a question about cloudy water

i've got a 60 gal hex tank i'm running a fluval 300 series

i generally clean the tank every 4 to 6 weeks i have a gravel vac and do what i think is a pretty good job

about a week after cleaning, the water clouds up just enough to be noticeable...the wife likes sparkling clear... a close inspection seems to indicate the presence of 'suspended solids' floating in the water it looks like particulate is it something else like algae or something (the particles look as tiny as a grain of sand and its white in color)

what the heck is this? will a water clarifier clear it up

if so, how often should i use a clarifier?

When you clean the tank what procedure do you follow? How much water do you remove? If you only do it every 4-6 weeks then I guess you remove a lot of water in one go. If you are doing this then you could be destroying many of the beneficial bacteria in your tank each time, hence the cloudy water a week later which is more than likely a bacterial bloom as they reinstate themselves. It is generally recommended that you carry out a 30% water change weekly, whilst at the same time vacuuming the gravel. By doing it this way you don't damage too many of your beneficial bacteria and your tank stays nice and healthy. Try doing this for a while instead of your usual routine and I'm sure it will make a difference. Mel.

I agree with Mel's comments. You don't mention which Fluval 30X you have and what your fish load is. If your filter was sized marginally to the tank, your fish might have grown up beyond the filter's capability to process their waste. This is evidenced by the occasional bacterial bloom, usually after disturbing their environment. You might just be running too close to your capacity.

NetMax