Need advice on my AIO 6Gal Reef Tank

[kcsh91]

Hi. Are there any kind souls out there can advise me on this? How do i tune my water level in my main tank? My main tank water level is barely beneath the top comb during the pump running (exit to AIO chambers). No matter how i want to increase the main chamber water level, the three chambers behind are full instead, and the main chamber in front, the water level barely increase.


The reason why i want to increase the water level, because i find that the surface skimming is not optimum.

 

[MoshJosh]

Could be a few issues, what type of tank are you running? Any photos of the AIO/chamber set up?

 

[kcsh91]

Could be a few issues, what type of tank are you running? Any photos of the AIO/chamber set up?

this is my aio sump. it was custom made, convert my old freshwater tank to nano reef tank. no matter how i adjust, the main tank water level wont goes up, it is always down below the skimming comb, hence poor surface skimming. i wonder what went wrong

 

[MoshJosh]

this is my aio sump. it was custom made, convert my old freshwater tank to nano reef tank. no matter how i adjust, the main tank water level wont goes up, it is always down below the skimming comb, hence poor surface skimming. i wonder what went wrong

From what I can see the level in the display should never be below here:

Is that about where the water level is in your main tank?

 

[kcsh91]

yes. But when the pump turns on, the water does circulate, but barely minimal water pass thru the top comb, i want more surface skimming

From what I can see the level in the display should never be below here:

Is that about where the water level is in your main tank?

 

[MoshJosh]

yes. But when the pump turns on, the water does circulate, but barely minimal water pass thru the top comb, i want more surface skimming

I think the most likely issue is that your return pump is underpowered for what you are wanting and or your tank is underfilled slightly.

 

[MoshJosh]

Deleted.

 

[kcsh91]

I think the most likely issue is that your return pump is underpowered for what you are wanting and or your tank is underfilled slightly.

yea, about that, i have a 1000 lph pump, but my water volume is about 25L. i have more than enough pump power for this small tank, despite i turned it to max, the water level in main tank still wont increase.

 

[MoshJosh]

Seems like something is off then. . . given the baffle set up and the water levels in the display and AOI being the same (and not overflowing the top comb) that means the bottom comb is accommodating 1000L/hr worth of flow, which seems unlikely to me? Maybe I am underestimating the flow such a comb can handle haha

If my assumption is correct then, water is getting into the AIO some unintended way or your pump is not putting out as much water as it should (or not enough for what you are wanting given this AOI/baffle design)?

If I am incorrect and that bottom comb can accommodate the flow. . . your best bet is to block the bottom comb.

 

[MoshJosh]

Side note, I think you are still getting "surface skimming" regardless of which comb the water is going through because it still has to fall over the top baffle (the red line). . .

On the flip side you could just fill the whole tank more so that the display and AIO levels are both midway through the top comb. . . the water wont fall over that top baffle but will still be forced through whatever media you have there. That is how my Fluval Flex 9 is set up.

 

[thedon986]

It looks the the AIO setup can operate with a low water level because the weir at the bottom is letting all the water in. Seems like the solution is to keep adding water until it’s forced to flow over the top weir?

 

[kcsh91]

Seems like something is off then. . . given the baffle set up and the water levels in the display and AOI being the same (and not overflowing the top comb) that means the bottom comb is accommodating 1000L/hr worth of flow, which seems unlikely to me? Maybe I am underestimating the flow such a comb can handle haha

If my assumption is correct then, water is getting into the AIO some unintended way or your pump is not putting out as much water as it should (or not enough for what you are wanting given this AOI/baffle design)?

If I am incorrect and that bottom comb can accommodate the flow. . . your best bet is to block the bottom comb.

Yea ikr. I stopped the pump, then i siphoned out all AIO water out, the main tank water level didn’t decrease.

I was thinking, it maybe due to somewhere connecting from the main tank to the aio chambers. And now, i am out of idea anymore.