How do you keep filter floss from main tank?

[nuitari1974]

I recently upgraded from a biocube 14g to a 29g HQI and am awaiting delivery of media basket, rio 6hf pump, JBJ fuge light, and Aquatic life skimmer from mediabaskets.com and some chaeto w/pods from reefcleaners.org.

 

The model I purchased did not have the bio balls or false bottom among other issues I have read mods for. Chamber 2 stock is set up so that the water flows from chamber 1 and the display tank accross the biocube filter.

 

Since I am not sure on how long it is going to take for delivery what I have done in the mean time is removed the original filter material from the and tried leaving the carbon in the cartridge chambers as well as removing it and placing a layer of filter floss over it.

 

Although this seems to work great as far as filtering out organic matter I see strand of the filter floss periodically making it into the main tank and invariably getting hung up either on my zoa rock or one of the kenya trees.

 

My question is is this a normal occurence? If so would you reccomend attaching some mesh to the outflow to catch it and just clean it out very coupld of days when replacing the filter floss? Or is it jsut a matter of the dpeth to the stock filters is not as deep as the media baskets top chamber?

 

Thank you in advance for any help.

[NU2REEFIN]

I think you will just have to put up with it until the mediabasket shows up. All the purchases you listed are good ones, I have all of them and am very happy. Lets see some pictures!!!!

[StevieT]

You will have your inTank order mid to late this week depending on what state you are in

[nuitari1974]

Received order today great turn around going to get everything installed and fired up.

[nuitari1974]

final verdict: waste of over $200

 

The media basket was the only shining item out of the lot, would prefer it to be about 3/4" wider, but very well constructed, fast service, and the only thing worth it at twice the cost.

 

rio 6hf is obnoxiously loud regardless of how it is placed in chamber 3, even tried resting it on the stock sponge to dampen the the noise. Comes with parts to mount to bottom or side of chamber only problem is there is nothing to attatch them to the pump.

 

The skimmer is even louder, a pain to install as noted in guide posted elsewhere on the forum, which is slightly outdated. The intake tube is no longer present it is now just a hole next to the base of the collection cup. The adjustment knob is place rediculously close to the collection cup that you need to have the hands of a small child to adjust. Also it is pretty much required to cut the plastic deviding chamber one and two level, otherwise flow is significantly blocked. Oh yeah and I now have more micro bubbles in my tank than sand.

 

Bottom line I definitely see why people recommend the media baskets, great product and service. Aquaticlife skimmer and rio pump not so much.

[gojk]

Give the Rio a week or 2 to break in and it will quiet down. Same with the microbubbles in the tank caused by the skimmer. The skimmer needs to break in.

 

Since break in, I get a lot of bubbles right after I feed, but they go away after about an hour.

[Natural71]

I love my InTank media basket. I used wedges of filter sponge on the upper side edges to keep it from swaying at all.

 

As for the 6HF, I use it as a water change pump because it was so loud in my sump. POS IMO. Better of with a maxi-jet 1200 or tunze silence for a return.

 

The Aquaticlife Mini gets a 7 out of 10 from me due to it being temperamental. It's supersensitive to outlet adjustments which would be okay if only the knob wasn't so wonky and crude to adjust. Also, mine makes noise like it's starving for water when it isn't. The micro bubbles do lessen with time but are still there to a degree due to the outlet being right next to the surface grate. On the brighter side, it does pull some good skimmate.

[jam77]

I have zero issues with the media basket and 115 skimmer in my hqi biocube as stated above it needs to break in. You are just going to have patience and let it have some time as far as the skimmers noise it will quiet down a bit but im afraid you are going to always be able to hear it but that is like most skimmers.

[StevieT]

Correct with all the break in advise. Skimmers are not plug and play and need time to develop a slime coat.

 

They also will not replicate performance from day to day because of the huge change of variables on a small tank. But they pull green junk that you would fear to drink.

[jam77]

Fear to smell as well ! It's some nasty stuff

[Koop]

I've had that mini skimmer for about a year. It did take a good week or two to settle down and skim correctly. I learned that very small adjustments make a big diff though. Agree on the adjustment knob...pain in butt to turn. Overall, you will be happy with the mini, gets lots o stinky stuff out!

[spanko]

Water level is of the utmost importance with any skimmer the mini included. I have mine in the middle chamber but I also have an ATO so the water level stays constant and the skimmer performs very well. On the adjustment nob I hardly ever use it, only after cleaning the unit once every couple months. And you can make it easier to use when the collection cup is on by getting a pc. of vinyl tubing that fits snuggly over the not and up above the collection cup.

On the Rio 6hf, I have had my tank since January of 2007, bought one then as a replacement for the stock pump and have not had anything else. I am now on my second one, the first one I broke taking it apart to clean it. I have found a couple of nuances though. When it gets dirty it gets loud. If it is loud when new it is probably that the impeller shaft is not seated correctly. It needs to be pushed carefully all the way down into the hole in the pump body, I mean tightly. If not it will rattle. Be careful here though and don't break the shaft.

[nuitari1974]

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions guys!

 

Just a side note my comment about whishing the media basket was a bit wider had nothing to do with it wobbling or causing any real problems with funtionality since it had parts to guide water flow over the basket it was more a personal prefference for filling the chamber.

