Please help...filter question

[Taddax]

Ok, I've got something in my water that is really messing with my patience. I have what appears to be thin non-organic nylon strands in all over my tank. They are free-floating and when I turn off my pumps they to not move at all so I know they are not alive or are going to mutate into something (one of the reasons I believe its non-organic). They range from 1/16" to 1/2". I've had this problem for about a week now and I've tried a couple of things to clear it out without much success:

 

Bought a filter sleeve and filled it with Eheim Ehfisynth and stuffed that in the area under my wet/dry trickle plate (no bio-balls by the way)right before the return pump is located. Well that did not work out too well since I couldnt tell any difference in the water. I believe that the fit was not good enough and these strands just bypassed my filter pillow I stuffed down there.

 

My next sorry attempt was to just place the filter media on the trickle plate and allow gravity to work its mojo. I lined the plate up real good and made sure all the corners had media and so on. Nothing.

 

Can you guys give me some tips or ideas? I was thinking of buying a Micron filter pad and putting that on top of the trickle pad but I'm wondering if the flow rate will be too slow and casue an overflow situation...how avout a micron filter sock and putting that on the end of the Loc-Line nozzles?? As you can see I'm losing it...

 

My tank is a 20g Uniquarium by Clear for Life (acrylic) that has a built in sump. I'm using a venturi skimmer. The tank has been set-up for close to three weeks. Thanks.

[tinyreef]

your desciption sounds like hair or fibers. could one of the filter media you are using be breaking up or snagged on something? can you see any caught in any of the media or pre-filter (if you have one)? at least some should be caught slowly but surely.

 

see if you can suck some out with a baster or something. a closer examination may give a clue as to their origin and prevention altogether. good luck!

[Fant]

Keep the cat away from the tank.

[Taddax]

Well, first off, thanks for the replies. Here's the catch: I did not have any filter media other than a pre-filter sponge below the area where my skimmer is set-up, and I do not have any cats or pets for that matter .

 

So I went to places this morning (Jeff's exotic fish and also Aquatic Depot). The owner of AD told me to bring him a sample of my water so he could check out whats in my water. He looked at it (couldnt figure out what it was) and said that my only solution would be to drain my tank, throw out my sand since there would surely be some of that stuff in there and start over. Well I left kinda dissapointed and decided to head over to Jeff's to see what he could suggest (mind you I went to both places ready to buy a filter of some sort with micron filtering). He looked at the stuff and couldnt make out what it was and he didnt have any product that would be effective/cost efficient.

I have LR and LS, a candy cane coral, yellow polyps, maroon clown, lawnmower blenny, cleaner shrimp and a couple of turbos and hermits. I'm thinking I might go ahead and throw my corals and fish in a container, drain my tank , clean it, throw some new live sand in, rinse my live rock with some fresh saltwater and throw everything back in. Any suggestions or tips?? Dos and Donts?? Thanks for the help again.

 

P.S. I had tried siphoning the stuff out and other assorted techniques...its just too much stuff.

[BustytheSnowMaam]

I have no idea what it is- but before you go to all the trouble of emptying your tank, you might just try waiting a couple of weeks to see if it clears. My tank has gone thru several weird phases (nothing like this, but other things in the tank), they're there for a few weeks, then they're gone.

Tasha

[Taddax]

Tashayar-

Thanks for the tip, what's bothering me is the fact that two LFS guys (who could have recommended some expensive equipment but did'nt) agreed that it was non-organic and that doing a 100% water change was my best bet. The LFS owner at aquatic depot said that a filter equipped with a Micron filter pad wouldnt do any good...to just go ahead and dump my water. Will I totally ruin my livestock if I do that?

[Taddax]

I've searched all over the net and have found nothing definitive as to what may result from a 100% Water change. Can anyone help me out here?

[Bocephous]

100% waterchange is very dangerous to your livestock imo. I find it hard to believe no one can tell where the strands come from and that siphoning them out doesn't reduce thier population. If you siphon them out and they come back they've got to come from something, it it's inorganic they shouldn't come back.

 

I would...

 

1) Try to find the source of the problem

 

2) Try to find a digital camera so you can show us

 

3) Stir the substrate 3x a day to let particles collect in filter.

 

4) Siphon out as much as possible, removing no more than 20% of the water per day.

 

Doing a 100% water change is way scary imo, especially if the things pose no imediate threat to inhabitants.

[Dave ESPI]

Put a pre filter sponge on your return pump that should stop the strands getting in the main tank. Depending on what livestock U have in your tank, a 100 % w/x may not be needed. Ya could always usea Diatom filter. They are awesome. Ask yer LFS if U could borrow one, or just cough up the 100.00 and biy one. they pull up to .2 microns out of the water. Did U try neting them at all yet with a fish net? or is this a recourring thing?

[Taddax]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Bocephous-

I've siphoned out some of the stuff during water changes and have not noticed any difference, I've also tried to take some pics with my digital camera but have not been able to get a good photo (even with pumps off) but i'll keep trying. I would stir up the substrate but the strands are already free floating they go into the sump and when I tried using different filter media that didnt work...not fine enough.

 

Dave-

I'll look into the diatom filter. I did try to get them out with a brine shrimp net but that was no good. I think as time goes by some strands are getting smaller because of the impeller blade on the return, making it more difficult to trap.

 

As I was writing this I found that petsmart sells a vortex diatom filter for 69.00...hmmmm this sounds like possible solution. I;m going to research the diatom filter. By the way are the diatom filters all rated for the same .2 microns and would I be better off with a diatom filter or something like a Magnum 350? I'm thinking diatom cause of the impressive .2 reting. Pleas ecomment if possible guys.

 

Thanks for the replies again they are much appreciated...

[Dave ESPI]

that is a good price for a vortex, but there are 2 sizes models. The XL is a better unit ( depending on what U are doing and how often U need one) in your case, the regular size will be fine as U will use it occasionaly. The actual powder for the diatom and the carbon is what really trapps the small stuff.... I also use the diatoms without powder they doo a good job. I know that will be your best solution. good luck !

[Taddax]

Well I believe my problem has been fixed. I went ahead and purchased the vortex D1 diatom filter and had it shipped ASAP, I got it on wednsday of last week and immediately used it. Let me tell you it worked. It took a while cause there were so many particles. I let it run for about six hours and when I turned it off I noticed a huge difference in water clarity. There were still some rogue particles and that was expected (I knew going in to this it would take multiple sessions). Tonight I am running it for the second time and I've checked and I can tell there are less...I would say 95% are gone and hopefully the last 5% will be hit hard tonight.

 

I want to thank Dave for his help because I was seriuosly bummed out, since many of the good tips I recieved here and at RC didnt work for me. The problem seemed to be getting worse but with Dave's suggestion I can now enjoy my tank even more. Thanks Dave from my critters and myself.

[Dave ESPI]

YW.