Drilling and maybe undoing an AIO???

[MrZ2u]

I have a IM Fusion Lagoon 25 AIO and I kinda feel like I want to hack it a bit.  The reasoning is first and foremost to get a sump/fuge which I want for several reasons.  First is I want a place to grow a big ball of chaeto cause I am on the back side of a nasty GHA infestation and I have no desire to do that again.  Chaeto may or may not prevent it but it should help provide a better buffer against.  ALSO...it will provide a nice place for some pods to grow and have little pod orgies and maybe, just maybe make it possible to have a Mandarin some day.  Plus it gets a lot of gear out of site and I am a fan of that.  I checked with IM and they said its not tempered anywhere so drilling is not an issue.  Pretty much settled on side vs bottom but I am still wondering if need those back chambers for anything.  Taking them out gives me a fair bit more display space which would be nice.  I dont think they would be beneficial in any way once I am drilled.  Looking for anything I might be overlooking that says keep them vs ditch them.

Also, try to talk me out of this or give me more reasons to do it...I am not 100% sold on anything yet. 

[IceParrot]

I would drill it and add a sump for more stability, bigger bio load etc. But keep in mind that your entire tank could crack if you don’t drill properly.

[Joevember]

I saw someone take out the back chamber on their IM nuvo 20 on the IM facebook group. It worked out for them, they added a sump, overflow, etc. and their tank looked good.

 

If you have extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, I would suggest taking a look at the other tanks that Innovative Marine makes. They have ones that already have overflows built into them (nuvo int and nuvo ext), and they also make a tank that is just a tank (nuvo black). If you aren't comfortable breaking the back wall out, then I would pick one up. The nuvo ext 25 looks great, same dimensions as the nuvo 25.

 

Also, I'd drill the side so you could skim the surface scum. Plus there are a ton of overflows you can buy that are built to be mounted on sides.

[MrZ2u]

1 hour ago, Joevember said:

I saw someone take out the back chamber on their IM nuvo 20 on the IM facebook group. It worked out for them, they added a sump, overflow, etc. and their tank looked good.

 

If you have extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, I would suggest taking a look at the other tanks that Innovative Marine makes. They have ones that already have overflows built into them (nuvo int and nuvo ext), and they also make a tank that is just a tank (nuvo black). If you aren't comfortable breaking the back wall out, then I would pick one up. The nuvo ext 25 looks great, same dimensions as the nuvo 25.

 

Also, I'd drill the side so you could skim the surface scum. Plus there are a ton of overflows you can buy that are built to be mounted on sides.

Yeah, the the Nuvo EXT lagoon 25 is the Fusion lagoon 25 without the AIO.  I absolutely do not like the way they made the external weir though.  That's too many parts where fewer would do.  Plus, I definitely do not have a bunch of money burning a hole in my pocket and there is no way I could sneak a new tank by SWMBO.  

I have a source for cheap acrylic so I can make my sump and overflow box for pennies really.  A friend works for a company that makes all kinds of custom plastics, signage and whatnot.  He lets me have drop/scraps for next to nothing and sometimes, actual nothing.  Its odd sizes but they have piles of it and the sizes I need are pretty small and well within range of their drop pile.   The plan is to build a sump with as large a fuge section as I can after accommodation of the other sections ...intake side will hold all the tank can drain before overflowing into the fuge section with a little extra for the skimmer and a reactor perhaps...which will overflow to the return chamber which will hold a little less than it would take to overflow the tank above...I also want a RO reservoir built in that will hold 3-4 gallons.  I have a 20x20 footprint to work with inside the stand...could be as tall as 20 as well but reasonably more like 15-16.  If I need to raise up the RO part I will go above the rim of the rest.  

OR...and this is a possibility...build a new stand.  I built the stand I have now without a sump in mind.  Noting says I cannot build another specifically WITH the sump in mind.  There is quite a lot on that shelf that really doesnt need to be and is just there cause it can be.  The legs of the stand are 2x4 so they leave a void of wasted space on either side of the sump plus the hinges I chose cut another inch off the usable space in a way.  I could shove anything I want in from behind and the hinges are not in the way but I kind of want the sump to be on a drawer bottom so I can slide it out a little to make service a breeze...and that make the hinges an issue.  I had a 200gal a while back and I made a steel skeleton frame for it that I put a three-sided wood wrap on so that when complete it looks like any other stand but I can easily pull the shell off and have total access to everything below.  Something like that is definitely an option and given this only needs to hold 300lbs give or take so 3/4 tube would be plenty...or for that matter, 3/4 in plywood for the whole damn thing really...but that violates my "overbuild everything" sensibility 🙂 

Feel like I am rambling now so I should probably hit the button...
 

