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best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 11:32 am
by lad
My Discus tank water's been cloudy for days, even after water changes. Running a Fluval 407, 75 gallon tank, temp at 86F, feeding beef heart mix twice daily. Any ideas what's messing with the clarity?
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 12:43 pm
by knight
Cloudiness could be bacterial bloom or fine debris. How often are you doing water changes? With beef heart, you might need 50% changes every other day. Also, check if your filter media's clogged or needs rinsing in tank water.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 1:30 pm
by Coralite
knight wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 12:43 pm
Cloudiness could be bacterial bloom or fine debris. How often are you doing water changes? With beef heart, you might need 50% changes every other day. Also, check if your filter media's clogged or needs rinsing in tank water.
Yep, knight's spot on. Beef heart's messy stuff. I'd add a pre-filter sponge to catch gunk before it hits the canister. My Discus tank cleared up after I started using Seachem Purigen in the filter.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 1:45 pm
by Fade
Had the same issue last month. Turned out my substrate was leaching fines. Switched to bare bottom, problem gone. If you're attached to substrate, try vacuuming deeper during changes.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 1:57 pm
by lad
Thanks, all. Gonna try Purigen and up the water changes. Didn't realize beef heart was that messy, but they love it.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 2:38 pm
by Dock
Bacterial blooms often follow overfeeding. Cut back to once daily for a week, see if it helps. Also, test for dissolved organics—high TDS can haze water even with zero ammonia.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 2:54 pm
by Kargo
Dock wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 2:38 pm
Bacterial blooms often follow overfeeding. Cut back to once daily for a week, see if it helps. Also, test for dissolved organics—high TDS can haze water even with zero ammonia.
Exactly. And if you're dosing any supplements, check those too. Some plant ferts can cause cloudiness if overdosed.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 3:16 pm
by Lish
My tank cleared up when I added more plants. Floating ones like frogbit seem to help balance things. Maybe give that a shot?
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 4:50 pm
by sunny
I had cloudy water until I switched to RO. Tap had too many dissolved solids. Now it's crystal clear, but I remineralize with Discus Trace.
Re: best discus tank water clarity
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2025 5:32 pm
by Boldie
Anyone here into vintage motorcycles? Just picked up a '78 Honda CB750.