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BioCube 29: Need a little help balancing my water levels...


ChadO

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Greetings,

 

I need a little help balancing my water levels in my Coralife BioCube 29. When I first started out cycling with this tank, I didn't have any issues with the "end-to-end" flow. The tank was quiet (no waterfall noise) and everything hummed along smoothly. Now, since I am cycled, I have added my Purigen and ChemiPure to my inTank media tower, and things seem off to me. Here's my setup (sorry for the length, but I figure people would rather have good detail than minimum info):

 

Chamber 1: Finnex 300w heating tube

Chamber 2: inTank media tower with filter pad (blue/white cut to fit), Purigen 100ml bag, and ChemiPure 11.7 oz on the bottom - the standard way that they show to set it up. Bridging the Chamber 1 and 2 is the standard inTank diverter - the one with the inTank wording on it. Also in here is my Avast large probe holder that is holding all my Apex probes. Since I don't have a skimmer in here, it's still pretty spacious.

Chamber 3: My Eheim Compact+ 2000 return pump

 

Additional mods: I removed the 90 degree elbow on the return, and run my return tubing up onto the stub inside the chamber. On the tank side, I have the Loc-Line splitter and two short runs that end with the flare nozzle. Finally, the last thing in the tank is my Tunze 6055 powerhead.

 

My water levels: In Chamber 1, the water is coming in from the display tank side at a pretty good clip. It's coming to the point where the water is right up at the top of the diverter, and a small amount is falling over the side edge and down the back side into Chamber 2. Best way to describe it would be like a thin sheet that hugs and slides down the back wall into Chamber 2. The water falling from the diverter is hitting the filter pad, and that is where I am getting some splashing noise. It's not horrible, but I had none before adding in the Purigen and ChemiPure. The filter pad rests on the first shelf and is about 3/4 submerged with the top 1/4 above the water line in Chamber 2.

 

Now, I'm also getting a thin sheet of water coming into Chamber 2 from the little slits that share a wall with the display tank. That thin sheet of water is coming in from the display tank side, and missing coming through Chamber 1 altogether.

 

Chamber 2 and 3 look to be even in water level height. I would guesstimate that they are about half full. If I look at the water level indicator markings on the side (I know we ignore them, just using them for reference here) I'd say that my current water level is about 3" above the "Max" line on Chamber 3.

 

So, here's what I am wondering:

  • Do I have too much water in my display tank, and need to lower it so that it doesn't fall through the slits into Chamber 2, but instead has to go in via the grates on Chamber 1?
  • Do I need to open up my Eheim return pump more so that it returns the water faster, and that will help with the backup in Chamber 1?

 

Any suggestions on what a guy should do?

 

Thanks!

Chad

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Honestly, don't stress it. The genius of an overflow is that the level of water in the display will always adjust itself, and so adding extra water or taking out wont make a difference because it would just spill into the back chambers, or extra would come from the return until it does. The splashing noise is because your filter floss is 3/4 covered with water. If you really hate it, make sure the water is below the filter floss level, then it will stop. Hope this helps.

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Greetings,

 

I need a little help balancing my water levels in my Coralife BioCube 29. When I first started out cycling with this tank, I didn't have any issues with the "end-to-end" flow. The tank was quiet (no waterfall noise) and everything hummed along smoothly. Now, since I am cycled, I have added my Purigen and ChemiPure to my inTank media tower, and things seem off to me. Here's my setup (sorry for the length, but I figure people would rather have good detail than minimum info):

 

Chamber 1: Finnex 300w heating tube

Chamber 2: inTank media tower with filter pad (blue/white cut to fit), Purigen 100ml bag, and ChemiPure 11.7 oz on the bottom - the standard way that they show to set it up. Bridging the Chamber 1 and 2 is the standard inTank diverter - the one with the inTank wording on it. Also in here is my Avast large probe holder that is holding all my Apex probes. Since I don't have a skimmer in here, it's still pretty spacious.

