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Seachem Clarity

BarryH

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2017
Messages
608
Location
Derbyshire
After a few days with a cloudy tank, and having pretty much run out of ideas, I ordered a bottle of Seachem's Clarity and can't believe the difference it has made.

Having a fairly large colony of Sakura Red shrimp in that tank, I feel I've been guilty of overfeeding which has in turn led to the cloudy water. I tried water changes and cut down on the feeding but with little or no improvement. I've genuinely never seen any of my tanks looking so clear.

Does anyone one else use Clarity at all? When something good like this happens and pretty quickly too, you always worry there's got to be a down side.
 
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Hi all,
I've got a very plausible candidate <"PolyDADMAC">, which is widely used in the waste water industry and a very effective flocculant.

Edit: "....... widely used in the waste water industry....."and <"in ponds apparently">.

Also a <"very large molecule and non-biodegradable">, so almost certainly non-toxic. Not a product I'm ever going to use, but assuming that it is polyDADMAC based, it should work pretty well.

cheers Darrel
 
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Never used Clarity but have used ReefFlowers version which was amazing. Currently using ADA Clear Water on a new scape. That takes it to another level.
 
I have used clarity after extensive replanting in aqua soil and it worked well. The water clears up within an hour. The only issue I had was that my Amano shrimp go crazy for 30 mins, after adding it to the water. They start circling the tank at mad dash speeds. Clearly an irritant to them. I stopped using it because of that. I wonder if anyone else has seen this?
 
I've got a very plausible candidate <"PolyDADMAC">, which is widely used in the waste water industry and a very effective flocculant.
That sounds likely. There could be something else in there as well, as Seachem say; "Clarity™ contains both precipitating and flocculating agents in the same bottle . . ."
However, they also say; "Clarity™ works as an aggressive flocculant and not as a precipitant."
Maybe it contains a precipitant, but it doesn't work. :)
Both from; Seachem
 
Unfortunately this is now hidden in the FAQ (was included on the label for some time after I (and I’m sure others) related my experience)
Q: My local water supply has very soft water. Will Clarity™ impact the pH of my water?
A: Since soft water tends to have low alkalinity and little buffering capacity, it is possible that adding certain products to a tank with soft water could cause the pH to drop. In most cases, this is not an issue, but with soft and already unbuffered/ lightly buffered water, it could cause a shift in pH. In systems with low buffering capacity or soft water, it is best to use a lower 1/4 to 1/2 dose of many additives and test the impact or outcome before using the full dosage.

My water did “clarify”
My fish were also all dead within minutes
pH had dropped to less than 4

(this was my first aquarium)
 
There could be something else in there as well, as Seachem say; "Clarity™ contains both precipitating and flocculating agents in the same bottle . . ."
However, they also say; "Clarity™ works as an aggressive flocculant and not as a precipitant."

Mmmm - clear as mud (without precipitating and flocculating agents, of course).

JPC ;)
 
My water did “clarify”
My fish were also all dead within minutes
pH had dropped to less than 4

(this was my first aquarium)

Hi @alto

Good grief! What an unfortunate introduction to the hobby! I'm pleased that it didn't deter you from continuing.

JPC
 
Unfortunately this is now hidden in the FAQ (was included on the label for some time after I (and I’m sure others) related my experience)


My water did “clarify”
My fish were also all dead within minutes
pH had dropped to less than 4

(this was my first aquarium)
Thanks - I had never seen that. It might explain why my shrimp went crazy after adding the stuff. I'll definitely not be using it anymore.
 
After a few days with a cloudy tank, and having pretty much run out of ideas, I ordered a bottle of Seachem's Clarity and can't believe the difference it has made.
Hi @BarryH

Are your tank inhabitants still OK? What do you keep in this tank other than Sakura Red Shrimp?

It was August last year when you started this thread. Any chance of an update, please?

JPC
 
I suspect the reaction of Clarity in my tank was extreme - Seachem followed up with me for a couple weeks, the shop that recommended the product was uninterested ... I’ve been much more conservative about aquarium additives since
Note that local tap is very soft KH 0-1, GH 1-3, pH 6-6.4

I cleaned the tank thoroughly (water changes, substrate vacuum, filter media rinsing), plants seemed unaffected and slowly began restocking - a local shop had begun bringing in all sorts of (mostly wild I suspect) shrimp so I focused on these, adding 10-20 of each variety; over time lots of babies and brilliant colors appeared
Fish stock was kept fairly low
 
Hi @BarryH

Are your tank inhabitants still OK? What do you keep in this tank other than Sakura Red Shrimp?

It was August last year when you started this thread. Any chance of an update, please?

JPC
I have only needed to use the Clarity on five or six occasions since the first time back in August. Neither fish (Harlequin Rasboras) or Shrimp suffered any ill effects or showed any signs of discomfort whenever it was used.
 
Thanks - I had never seen that. It might explain why my shrimp went crazy after adding the stuff. I'll definitely not be using it anymore.
I had the same incident after adding ADA clear water, my amano shrimp running all around the tank, they just want to get out of the tank. I checked my PH, it’s showing around 6.0... did my 20% water change...had lot of fire red and amano, not sure whether they will survive need to wait and watch.
 
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