[StevieT]

It is that size so that a Tunze 9002 can fit along with it in chamber two.

[nuitari1974]

It is that size so that a Tunze 9002 can fit along with it in chamber two.

 

I think there is some confusion to the space I am referring to since you could never any skimmer in that small of a gap. My finger is in the gap I am referring to between the basket and the front chamber wall. Either way as I said I am more than happy with the basket it performs it's job perfectly it is I guess you could say more of an aestetic preferrence.

[StevieT]

Gotcha, there is molding around the normal BC29, might be similar on the HQI, but the basket will not fit in the chamber unless the dimension that it is. Once in the chamber is larger so it can move front to back, thus the stay hold piece. So the chamber is wider once past that molding.

 

And since I haven't figured out how to make plastic grow on command and shrink for removal yet... basket is said dimensions

[bioload]

Water level is of the utmost importance with any skimmer the mini included. I have mine in the middle chamber but I also have an ATO so the water level stays constant and the skimmer performs very well. On the adjustment nob I hardly ever use it, only after cleaning the unit once every couple months. And you can make it easier to use when the collection cup is on by getting a pc. of vinyl tubing that fits snuggly over the not and up above the collection cup.

.

 

+1 on the tube mod over the adj knob. Another problem with the aquaticlife is that the air input is located too close to the optimum water level and water gets into it and blocks the free flow of air. A 5min mod is to open up the skimmer, remove the little black plastic connection on the inside of the air inlet for the air hose with needlenose pliers.Get rid of the original air hose and replace with regular air line tubing threaded throught the original air intake and connect directly to the pump.You may have to gently ream out that air hole with the pliers just a little to get the tube through.Leave several inches sticking out of the skimmer. Put it back together and reinstall in tank. Cut the hose and leave a good inch sticking above the original air inlet of the skimmer. Made a HUGE improvement in performance for me.Literally takes all of 5m.

[nuitari1974]

+1 on the tube mod over the adj knob. Another problem with the aquaticlife is that the air input is located too close to the optimum water level and water gets into it and blocks the free flow of air. A 5min mod is to open up the skimmer, remove the little black plastic connection on the inside of the air inlet for the air hose with needlenose pliers.Get rid of the original air hose and replace with regular air line tubing threaded throught the original air intake and connect directly to the pump.You may have to gently ream out that air hole with the pliers just a little to get the tube through.Leave several inches sticking out of the skimmer. Put it back together and reinstall in tank. Cut the hose and leave a good inch sticking above the original air inlet of the skimmer. Made a HUGE improvement in performance for me.Literally takes all of 5m.

 

Thanks. Tried that last night, for the record the 5 minute estimate is 4 minutes 30 seconds removing the friggin thing from the chamber, and like 30 seconds for the mod.

 

Also thinking about trying to find a better way to clamp the front and back pieces together to get a bit better seal and remove the need for the upper and lower brackets since they are more for holding it together, since the suction sups are useless and the bracket can be permanently attached. That woud make getting it in and out for maintenance a lot easier, plus plug some of the small gaps that are letting bubbles out.

 

Seems to be more stable but oddly enough it has developed a much louder intermittent gurgling sound, hoping this is something that will work itself out over the next couple of weeks.

 

Thanks again for the suggestion bioload

 

Oh and StevieT going to be ordering a replacement retention bracket since my 7 year old stepped on and broke it while trying to "help" last night. Any chance of getting it cut from bullet proof glass?

[bioload]

Thanks. Tried that last night, for the record the 5 minute estimate is 4 minutes 30 seconds removing the friggin thing from the chamber, and like 30 seconds for the mod.

 

Also thinking about trying to find a better way to clamp the front and back pieces together to get a bit better seal and remove the need for the upper and lower brackets since they are more for holding it together, since the suction sups are useless and the bracket can be permanently attached. That woud make getting it in and out for maintenance a lot easier, plus plug some of the small gaps that are letting bubbles out.

 

Seems to be more stable but oddly enough it has developed a much louder intermittent gurgling sound, hoping this is something that will work itself out over the next couple of weeks.

 

Thanks again for the suggestion bioload

 

Oh and StevieT going to be ordering a replacement retention bracket since my 7 year old stepped on and broke it while trying to "help" last night. Any chance of getting it cut from bullet proof glass?

 

Your welcome. It takes some time to break in.Until it does the bubbles won't be able to build a stable foam that rises up the cup. With a new tank and not much organic load you might not get much right away. That mod improved my skimmer immediately but it was well broken in. Since I did the mod this little skimmer has really produced for me.Before the mod the foam production was inconsistent at best. As far as the brackets I use mine w/o the suction cups to make it easier to get it in and out.The cups don't do anything anyway. The brackets hold the skimmer body tight together, just make sure they don't move when you insert the skimmer.

 

EDIT: There is always a gurgling sound with this skimmer which never goes away. We use a fan at night for "white noise" and don't hear it over that.

[nuitari1974]

well a little over a week later and figured I should pop on to say that everyone was right.

 

The Rio has settled in and hardly noticeable, and the skimmer has stopped with the micro bubbles (depending on water level), and has been pulling an obscene amount of skimmate since the second day.

 

still obnoxiously loud but the performance far outways the noise.