IM 20g long water level issues

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

Had the tank for several weeks and can't seem to get this sorted. I'm running 2 inTank media baskets with the ATO in the middle chamber alongside the return pump.

My ATO is overfilling often during the night. I've tried the thinnest filter floss and it happened again last night, dropping salinity. I replace the floss every morning - I can't replace it twice daily!

I'm running super porous filter floss, small bag of carbon/purgien, and small amount of matrix on both sides. Return pump is set to max with dual IM spinners.

Has anyone run into this? @Innovative Marine any recommendations?

Options that come into mine is turning the return pump flow down? Swapping one of the inTank media baskets for an IM sock?

I confirmed multiple times my Tunze ATO 3155 is working as expected.

 

[Fish_Fry]

I'm not familiar with that particular tank, but it seems like the ATO might be pumping too much water; meaning by the time it gets the signal to shut off there is already too much water flowing through it.

You can probably test this easily by removing a set amount of water (perhaps a cup) & seeing how much it replaces.

Tunze makes a nano ATO to address this. Perhaps there is a way to reduce the ATO flow rate. I'm sure someone else will have other suggestions.

Also what makes you think it is the filter floss? Is that clogging causing the overflow?

 

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

I'm not familiar with that particular tank, but it seems like the ATO might be pumping too much water; meaning by the time it gets the signal to shut off there is already too much water flowing through it.

You can probably test this easily by removing a set amount of water (perhaps a cup) & seeing how much it replaces.

Tunze makes a nano ATO to address this. Perhaps there is a way to reduce the ATO flow rate. I'm sure someone else will have other suggestions.

Also what makes you think it is the filter floss? Is that clogging causing the overflow?

Thank you for the reply. Yes, I suspect the snail poop is causing the filter floss to clog, since they get more active at night... the ATO is working perfect.
I'm wondering if a filter sock on one end would help, since IM designed it in a way that water will bypass it if it overfills. The way the inTank media basket it set water cannot do this. Or if I should get rid of the filter floss in one of the media baskets and let the skimmer get it.

 

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

I turned my return pump from max setting to middle. Thinking is its pushing water out into the display faster than the water is able to flow back via gravity.

 

[polyppal]

You prob have a bottleneck obstruction in your first input/drain chamber. Between the floss and media it’s probably preventing an even flow that keeps the ATO going, I had something similar in my IM15 because I was using too much filter floss and the drain water flow was compacting it at the bottom

I just started using less floss and not compacting it in the chamber. I don’t use a media basket, just have some biomedia on the bottom of the chamber

 

[dedragon]

A valve to slow down flow on the ato pump might work. If it is going slower it may allow the water in the ato chamber to rise up enough that it doesnt overfill. Just a thought

 

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

You prob have a bottleneck obstruction in your first input/drain chamber. Between the floss and media it’s probably preventing an even flow that keeps the ATO going, I had something similar in my IM15 because I was using too much filter floss and the drain water flow was compacting it at the bottom

I just started using less floss and not compacting it in the chamber. I don’t use a media basket, just have some biomedia on the bottom of the chamber

Yeah, man - seems like a design issue with the chambers. I might not run floss or socks, I have an oversized skimmer and no fish. Just coral food and snail poop

 

[Innovative Marine]

Had the tank for several weeks and can't seem to get this sorted. I'm running 2 inTank media baskets with the ATO in the middle chamber alongside the return pump.

My ATO is overfilling often during the night. I've tried the thinnest filter floss and it happened again last night, dropping salinity. I replace the floss every morning - I can't replace it twice daily!

I'm running super porous filter floss, small bag of carbon/purgien, and small amount of matrix on both sides. Return pump is set to max with dual IM spinners.

Has anyone run into this? @Innovative Marine any recommendations?

Options that come into mine is turning the return pump flow down? Swapping one of the inTank media baskets for an IM sock?

I confirmed multiple times my Tunze ATO 3155 is working as expected.

Sorry to hear your having some issues with the water level. It sounds like the filter floss is clogging so fast that it slows down water flow into the back columns and raises the water level in the display portion of the tank. Try removing some of the filter floss and that should balance the water level.

 

[polyppal]

Yeah, man - seems like a design issue with the chambers. I might not run floss or socks, I have an oversized skimmer and no fish. Just coral food and snail poop

I’d still have some kind of mechanical filtration, a little floss to catch the big stuff like uneaten food, just swap it out every week with your wc. I only put maybe a 1/4 cup portion in mine (no sock no media basket) you might need a little more for a 20g

I use polyfill stuffing from the sewing section at Walmart, works great and super cheap.

 

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

Thank you, I'm using super porous filter floss so I am surprised it's clogging so fast. I wonder if its an issue with the inTank basket and the angled way its designed

 

[polyppal]

I’ve used that stuff before, it works great but it’s gonna restrict a lot more so than plain loose polyfill