Tank Maintenance

I have a 3ft*2ft*2ft clearseal tank with a sump.

I never got the water as clean as I would like it. At this stage a big enough maintenance job to be done.

Can any one give advice as to how I should start. I want to get the water in the tank crystal clear. So what do I need to put in my sump. It has three chambers with a sock on the outfall.

The first chamber has 3 grades of filter. Which way should this be stacked? I have it course, medium, fine.

In chamber 2 there is some filter media.

In chamber 3 there has the return.

I have 2 wave makers (one just broke) to aid circulation.

Any advice on how to get crustal clear water?

Hi,

easy question first, the filter media should be arranged so the water flows through the media in the following order, Course, Medium and fine.
For clarification, you stated you have filter media in the second chamber, is this a biological media such as bio-balls or ceramic rings?
To get the water pristine, you could try to add some fine filter wool to the second chamber with the filter media. Depending on your sump set-up, you may want the filter wool over or under the filter media. Basically you want the water to flow through the media first, then the filter wool before entering the third chamber with the return pump. This wool will require changing on a weekly basis.

You can make some mods on the input to the sump too. Most people would recommend getting rid of the filter sock and replacing with a spray bar. Can’t find any good links at present, but you can google it and find lots of info. The idea of the spray bar is that its used to distribute the "raw" tank water over a thin bed of filter wool. This filter wool is simply placed in a shallow tray, approx 2 to 3 cm deep, with lots of holes in the bottom. The water from the tank enters the sump and most of the dirt, fish waste etc will not make it beyond this media. Its a lot more effective than the sock. The problem with the sock is they clog up and water pressure pushed waste through in the form of tiny particles. Again, you will need to change this filter wool regularly too. The advantage is that you can see clearly when it needs to be changed.

The filter wool is very expensive in fish shops, however there is a cheap alternative available. The material is polyester wool which is also used to fill "fibre" pillows so if you can get some cheap pillows in the likes of Pennys, the filling can be used in your tank. Just keep clear of any with a "Flame proof" label as the fire retardants used may prove toxic to your fish. A Good test before putting in your tank is to actually light a small sample of the material and ensure it burns completely.

Cheers,
Bill

great reply bill, im setting up my first sump and am open to any advise. i like the idea of the thin layer of wool to clean out all the big stuff first. a product i find is good to clear up cloudy water is API accu clear, its non chemical so cant do any harm to fish. and its cheap, a small bottle 118ml will treat 4500l and costs about a tenner.