Can’t keep 25 lagoon AIO return chamber water level up

[Everclear]

Then i wouldn't be concerned about the pump being over powered. I would, however, expect that you should be able to run it full out without an issue. I run a sicce 1.5 on my biocube and it's rated at 357gph.

 

[J A' mhuir]

Then i wouldn't be concerned about the pump being over powered. I would, however, expect that you should be able to run it full out without an issue. I run a sicce 1.5 on my biocube and it's rated at 357gph.

That’s what I’m wondering… maybe I should run at full and see if the water catches up idk?? …. I don’t want to run the pump dry or pump air into it…..

 

[Tamberav]

Hey y’all,
I have an AIO Nuvo 25 gallon lagoon.
Running the Mighty-Jet return pump on lowest setting.
Two caddies: one holding just Poly fill and some ceramic media balls, and the other poly fill and carbon.
The other chamber has tons of ceramic media in a bag.

The issue: the water level in the return chamber drops below heater, way below ATO sensor, and almost sucks air when:
- I turn off the pump to check for nasties or move something or even after feed mode, then on again and it goes supper low.
- I added two little fishies and after floating the bag it dropped again.

What I have tried:
Keeping the pump at lowest setting
Removing some of the poly fill.

I am wondering if I need to remove or spread the ceramic media out. I don’t have much room and I kinda am afraid to remove any. Or buy a new pump? Although it seems the pump works too well…

I also want the flow rate up because that means more water is being filtered.

What can I do to help this??

If it is enough crap to be blocking/slowing the flow, then remove it, especially the ceramic media as you have live rock no doubt and it’s not needed. If your floss or media clogs with debris, your tank will flood to the floor, your ATO will kick on… your salinity will drop… it will be a hot mess.

You don’t need ceramic media, you don’t need every space to be filled in the AIO. Poly fil and carbon and done.

It sounds like there is too much crap back their and the pump sucks the back chamber low faster then it can flow back in.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Can you post a picture of your overflows looking through the tank? And a picture of your return chamber?

I have this tank. It's pretty straight forward. Constant level in all but the return chamber. You need about a minimum 1/4inch drop into the return chamber.

Also, heater needs to be in the display or in a constant level rear chamber.

 

[Everclear]

If it is enough crap to be blocking/slowing the flow, then remove it, especially the ceramic media as you have live rock no doubt and it’s not needed. If your floss or media clogs with debris, your tank will flood to the floor, your ATO will kick on… your salinity will drop… it will be a hot mess.

You don’t need ceramic media, you don’t need every space to be filled in the AIO. Poly fil and carbon and done.

It sounds like there is too much crap back their and the pump sucks the back chamber low faster then it can flow back in.

This

 

[J A' mhuir]

If it is enough crap to be blocking/slowing the flow, then remove it, especially the ceramic media as you have live rock no doubt and it’s not needed. If your floss or media clogs with debris, your tank will flood to the floor, your ATO will kick on… your salinity will drop… it will be a hot mess.

You don’t need ceramic media, you don’t need every space to be filled in the AIO. Poly fil and carbon and done.

It sounds like there is too much crap back there and the pump sucks the back chamber low faster then it can flow back in.

Got ya!! Thanks for your thoughts

 

[J A' mhuir]

Can you post a picture of your overflows looking through the tank? And a picture of your return chamber?

I have this tank. It's pretty straight forward. Constant level in all but the return chamber. You need about a minimum 1/4inch drop into the return chamber.

Also, heater needs to be in the display or in a constant level rear chamber.

Sorry photos are hard!! Don’t want to scare the clowns I just introduced today

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Sorry photos are hard!! Don’t want to scare the clowns I just introduced today

No promises, just another idea. If your ato sensor is optical, and too close to anything else (return tubing, heater, wires) it may not be seeing the water level change.

I had this problem early on with mine. I had relocate my ATO sensor somewhere within the return chamber where it had a little room to breath.

You won't scare those fish. Just keep the cover on.

 

[J A' mhuir]

No promises, just another idea. If your ato sensor is optical, and too close to anything else (return tubing, heater, wires) it may not be seeing the water level change.

