Best stack for InTank Media baskets - Nuvo 30L

[hwk7072]

I put inTank media baskets in my 30L. My first impression is that it still seems like the water is going over them and directly into the next chamber rather than down through the stack to the next chamber. I thought the idea with these is that the the upper edges would be tall enough to divert water down through the stack. Any thoughts on that?

 

Second - sans a media reactor for now, how would/do you stack your media baskets? I'm thinking, from top to bottom

 

filter floss

chemipure blue?

sponge

 

 

[HarryPotter]

If it's going over it your water level is too high

 

I would ditch the sponge- it'll just clog the filter and you don't need the bio filteration if you have LR

[hwk7072]

If it's going over it your water level is too high

Hrmm, it would be pretty low without it, maybe 1.5" from top. I'm not there right now to check it out. But if that's the case, I'll need to keep it lower.

[Paleoreef103]

Hrmm, it would be pretty low without it, maybe 1.5" from top. I'm not there right now to check it out. But if that's the case, I'll need to keep it lower.

Keep the water level below the second chamber baffle. The return chamber water level should be a bit lower than the second chamber.

[Huffy]

I currently only have filter floss in the first chamber. I have some chemipure blue on order and will be putting that in chamber 2 when it gets here.

 

What does everyone else use in chamber 3?

[hwk7072]

Keep the water level below the second chamber baffle. The return chamber water level should be a bit lower than the second chamber.

 

I don't get it. Is there some way to lower the water level in the rear chamber without lowering it in the DT? I can't imagine there would be. The second chamber baffle is almost 4" from the top, which would make my DT look almost 1/3 empty at 13" depth. Even the first chamber baffle is 2" below the rim. Keeping it that low looks, to me, like a poorly maintained tank.

 

I'm obviously missing something here.

[hwk7072]

I suppose I could extend the height of the first baffles with a piece of acrylic. That's what I thought the inTank was going to do for me. I just don't like the look of tanks that have a couple inches or more of glass at the top, which is alway schmutzy no matter how often it's cleaned.

[HarryPotter]

You're missing something

 

Increase pump flow to reduce flow in rear chamber, OR take out some water. Water should be lowered in return comparement before display

[Admonition]

If you haven't made any modifications to the tank then simply fill the tank up so that the center chamber's water level is lower than the second chamber's water level. This will allow the water in the second chamber to 'fall' down into the center chamber like it should. Make sure you do this with the pump on so you know where each chamber's true water level is.

 

This tank's display portion water level is significantly low, and something a lot of people complained about, myself included. My water level in the display portion is 11.5 inches tall, which is about 1.5 inches from the top of the tank.

[hwk7072]

My Sicce, which is rated about 110 gph higher than the stock is running fully open, so it won't decrease the rear water level.

 

Maybe I just forget about the stacks, rig up some sort of mechanical filtration that sits vertically, and go with the mini max reactor so I can fill the DT to where it should be. Just throw more money at it. Didn't they check this thing with water before hitting the market?

[StayGold]

like others have said, you have too much water in the rear. get a turkey baster and use it to remove water from the middle chamber containing your return pump until the water level is lower than the second chamber baffles.

 

 

 

edit: just took a quick cell phone pick to try to show. my center chamber water line is about an inch below the second chamber so that the water flows down into it. water level in the display side is just about an inch below the rim, so you're not sacrificing anything by lowering the water level in the rear. i hope this helps

 

[hwk7072]

Right, I did that, but that takes the water in the DT down to where it looks bad, like I haven't been maintaining it. I want the water to be an inch or less from the top of the DT.

[Admonition]

Right, I did that, but that takes the water in the DT down to where it looks bad, like I haven't been maintaining it. I want the water to be an inch or less from the top of the DT.

Which isn't a defect, it's how this particular tank was designed. If your objective is to raise the display section then you'll have to block off a portion of the intake grates horizontally. Some people have done it with acrylic sheets and plastic(?) screws. In my opinion it's not worth messing with.

