro-fine particles (sure there will be equivalent other brands) and 24 hrs later the tank was crystal clear again.
I've tried seachem clarity but still have the particles. I'm going to do another water change tomorrow and try that.From what I can see in the photos that doesn’t look like sand to me.
I had something similar in my tropical tank - added JBL Clearol which is designed to remove micro-fine particles (sure there will be equivalent other brands) and 24 hrs later the tank was crystal clear again.
Of course with the lights off, water looks spotless.
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