I had this problem early on with mine. I had relocate my ATO sensor somewhere within the return chamber where it had a little room to breath.

You won't scare those fish. Just keep the cover on.

Thank you for your thoughts

 

[Acros]

Looking at the pics, the display fill level looks fine, pretty close to what I have in my IM25.

 

[J A' mhuir]

I removed some media and other crap.

Looking at the pics, the display fill level looks fine, pretty close to what I have in my IM25.

i am adding a liter of saltwater at a time, and it is getting that back chamber level up, and I removed the ceramic media

 

[TheWB]

I ran the Lagoon 50 for five years which is the same tank as yours, just a larger water volume. I’ve had the bank chambers stuffed with all sorts of stuff including bags of Seachem matrix shoved into the empty spaces under the overflow on each side. In my opinion I don’t think you can have so much stuff in the other chambers that you could stop the return pump from pushing enough water through the system. I think you just don’t have enough water in there. I would set the return pump to whatever setting you plan to run it at, place the ato sensor at the level you want in the return pump chamber, and then keep adding water until it reaches the level of the ato sensor and stays there. Stop adding seawater at that point. The ato will take over and keep the level correct with top off water to replace evaporation. You would have to try really hard to overfill the tank. Just fill it to the ato sensor until it stays there and then you’ll be good.

 

[J A' mhuir]

I removed some media and other stuff, adding a liter of saltwater at a time to raise the level in the back


Soooo, how much of the poly fell, and other filter stuff should I be running?

 

[Acros]

I removed some media and other stuff, adding a liter of saltwater at a time to raise the level in the back


Soooo, how much of the poly fell, and other filter stuff should I be running?

I don’t run anything other than a small bag of carbon.

 

[TheWB]

I removed some media and other stuff, adding a liter of saltwater at a time to raise the level in the back


Soooo, how much of the poly fell, and other filter stuff should I be running?

Honestly, in my opinion and based on my experience running a similar tank, none of that should matter unless you’ve got something so dense in there that it’s just choking off the flow. Polyfil shouldn’t be enough to do that by itself. Just get enough water in there and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[J A' mhuir]

Honestly, in my opinion and based on my experience running a similar tank, none of that should matter unless you’ve got something so dense in there that it’s just choking off the flow. Polyfil shouldn’t be enough to do that by itself. Just get enough water in there and the rest will take care of itself.

Thank you!! I added water and it seems to be ok now!!! ATO is set!!

 

[J A' mhuir]

Y’all!! Thank you so very much!! I added about a liter and a half of saltwater and turned the pump to full and it’s going great!! Removed all but 6 ceramic balls and the Polly fill is fine as is!! I may get a HOB fuge but other than that I’ll stick with water changes and simple media….

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Y’all!! Thank you so very much!! I added about a liter and a half of saltwater and turned the pump to full and it’s going great!! Removed all but 6 ceramic balls and the Polly fill is fine as is!! I may get a HOB fuge but other than that I’ll stick with water changes and simple media….

I'm glad to see it is doing good again!

 

[splunty]

I ran across this old thread and thought I'd offer 2 cents in case you run into issues again or want to lower the display water level.

I have the nuvo 14. It came with a "high tide water riser" installed:

With the riser installed at all, even on the lowest setting, I had to keep the tank so full to avoid problems with the last chamber emptying that salt creep became a huge problem and any agitation at all on the surface hit the mesh screen.

Popped that piece out -- no more problems.

 

[J A' mhuir]

I ran across this old thread and thought I'd offer 2 cents in case you run into issues again or want to lower the display water level.

I have the nuvo 14. It came with a "high tide water riser" installed:

With the riser installed at all, even on the lowest setting, I had to keep the tank so full to avoid problems with the last chamber emptying that salt creep became a huge problem and any agitation at all on the surface hit the mesh screen.

Popped that piece out -- no more problems.

Thank you for this information! I might try it!! With the weir guards I have on it now, (to keep my firefish and wrasse in) it may help!!