# Killies Import > Planted Tanks >  question

## strung_0ut

anyone here use a power filter? i use a emperor 280, ya I should be using a canister but I've spent a lot of money and I'm tapped out, My plants are doing fine, I have baby tears, stargrass, mini moss, tonina, newly added glossostigma, riccia, and a small amount of christmas moss. I was just wondering how I can clear my water without the use of Carbon in my filter, I used it to to clear up my tank because without it I can't seem to clear it up. when its probably bio media now but I was wondering what some of you have and may had used, in a power filter to clear your water.
Thanks much
-Dennis

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## timebomb

I don't think it's got anything to do with the filter media, Dennis. Rather, I suspect the reason your water isn't very clear is because your filter is too powerful. A strong circulation is good for plants and fish but too powerful a filter would cause too much turbulence. Too much turbulence would mean that the *dust* in the water never gets a chance to settle so your water is never clear.

Loh K L

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## FC

I have the same problem and I use Ehiem 2028. Other than what timebomb mentioned, there may be some other culprits.

For my case, it has something to do with my base fertilizer, when my substrate is well covered with plants, the "blur" water goes away. It is not cloudy water, there is whitish tink in it. I beleive that is what you are experiencing. What base fert are you using?

You may wish to try, other than covering the substrate with creepy plants, the floculant method. Try OceanFree's "Green Away", it is more effective and less side effective than the "Crystal Clear" (I am not sure of the trade mark). However, it is not a permanent solution, it will come back if you/fishes disturb the substrate.

If it is a bacteria boom or green water, UV light is the best.

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## strung_0ut

the flow rate is at its lowest, strong circulation is good for plants for distributing things? i don't have any fish, after i get a lush growth going I would like to add 1-3 discus and 6 cory cats. yeah i think its the whitish tink, my tank is clear now, i've had carbon in there for more than 2 weeks so its probably bio media, the substrate i use is florabase, i'd rather avoid chemical additives. thanks

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## Lighthammer

Hi Freddy,

Actually green water can be solved without using a UV light. I once had a bad case of green water and no matter how many water changes I made I couldn't get rid of it.

A friend told me I can put live daphnia into my tank. The daphnia will comsume the plankton ( if I remember correctly) and can also be a food source for the fishes. But the downside is that you need a lot of daphnia for this method to work.

Another method is to black-out the whole tank. Cover it with a blanket or something and do not turn on the lights for about 3 days. The water should be clear by then and all you have to do is wash the filter media and do a water change. Hope this methods are useful.  :Smile:

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## NongOil

You may try to prevent the green water by using this method, I got from some website I visited but can't remember, credit on them. 

If you use timer for control lighting period. Please try to set on 2 period, divided time in half, exp. if totally light turn on for 10 hrs. You should devided to 5 hrs two times. Turn on 5 hrs then off for 4 hours and turn on 5 hrs again. I had done this successfully with my tank.

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## benny

That's recommended by Dennerle, the German company for planted aquaria. It's a 'siesta' period for the plants to help reduce algae growth.

Cheers,

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## caseSENSITIVE

> how I can clear my water without the use of Carbon in my filter, I used it to to clear up my tank because without it I can't seem to clear it up. when its probably bio media now but I was wondering what some of you have and may had used, in a power filter to clear your water.


Dennis, you can use "quilt batting" to clear the water column. Since you are using the Emperor 280, I'll show you a very cheap method of making your own filter pads that outperform Marineland's REALLY expensive replacements.

The filter pad has two sides: a plastic grid side and a filter floss side with carbon in between. Simply remove the carbon and the filter floss of 2 filter pads. Now place quilt batting between the 2 left over plastic grids. You may have to cut the half-moon protrusions on the plastic grid in order to fit the contraption into the slot in the power filter unit. Maintenance is the simple replacement of old batting.

Quilt batting can be found at any craft store and is VERY inexpensive. It is usually used to stuff dolls, pillows, etc. Make sure that the package is labelled as hypoallergenic to assure that there are no appended additives that could adversely affect your aquarium. I guarantee results or I'll refund any costs you may incur in this DIY project.  :Very Happy:

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## strung_0ut

hi case
would this stuff be just like filter floss? and would it take away any nutrients i were to inject?

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## FC

Dennis,

Material that absorb chemicals are normally of modified resins and activated carbon.

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## caseSENSITIVE

I am not sure if filter floss and quilt batting are manufactured from the same material(s) and marketted under different names. From my own experience and others, both works equally well, except the filter floss costs more. And as Freddy Chng noted, neither the filter floss nor quilt batting will remove injected nutrients. People who use Marineland's filters on planted tanks have no choice but make their own filter pads because all of Marineland's filter pads have activated carbon in them. Further, none of the other filter pad brands will fit Marineland's filter.

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