[HarryPotter]

like others have said, you have too much water in the rear. get a turkey baster and use it to remove water from the middle chamber containing your return pump until the water level is lower than the second chamber baffles.

 

 

 

edit: just took a quick cell phone pick to try to show. my center chamber water line is about an inch below the second chamber so that the water flows down into it. water level in the display side is just about an inch below the rim, so you're not sacrificing anything by lowering the water level in the rear. i hope this helps

 

 

Im so jealous of the Fusion mesh lids. The JBJ RL-45 came with a crappy glass lid only

[hwk7072]

Thanks for taking the pic. It looks like your first chamber wall is much higher than on the 30L, almost to the top. Mine is 1.5" from the top, making that the water level. I was thinking I could attach a piece of acrylic to the chamber wall so it would be like yours, near the top.

[hwk7072]

Which isn't a defect, it's how this particular tank was designed. If your objective is to raise the display section then you'll have to block off a portion of the intake grates horizontally. Some people have done it with acrylic sheets and plastic(?) screws. In my opinion it's not worth messing with.

I suppose blocking the intake grate would block some of the flow, but you would have to really throttle it down and it wouldn't look so great. Seems better to raise the wall of the first chamber, like the picture in the Nuvo 20 above, which would force the water down through the media basket.

Would be a piece of cake on the next water change. I have some black acrylic.

[Eckozulu]

Here's a link of how I did mine. DT looks great and all the water flows through my baskets. I also run 2 sicce 1.0's instead of one pump and splitting it.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/346145-raising-water-level-in-fusion-30l/?fromsearch=1

[hwk7072]

Here's a link of how I did mine. DT looks great and all the water flows through my baskets. I also run 2 sicce 1.0's instead of one pump and splitting it.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/346145-raising-water-level-in-fusion-30l/?fromsearch=1

I don't get it. While that may solve the problem of the water level in the display tank, doesn't it just flow right over the filter media, rather than down through it. What's the difference between just filling your tank that high or putting a grate on it?

Maybe it's your two Sicces.

[StayGold]

Here's a link of how I did mine. DT looks great and all the water flows through my baskets. I also run 2 sicce 1.0's instead of one pump and splitting it.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/346145-raising-water-level-in-fusion-30l/?fromsearch=1

Woah, your setup is beautiful!

[Eckozulu]

I don't get it. While that may solve the problem of the water level in the display tank, doesn't it just flow right over the filter media, rather than down through it. What's the difference between just filling your tank that high or putting a grate on it?

Maybe it's your two Sicces.

With the center chamber water level about an inch lower the the second chamber, the water flows straight down the media baskets. I found Stevie T's filter floss to pull a lot of crap out and still flow through. The way I have it set up, I actually rotate the floss half way through the week, because the back hardly gets used, then I change it out every week after a detritus stir and water change. Second shelf has chemipure elite and third has purigen. I found the chemipure blue is kinda a waste on this tank, but I use it on my fusion 10. If anything my 2 sicce's would push more water over the baskets if they weren't flowing so well, so I don't think that's it.

 

Maybe you are using too fine a filter floss. If so, u should just have to change it more often. But you definitely want your baffles to work like they should. Also, do you turn off your pumps when you feed? If not, your filter floss will clog faster.

 

Hope this helps, good luck.

[Eckozulu]

Woah, your setup is beautiful!

Thanks bro, I'm really digging the scape on your 20. And those picassos are money.

[hwk7072]

Is submerged duct tape ok temporarily? I want to try raising the walls of the first baffle as described above by taping acrylic pieces. If that does the trick I'll make it permanent with acrylic cement. If duct tape not OK, other types that would hold up to SW?

[Admonition]

Why not just hold it with your fingers and wait 10 seconds to see how it affects the water level? That's what I did when I tested it.

 

Idk if you want the duct tape glue in the water column.

[Eckozulu]

Is submerged duct tape ok temporarily? I want to try raising the walls of the first baffle as described above by taping acrylic pieces. If that does the trick I'll make it permanent with acrylic cement. If duct tape not OK, other types that would hold up to SW?

That's why I used screws. So I could adjust it the height I wanted.