Not sure what to do?

[oro50]

Eh so I am noticing a strange issue with my fish.

My fish right now (which is a juvenile red maroon clownfish) has been staying in just one little section of my 20 gallon Long tank for the last week or so.

Well I should say it has, when I have all the filters I'm using on.

I am saying this is strange because, before this, my fish would swim for hours throughout the tank.

When I noticed this strange behavior and checked out the left side of the tank for anything weird, I noticed that there were now floating particles in the water I am using. (I am using all RO/DI water).

I think maybe this could be from several sources? Perhaps feeding it twice a day for the last week was too much?

Perhaps now over time (my fish has been in my tank now about six to seven weeks), detrius or waste material somehow built up and now is floating throughout the water?

So what I'm going to do for the next week is just feed my fish once a day.
Furthermore this strange behavior comes just after a few days I already did a big water change. I removed about 35 to 40% of the water.

I tried using gravel vacs on the sand substrate, but I noticed that both (one that was a manual using device, and the other battery operated) essentially did buttkiss.

I don't want to buy another graval vac for the sand, but I don't see a easy way of removing this free floating material that seems to exist within the left portion of my aquarium?

I don't want to change any of the filter cartridges yet either, as I remove them on a specific time schedule and some aren't meant to be removed and replaced with new cartridges until at least another week from today.

Now I did notice the fish moved around throughout more of the tank, if I shut off some of the filter devices I'm using for a few hours, but I'm not sure if this is a great solution?

Again I'm not sure what to do in this case, I can't really remove this material without removing in my opinion, a-lot of water, (a good portion as I said is still somewhat new water); but at the same time I don't want my fish to not be able to use a portion of this tank, because it's bothered in some way by this material?

The only thing I can really think of, is as I do water changes, this gradual free floating material?? will eventually just be thrown out as well, eventually replaced with just empty clear clean new RO/DI water.

Any feedback will be considered.

Thanks

 

[Nandez13]

What type of filter are you using: canister, HOB? Are you running carbon?

 

[oro50]

Yeah I should have included these details. I am using a HOB and canister filter. I have carbon cartridges in both of these units, as well as other types of filter cartridges, like bio-max and foam. Now the time where I replace the present carbon and foam cartridges is coming up fast, so these will be replaced by next week.

Yet in the meantime, I noticed that a-lot of what I can just call loose particles, not sure if it's salt (but I don't think it is) or something else, are being pushed out by the HOB filter?

The only reason that springs to mind is that 3 weeks ago, I replaced my first bio-max cartridge I was using with a new one?

Yet again maybe this is just waste products or other loose particles that came from the sandbed?

Why do I say this, because several times, for no apparent reason to me, I saw my fish use it's tail fin like a battering ram, sending sand up into the upper areas of it's water environment?

Anyway though while the filters are on, these loose particles almost dance throughout a large segment of my tank, which means essentially my little guy is just hanging around one area of the tank all day.

I don't think this is good for it.

Thus as a quick remedy I turned off the two filters that were causing this loose particle dance to continue off for a few hours, so my fish would notice and start exploring the other area of the tank, so that it at least could move around more.

Anyway I still don't like to do this, because I'm worried that for several hours then, fresh oxygen isn't entering the tank?

How do I get away with this though? I believe I do, because even though I turn off the filters for a few hours a day right now for my fish to feel more comfortable in my tank, I still have a powerhead always on, and a bubble wall in the opposite corner continuing to bring down oxygen into this tank.

Lastly, my fish is not the only thing in this tank that is probably using oxygen, (why I'm even more concerned with my current remedy). I have about 9 invertebrates in this aquarium, and I have algae on a-lot of the live rock I have (about 18 lbs) for a 20 gallon L tank that I think uses oxygen?

Not sure about this last statement though.

If anyone has a different suggestion on how to remove these loose particles in the water, without essentially doing a massive water change, which I don't think would be good for this fish and the other invertebrates to do at once either, I'm open to any?

Thanks

 

[KDon]

If you are looking to remove the particle without doing a water change, I would recommend siphoning out the water into a 5 gallon bucket through a 100 or 200 micron filter sock. Then you should be left with just clean water in the bucket and all the debris in the filter sock. You can dump the water back into your tank. You can repeat this as many times as you see fit.

 

[oro50]

Thanks for writing back first off.

Secondly, I do plan on doing a water change, just not yet. I plan on doing another water change, just not this week but next.

I do bi-weekly water changes. How much are 100 or 200 micron filter socks?

 

[SteveZ15]

Is the fish breathing heavy or laying on its side? Do you see any parasites? Clowns are funny sometimes they find a spot they like and hang out there. If it eats and goes to bite you when you put your hand near its area its fine.

 

[Jlavine]

What's with all the ? marks? Stop syphoning your sand bed. Not sure how you'd use filter socks on your HOB.