Consistently Cloudy

Okay, I am getting so sick and tired of having issues with my water clarity, it’s driving me crazy. I have done everything I could think of to fix it, such as my two water changes a week, upgrading filters, changing media, lightening my stocking, and feeding less.

Why won’t my water stay clear?
I have a somewhat light stocking, and my fish are small.
Here’s my stocking for those that would like to know.

11 Cherry Barbs (1.1 - 1.3 inches)
6 Albino Cory
Ghost Shrimp (I have lost count on how many there are, around six)
1 Honey Gourami
1 Bristlenose Pleco
1 Female Betta

Anyone who is concerned about the betta in this tank, see my previous thread for a reference.
I Want Another Fish

So, here’s where we get into detail on my filtration.

It’s a 30 gallon tank, and I am running a giant Aqueon QuietFlow 75, which gives me roughly 500 gallons per hour. There isn’t a possibility that I don’t have enough filtration, this filter takes up the entire backside of my tank. I used to have a canister, which wasn’t working for me, so I sold that.

I have plastic media inside a mesh bag for the first stage, and next is the carbon and zeolite pellets inside of another bag. I am getting floss for it soon, which may help some. I don’t have anything loosely floating around, so my water constantly looks like I am having a minI cycle, but not.

Parameters are constantly in the safe zone, I check them occasionally to be sure. Everything was always 0,0,<20 whenever I tested. I don’t test anymore.

Anyways, so please help me. I want to have a clean looking aquarium again, and to mention that this tank has never been clear before, it’s a mystery. Every one of my other tanks are crystal clear, but not this one, which is so aggravating.

 

I would have suggested what you're already getting, water polishing floss to take out smaller particles, the only other thing I could suggest would be a UV light filter to clump the particles together to make them easier to filter out.

 

I would have suggested what you're already getting, water polishing floss to take out smaller particles, the only other thing I could suggest would be a UV light filter to clump the particles together to make them easier to filter out.

Seasoldier
Thanks! Should I get PolyFil?
I will do anything to get it clear. What about a chemical of some sort, would Seachem Clarity or Pristine work?

 

Poly-fil is cheap. It’s like $10 for a 3 lb bag. That bag will last your probably quite some time.

 

Poly-fil is cheap. It’s like $10 for a 3 lb bag. That bag will last your probably quite some time.

Thanks! I’ll be getting some very soon

 

Seasoldier
Thanks! Should I get PolyFil?
I will do anything to get it clear. What about a chemical of some sort, would Seachem Clarity or Pristine work?

I always try to steer clear of chemical fixes wherever possible out of personal choice, I'd try the mechanical filtration with the fine floss first & see how that goes.

 

Seasoldier
I held off on water changes for two weeks, then some diatoms showed up.
The next few days were great, the water completely cleared up, and it was beautiful. Now, it’s just murky as ever now, even with 500 gph filtration.

I am hazarding a guess, and this is my hypothesis.
Could the water be cloudy because of the shape of the aquarium? No water flow reaches the back of the tank, which is where the filter doesn’t move water to. If that’s the case, then I will be getting a powerhead to attach to the side.