 

[jbb]

I drilled my IM 20 a few years back. Removing the filtration was a PITA for sure. It's not drilled in that video, but I did end up doing it.

 

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

Have you priced out what you could get for the lagoon and how much a non all in one would cost?  Just thinking you might be able to make some money back.

 

I would probably sell the aio and get the ext.

 

http://www.innovative-marine.com/nuvo-aquarium/nuvo-ext-lagoon25.html

[MrZ2u]

4 hours ago, TILTON said:

Have you priced out what you could get for the lagoon and how much a non all in one would cost?  Just thinking you might be able to make some money back.

 

I would probably sell the aio and get the ext.

 

http://www.innovative-marine.com/nuvo-aquarium/nuvo-ext-lagoon25.html

2

You would think that might be the case but its actually bass ackwards.    The EXT is $300 and mine, the AIO is $250...go figure!

 
 

[MrZ2u]

5 hours ago, jbb_00 said:

I drilled my IM 20 a few years back. Removing the filtration was a PITA for sure. It's not drilled in that video, but I did end up doing it.

 

 

 

Ive no doubt its work.  I was considering removing one or both of the second baffles in mine before I started to think about drilling.  The way they are situated is for their "Aqua Gadgets" and my Tunze 9001 is just a little too big to fit in one which caused me some plumbing issues that I resolved but it also rendered the center chamber a lot less useful than it could be...never really been happy with that.  I was thinking I might use a stainless wire saw to cut those out because I didnt want to jack anything else up.  Taking it all out seems like it might be less trouble but you saying PITA sounds like I might be wrong about that.  

What did you do to get it all out?  


BUT...and this is why I wonder if leaving all that back there might make sense.  At the very least it leaves the option to revert back to being an AIO at some point in the future

 

[jbb]

6 minutes ago, MrZ2u said:

Ive no doubt its work.  I was considering removing one or both of the second baffles in mine before I started to think about drilling.  The way they are situated is for their "Aqua Gadgets" and my Tunze 9001 is just a little too big to fit in one which caused me some plumbing issues that I resolved but it also rendered the center chamber a lot less useful than it could be...never really been happy with that.  I was thinking I might use a stainless wire saw to cut those out because I didnt want to jack anything else up.  Taking it all out seems like it might be less trouble but you saying PITA sounds like I might be wrong about that.  

What did you do to get it all out?  

Mine had glass sections siliconed flat against the walls of the tank. It felt like I was going to shatter the tank trying to separate them. Taking the plastic out was easy, then just silicone clean up after you're done. 

[MrZ2u]

1 minute ago, jbb_00 said:

Mine had glass sections siliconed flat against the walls of the tank. It felt like I was going to shatter the tank trying to separate them. Taking the plastic out was easy, then just silicone clean up after you're done. 

Yeah, I just looked it up and yours is kinda laid out the same-ish as mine.  The plastic glued to the smaller piece of glass...is that what you are talking about?

[Tamberav]

25 minutes ago, MrZ2u said:

You would think that might be the case but its actually bass ackwards.    The EXT is $300 and mine, the AIO is $250...go figure!

 
 

The nuvo black is only $125 and ships free. I would personally probably go with this and save yourself the hassle of deconstructing your current tank. Then you could sell your current one or use it as a frag tank or something. I deconstructed an AIO years ago and it was a huge hassle and my fingers hurt when I was done, shocked I didn't break the damn thing. 

 

Plus it has minimal clear silicone, the huge black silicone on the fusions is ugly imo. I still bought one but that was my biggest gripe.

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/Innovative_Marine_NUVO_Black_25_gallon_Aquarium_Nano_Cube_Aquariums_Tanks_20_29_Gallons-Innovative_Marine-0I05529-FIAQNCNTTT-vi.html

 

Only 1 left 😉

[jbb]

7 minutes ago, MrZ2u said:

Yeah, I just looked it up and yours is kinda laid out the same-ish as mine.  The plastic glued to the smaller piece of glass...is that what you are talking about?

Yes that glass will bring out your inner hulk rage.  

 

@Tamberav has your ideal option.  Buy the black and sell the aio . Your blood pressure will thank you. 

[MrZ2u]

1 minute ago, Tamberav said:

The nuvo black is only 125 and ships free. I would personally probably go with this and save yourself the hassle of deconstructing your current tank. Then you could sell your current one or use it as a frag tank or something. 

 

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/Innovative_Marine_NUVO_Black_25_gallon_Aquarium_Nano_Cube_Aquariums_Tanks_20_29_Gallons-Innovative_Marine-0I05529-FIAQNCNTTT-vi.html

Yeah but thats a closeout and they only have one left...and I dont have the funds to nab it right now.  Otherwise that makes a ton of sense and I could probably sell mine for at least that...but $$$ aint available at the moment so, well, ugggg!