Chamber 3: My Eheim Compact+ 2000 return pump

 

Additional mods: I removed the 90 degree elbow on the return, and run my return tubing up onto the stub inside the chamber. On the tank side, I have the Loc-Line splitter and two short runs that end with the flare nozzle. Finally, the last thing in the tank is my Tunze 6055 powerhead.

 

My water levels: In Chamber 1, the water is coming in from the display tank side at a pretty good clip. It's coming to the point where the water is right up at the top of the diverter, and a small amount is falling over the side edge and down the back side into Chamber 2. Best way to describe it would be like a thin sheet that hugs and slides down the back wall into Chamber 2. The water falling from the diverter is hitting the filter pad, and that is where I am getting some splashing noise. It's not horrible, but I had none before adding in the Purigen and ChemiPure. The filter pad rests on the first shelf and is about 3/4 submerged with the top 1/4 above the water line in Chamber 2.

 

Now, I'm also getting a thin sheet of water coming into Chamber 2 from the little slits that share a wall with the display tank. That thin sheet of water is coming in from the display tank side, and missing coming through Chamber 1 altogether.

 

Chamber 2 and 3 look to be even in water level height. I would guesstimate that they are about half full. If I look at the water level indicator markings on the side (I know we ignore them, just using them for reference here) I'd say that my current water level is about 3" above the "Max" line on Chamber 3.

 

So, here's what I am wondering:

  • Do I have too much water in my display tank, and need to lower it so that it doesn't fall through the slits into Chamber 2, but instead has to go in via the grates on Chamber 1?
  • Do I need to open up my Eheim return pump more so that it returns the water faster, and that will help with the backup in Chamber 1?

 

Any suggestions on what a guy should do?

 

Thanks!

Chad

 

I read all this and have a "picture" in my head but it would really help if you posted some pictures so I could get a better idea of what is going on. The more the better.

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Honestly, don't stress it. The genius of an overflow is that the level of water in the display will always adjust itself, and so adding extra water or taking out wont make a difference because it would just spill into the back chambers, or extra would come from the return until it does. The splashing noise is because your filter floss is 3/4 covered with water. If you really hate it, make sure the water is below the filter floss level, then it will stop. Hope this helps.

 

This does help. I especially like that you pointed out the solution to the waterfall noise. That's an easy enough fix to just lower the water down some to a level that the filter pad stays exposed. I like easy solutions.

 

I read all this and have a "picture" in my head but it would really help if you posted some pictures so I could get a better idea of what is going on. The more the better.

 

Fair enough. I've been wanting to get around to starting a journal/build thread, and this is good reason to get those pictures (as well as these) put together. I'll work on that here in a bit.

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This does help. I especially like that you pointed out the solution to the waterfall noise. That's an easy enough fix to just lower the water down some to a level that the filter pad stays exposed. I like easy solutions.

 

Fair enough. I've been wanting to get around to starting a journal/build thread, and this is good reason to get those pictures (as well as these) put together. I'll work on that here in a bit.

 

Cool. I am in the same boat man. I have been meaning to start a build thread for about a year now and haven't gotten all my pictures together yet.

 

I just don't want to suggest something without actually seeing what you are working with.... Also I like fish tank porn :-)

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So, I've made some progress on the noise. I did adjust the water levels up and down to get a feel for what would work. As I was doing that, I noticed one change that I made that I had forgotten about. When I first got the tank, my bulk filter pad was the traditional blue/white style, but it was thinner - maybe 3/4" thick? I had a second stash of blue/white filter pad, and this pad was almost 2x as thick. A lot more "white" side if you will. Well, when cycling, I used the thinner stuff. On my last water change, I, for no particular reason, put in the thicker pad. Tonight, while playing with the levels, I thought I'd try the thinner pad again, and that in conjunction with adjusting the water level has eliminated about 95% of the water noise. I think I'll play with it a bit more tomorrow when I have some more time again. Fun stuff.

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