Improving Water Flow to Media Basket

[Jwendt15]

Per almost everyone's recommendation on this site, I just upgraded to the media basket purigen/chemi combo on my 14g biocube. Ordered from StevieT and got it in 2 days. Love the product, but after the install, it seems like I am getting a lot of water "lost" around the bottom and sides of the tray. Any tips as to what some of you have done to force as much water as possible through the basket?

[tibbsy07]

In my IM10 basket, I noticed that if I had too much stuff in the basket (media, floss, etc) that the water would back up and go over the sides, etc. I ended up using less filter floss and just swapping it out more and also used an appropriate amount of chemical media and that solved my issue. You'll never get 100% of the water through.

[Normang]

Per almost everyone's recommendation on this site, I just upgraded to the media basket purigen/chemi combo on my 14g biocube. Ordered from StevieT and got it in 2 days. Love the product, but after the install, it seems like I am getting a lot of water "lost" around the bottom and sides of the tray. Any tips as to what some of you have done to force as much water as possible through the basket?

 

I had the same issue.

I have the nuvo 16 media baskets in a fusion 20. Im running FF up top, CPE, in the middle, and purgien 100l bag in the bottom. I have so much water overflowing from the basket that Im not sure how much water is going through the media. On the other basket I am only running FF and CPE, NO Purgien and I still have the same issue.

 

I emailed stevie about it and he said to try the CPblue, because they are much smaller, and it will allow more water to pass through. I have heard that by running CPB you have to replace it a lot more often than using normal CPE and Purigen, which I don't want to do.

 

I love the looks of the media baskets, don't get me wrong. But on his site the baskets were advertised with photos of FF, CPE, and Purgien, exactly how Im running it. I am running my system exactly that way and for my liking there is way too much water overflow going on.

[GMay]

I had a similar situation on one of my tanks. Tibbsy07 is right, reduce the amount of media you place in the basket. I ended up using only about 3 - 4 ounces of CPE and 50 ml purigen. I just replaced/regenerated it monthly and things worked well.

[StevieT]

 

I love the looks of the media baskets, don't get me wrong. But on his site the baskets were advertised with photos of FF, CPE, and Purgien, exactly how Im running it. I am running my system exactly that way and for my liking there is way too much water overflow going on.

 

Size down the bags then as we discussed if you want this resolved. Or use CP Blue which is already the correct size bag for this basket.

 

You are blocking too much water flow with too large of media bags in such a small area.

[StevieT]

Per almost everyone's recommendation on this site, I just upgraded to the media basket purigen/chemi combo on my 14g biocube. Ordered from StevieT and got it in 2 days. Love the product, but after the install, it seems like I am getting a lot of water "lost" around the bottom and sides of the tray. Any tips as to what some of you have done to force as much water as possible through the basket?

 

 

What are you running in the media basket?

 

General guide:

 

• Change the filter floss often, if this is the first time using filter floss you may have to change it 3 times a week.
• As you capture detritus it will lessen to 1-2 times per week.
• Feed with the filtration pump OFF
• Use correct size media bags and do not block all of the holes with them, you need to allow water to escape and flow through the basket.
• Tie larger bags of media that you have on the bottom shelf to the middle shelf to pick them off the bottom shelving holes.
• Make sure the water level is correct. Most run at the first top shelf of the basket. Add/subtract water to chamber two/three while the filtration pump is off
• Change media bags as needed. Do not let them accumulate with detritus, meaning use filter floss on the top shelf

[Jwendt15]

I'm actually having an issue of getting enough water into the media basket to start with. I seem to be losing a large amount of water around the bottom and sides of that feeder tray that comes with the media basket. Is there some sort of "padding" that could be squeezed in the sides and the bottom to get a better seal around that tray?

 

Stevie, right now I am using FF on top with the 6.5oz chemi elite and 100ml of purigen. I don't have any overflow issues as of right now, only because I am likely not getting enough water to the basket to start with.

[StevieT]

The water director transfers as much water as possible while still being removable for maintenance. A small amount of bypass is normal and does not affect your newly upgraded filtration. Check if you cut the tab too deep or too wide vs the width of the director piece. If bypass is underneath then it may have been cut too deep, the water director goes around the chamber wall and the wall of the media basket.

[Normang]

 

Size down the bags then as we discussed if you want this resolved. Or use CP Blue which is already the correct size bag for this basket.

 

You are blocking too much water flow with too large of media bags in such a small area.

I will size down the bags but right now I don't have any extra media bags to use. Do you have any good recommendations? I could just use the bags they came in but the purigen 100ml bag is pretty big.

[StevieT]

I will size down the bags but right now I don't have any extra media bags to use. Do you have any good recommendations? I could just use the bags they came in but the purigen 100ml bag is pretty big.

 

Take media out and use a zip tie

[pgrVII]

 

Take media out and use a zip tie

Boom.

[Jwendt15]

I think I may have cut a little wide towards the top. It wasn't the straightest cut so it is snug at the base but a little more open on the top. That must be the bulk of my water loss. I'll try just stuffing a small piece of FF to plug that up as best as I can. Stevie, one question, what's the reasoning for removing the sponge between chambers 2 and 3?

[StevieT]

I think I may have cut a little wide towards the top. It wasn't the straightest cut so it is snug at the base but a little more open on the top. That must be the bulk of my water loss. I'll try just stuffing a small piece of FF to plug that up as best as I can. Stevie, one question, what's the reasoning for removing the sponge between chambers 2 and 3?

Or glue in a small piece of plastic. Floss can work too just depends on how much it bothers you.

 

Sponge = dirty which leads to nitrates. If you're not running chaeto no need for it. Filter floss is your detritus catching method.

[Simulated Fish]

I think I may have cut a little wide towards the top. It wasn't the straightest cut so it is snug at the base but a little more open on the top. That must be the bulk of my water loss. I'll try just stuffing a small piece of FF to plug that up as best as I can. Stevie, one question, what's the reasoning for removing the sponge between chambers 2 and 3?

That's exactly what I did, my cut was a little wide so a bit of FF does the trick.