intank media basket - front panel?

[gone_PHiSHin]

i have an intank basket in my IM10 and was wondering if i have been using it wrong

 

i use filter pad in the top, carbon and GFO in the second chamber and purigen in the bottom.  

 

however, i took the front acrylic panel out that slides into the basket.  the reason i did this because the basket fits nice and tight in the overflow chamber of the IM10 but if you have the panel slid into the basket it creates a small gap between the filter floss and and the overflow.  this allows the display water to pass through this gap.  my concern was that the mechanical filtration was comprised because the water would choose the path of least resistance and just flow through the gap, bypassing the filter, and allowing debris to get through and eventually into my pump.

 

without the panel in there, the filter pad makes a tight fit, forcing all water in the overflow to pass through the filter pad.  is it necessary to have this panel in there for any reason?  why is it included? can you clarify?

 

help me out Steve!

 

[1891Bro]

When the floss/pad/whatever on top starts hindering grow it can bypass the media. If you change regularly (different for everyone, even while I was cycling I was changing floss twice a week, windows always open prolly just dust) the water will flow through the media, and the front panel makes sure it does. I'd bet your water is still cleaned by the media but, it will be better so by leaving the front piece on and forcing more water through your chemical filtration. 

 

Edit: Sorry I'm not @steviet

[gone_PHiSHin]

see i guess what i'm saying is that it seems the water flows down, in front of the panel when it's on, and doesnt actually enter the chamber because with filter pad in there the flow is restricted.  the water flows faster in front of the panel and therefore less water enters the chamber and doesn't pass through my carbon/GFO/purigen.

 

this is hard for me to explain but is easy to see in person.

[Nixperience]

Maybe upgrade your return pump so the water comes through the overflow faster. 

[gone_PHiSHin]

i've got a Sicce 0.5 in there.  any more would be too much for my tank's setup

[Nixperience]

Wedge something behind the media basket to push it forward?

[gone_PHiSHin]

i've thought of that too

 

it's like the basket fits very tightly, it takes a little bit to push it all the way down...but the silicone in the first chamber prevents the basket from fitting flush against the wall.

[1891Bro]

49 minutes ago, Nixperience said:

Wedge something behind the media basket to push it forward?

Lol. I did this!  Just a piece of tubing from something that was too long. 

[StevieT]

The removable door is there to box in the basket and force water through media.  It as titled removable or slides out to load and change the media. 

 

The issue we we have been having since late 2016 is Innovative Marine's Chinese manufacturing has been changing the hand built sizes or specs of their chambers.  Unfortunately I'm confident they do not use jigs.  So some newer built tanks are a few mm less deep [front to back].  But this sounds more like it isn't sliding down all the way so maybe a little too much silicone in the chamber baffles or in the floor. 

 

The basket designed on our tanks sits under the intake channel piece. So water falls into the top shelf. There should be no gap as you describe. It's frustrating when you make every product the same and what you make it for is not....  Thus we are always adjusting as needed our baskets through production runs. JBJ is the worst through the years and a lot use the same factory(s). Hence this explanation on IM tanks. 

 

Things we recommend depending on fitment:

• Shaving away at the intake channel piece with a razor blade or dremel etc. until the basket fits. 
• If silicone is the issue removing the excess. Don't freak out too much here it's just most likely on the baffle which isn't structural. Silicone splurging out the sides of the baffle or tank wall is only hand applied excess. The bond is what is between the glass pieces. 

Try not to pack too much media on one-given-shelf. This basket is small and packing too much will block flow. Two media types on one shelf sounds like too much, yet that is all relative to the actual amount of media you are using. 

 

This basket is designed to tip towards the false wall. The front legs are laser cut shorter than the rear. But if the chamber is tighter than what was spec this can be compromised. 

 

Removing the door door on this basket if needed with no other mods won't hurt the function too much the chamber and basket fit tight so you still have that boxed in effect. Filter floss will on the top shelf will still catch most detritus keeping the rear chambers clean. 

 

This is also just came to me. It may be easier in your case to shave, sand our cut away at the legs of the basket. This will make it shorter and slide under your intake channel piece. 

 

Also so no need to freak out about a badly built tank. It isn't about that or is it structurally built bad. The only way you would notice this is if you put in a precision CNC laser pew pew pew cut master minded product from inTank  

[gone_PHiSHin]

my man, thanks for the thorough response! 

 

i am going to give the back chambers a good cleaning this weekend sometime and pull the basket out to examine it and figure out a plan of attack.  everything you said made sense to me.  

 

really though, it seems to be working just fine the way it is, i just feel like i would have more exposure time to my media if i channeled the water over the front panel and into the basket.  the only problem i have that i could see the gap benefiting is that once my filter floss gets a little dirty, it impedes flow and causes my ATO to fill before it needs to, resulting in lower salinity.  i noticed this early on in my setup and it just forces me to change my filter pad more often, which is a good thing.  and for you too Steve, because i buy that from you too!

 

when i was thinking about it the other day, i had the same thought you did about sanding/cutting down the legs to lower the basket a bit.  it was late and i had a couple beers so i didn't give it the brainstorming it needs but i'll definitely look into it, probably this Sunday.  that's my coffee, music, and play with my fish tank day 

[StevieT]

no no no, yo have it all wrong.  Drinking is not the time you brainstorm, it's the time you take action.

You get the tools out and you attack the basket or aquarium.  You make the world right

 

Then you wake up and see the fruits of your labor.  And since nothing bad happens when drinking you get that #### yeah feeling, I ####ing built that and made that ####er filter better than ever

[gone_PHiSHin]

haha well i can humbly say that i am not at my creative and constructive best when i'm drinking....which i will probably be doing until Sunday.  which is why i'll look into it then 

 

i always feel like i'll make some stupid mistake with my tank when i've been drinking, which is why i made the decision a long time ago to just admire my tank while drunk, maybe a quick feeding.  

 

again though, thanks for the input 

[blaksheep67]

Stevie, quick question. I just purchased the media basket for the fusion 10, in the first chamber I cut to fit a cube of black sponge and then I put a layer of the blue/white filter floss on top of that. Do you think I should remove the sponge and just leave the floss? Thanks in advance!

[gone_PHiSHin]

i would just use the filter floss.  with the sponge in there too you will probably restrict your flow too much.  the filter floss will do a good enough job on its own, just change it often!

[blaksheep67]

Would it be possible for someone to post a pick if that first chamber? This is mine.

[StevieT]

Remove the sponge from the 1st shelf 

[blaksheep67]

Thank you !