 

[MrZ2u]

1 minute ago, jbb_00 said:

Yes that glass will bring out your inner hulk rage.  

 

@Tamberav has your ideal option.  Buy the black and sell the aio . Your blood pressure will thank you. 

Were that only an option I could exercise it would be done already !!!

 

[jbb]

2 minutes ago, MrZ2u said:

Were that only an option I could exercise it would be done already !!!

 

Save up the cash and buy a UNS tank. They have great footprints and the clarity is second to none.

[Tamberav]

1 minute ago, MrZ2u said:

Yeah but thats a closeout and they only have one left...and I dont have the funds to nab it right now.  Otherwise that makes a ton of sense and I could probably sell mine for at least that...but $$$ aint available at the moment so, well, ugggg!

 

If your funds are that limited, you going to be really screwed if your tank breaks taking out the AIO. 

 

 

[MrZ2u]

3 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

If your funds are that limited, you going to be really screwed if your tank breaks taking out the AIO. 

 

 

Well yeah, I am not starting this till I have the funds to cover for that...laid off right now but 3 of 5 interviews have gone great so everyone cross fingers 4 & 5 go as well on Tuesday and come this summer this is all gonna happen and I will have pictures to share!

All in all though, honestly the drilling to me is a bigger concern.   

[MrZ2u]

What about these cats...they are up nearish to you.  Ever seen their work in person?

https://www.customaquariums.com/glass-aquariums/square-aquariums.html

[Tamberav]

By the way, a cheato reactor can be added to an AIO and is more effective than a fuge. Mandy's are also jumpers so plan on a top and basically plan on a dirty tank since you still need to feed heavy to grow pods in a fuge.  

 

 

 

[MrZ2u]

1 minute ago, Tamberav said:

By the way, a cheato reactor can be added to an AIO and is more effective than a fuge. Mandy's are also jumpers so plan on a top and basically plan on a dirty tank since you still need to feed heavy to grow pods in a fuge.  

 

 

That is a consideration as well...drilling would still make that look better but it wouldnt be 100% mandatory either.  Could also just use one of the two 10gal I have sitting empty to grow pods...but they are a considerable ways down the road.

[Tamberav]

I used to have 6 mandys but I have 0 now. They are a ton of work with long life spans... I think my longest I had before I moved was 5 years. I do miss them but don't miss the extra maintenance and multiple feedings.

[MrZ2u]

Before I thought I was thinking about drilling I was thinking of removing the second baffle on each side because for me they serve no purpose at all and at the very least one of them are really in my way.  My skimmer would just barely not fit in one of the baffles so I had to move the pump, ditch the "Y", cap one return hold and split it with ball line inside the tank to allow the skimmer to fit in the red box.  

 

Removing the two verticle pieces would let me move the skimmer more to the left and open up the back giving me a lot more room for maybe a small in tank fuge space.  I have a feeling the floor of those chambers would be more difficult to remove because they are like .5in off the tank floor as they are...really pointless as nothing but crap goes under there and its a PITA to clean out.  They did it they said to accommodate their skimmer design cause yeah, putting some longer feet on it or including a little scrap of egg crate with it makes less sense.  Their build quality is superb but the design leaves me scratching my head in many places.  Gluing the black arcylic to a sheet of glass is another example.  Ya could have just used a little bit thicker acrylic and that would have probably been cheaper as well.   But maybe I am just being cranky.

Question I suppose is does anyone think removing those two baffles (and hopefully their floor)  will mess with the water level in the back?  As long as the overflows are faster than the pump I dont see an issue do you?

 

 

[jbb]

it will mess with the structural support for the back wall and it will bow. I would not do it if it were mine. 

[MrZ2u]

18 minutes ago, jbb_00 said:

it will mess with the structural support for the back wall and it will bow. I would not do it if it were mine. 

First of all, that dividing wall is just that, a dividing wall with water on both sides.  Secondly, that dividing wall is 1/8th acrylic bonded to 3/16 glass according to IM and it would only span 17 inches between the pieces that would be left in place which will have water pushing back against the main part of the tank as well.  That was an assumption I made as well so I called Innovative Marine and they said that those extra baffles only serve to place "Aqua gadgets" and are not structural.

Consider a typical 10 gallon tank is as 12x20 with just 1/8th thick glass with nothing pushing back against the water inside and it doesnt bow...this wont either.   

[Tamberav]

I would just get a different skimmer cuz that's easier and I don't care for tunze 🙂 I saw someone take out a baffle on here but it was just one to fit that tunze.

 

I do hate those floor baffles...a fish got under them and when I tried to rescue it... It spookedand smashed into the glass above it and died. 😞