Sicce 1.0 problem (evo 13.5)

[NanoNick0107]

Just purchased the sicce 1.0 for my fluval 13.5 as I needed to increase the flow. It fits nicely in chamber 3 but I noticed that the water level in 3 was getting lower and the tank level was getting higher.

 

 All I can contribute this to is that the return pump is pumping the water in the chamber faster than it can refill. I am using the stock sponge and have a protein skimmer in chamber 1. 
 

  I tried to take it out and turn it down but that defeats the purpose of having an upgraded pump. Do I have to upgrade chamber 2 to a different setup? How do I get the benefit of the more powerful pump? Has anyone flooded from this issue? It seemed that the tank will keep filling and the chamber 3 will empty leaving only a little water but that will be enough to overflow the tank possibly. Also the heater would be left with no water in that chamber.

 

any input on what I might be missing would be helpful. 

[MrP]

All-in-one tank chambers aren't designed to be high flow. If you need more flow in the tank, invest in a wavemaker.

[NanoNick0107]

9 hours ago, MrP said:

All-in-one tank chambers aren't designed to be high flow. If you need more flow in the tank, invest in a wavemaker.

I actually have a current wavemaker in my tank but was looking to get more water through filtration and extra current in tank. 
 

a lot of people are using this and I don’t see anyone yet with the same issue. 
 

wondering what I might be doing wrong

[growsomething]

Are they using the 1.0 on this tank?  The Nuvos much criticised 3rd chamber has a long space the runs under chamber 1&2, so it never runs out of water with a stronger return pump.

Mine never ran lower than it did with the stock pump, however I run with no filter or Walmart floss.

[aSaltyKlown]

Fill up the back chamber with more salt water.  I had one but found it was a bit too loud for me.  I have the back chamber water level high to cover a Colbalt heater about halfway up the dial.  

[NanoNick0107]

5 hours ago, afrostyreefer said:

Fill up the back chamber with more salt water.  I had one but found it was a bit too loud for me.  I have the back chamber water level high to cover a Colbalt heater about halfway up the dial.  

What my issue is with that is if I keep filling the back and the pump is pumping out of the chamber faster than it is getting through I will be flooded.. it must have something to do with the stock foam filter and the protein skimmer slowing down water flow. I also haven’t blocked that little hole that goes into chamber 2. 
 

  My tank is running well so far I might just keep it for a back up and when I get more money to throw at it get the intank for chamber 1 and either toss the skimmer in 2 or build a custom egg crate insert for it to run extra bio media if needed.

 

 

[NanoNick0107]

8 hours ago, growsomething said:

Are they using the 1.0 on this tank?  The Nuvos much criticised 3rd chamber has a long space the runs under chamber 1&2, so it never runs out of water with a stronger return pump.

Mine never ran lower than it did with the stock pump, however I run with no filter or Walmart floss.

Yes I was running the sicce 1.0 in my Fluval Evo 13.5 but ran into the issue of possible overflow on the tank portion. Need to figure out how to get more flow through the chambers to offset the extra pull the pump is making. 
 

 The balance of returning water and getting water is off so the tank water level goes up and the water level in chamber 3 goes down.

 

  Once you start upgrading it is a slippery slope and a stack of $$$$.

 

  Will wait until I acquire more funds and then upgrade the back chambers and see if that helps.

 

[aSaltyKlown]

35 minutes ago, NanoNick0107 said:

What my issue is with that is if I keep filling the back and the pump is pumping out of the chamber faster than it is getting through I will be flooded.. it must have something to do with the stock foam filter and the protein skimmer slowing down water flow. I also haven’t blocked that little hole that goes into chamber 2. 
 

  My tank is running well so far I might just keep it for a back up and when I get more money to throw at it get the intank for chamber 1 and either toss the skimmer in 2 or build a custom egg crate insert for it to run extra bio media if needed.

 

 

Definitely plug the hole, I'd also ditch the foam as well. I have the InTank chamber one, running floss on top and carbon in the middle.  I also have the PS2 skimmer, (if it wasn't $30 at Petco online I would not have done it)  The foam and the hole is what is killing the flow to chamber 3.  If you have the skimmer in the first chamber, just pull the foam and plug the hole.  

 

Can always use it for water changes, that's how I fill my tank now. 

 

 

[NanoNick0107]

On 3/7/2021 at 6:52 PM, afrostyreefer said:

Definitely plug the hole, I'd also ditch the foam as well. I have the InTank chamber one, running floss on top and carbon in the middle.  I also have the PS2 skimmer, (if it wasn't $30 at Petco online I would not have done it)  The foam and the hole is what is killing the flow to chamber 3.  If you have the skimmer in the first chamber, just pull the foam and plug the hole.  

 

Can always use it for water changes, that's how I fill my tank now. 

 

 

Yah that is what I was thinking.. have you put the protein skimmer in chamber 2 ? I was thinking of running that setup but honestly I don’t like the noise the skimmer makes but it does collect some really nasty brownish liquid.

 

  Once I get some more saltwater bucks roll in I will upgrade to the intank chamber 1 and decide then

[aSaltyKlown]

I do have it in the 2nd chamber.  It is a bit noisy, I currently have sitting in the chamber and it is resting on the cup.  I did have to raise the chamber water level, but not by much.  This weekend I am going to make a stand for it out of some scrap plastic so it will be level and at the same height as if it were in chamber 1.   I'm fighting dinos, and had a huge po4 spike over 1.0 ppm.  I may take it off line once the battle is done and i get my parameters in check.

[Zer0]

It’s because the return pump is pushing more water into the display area and the overflow can’t drain the water fast enough. Don’t the Sicce pumps all have flow adjusters on them? Try dialing back the output and you should see the water level in the display lower and the water level in the return chamber go back to normal. If you want to use that return pump on its highest setting, your only other option is to modify the overflow so that it can handle more throughput. 

[NanoNick0107]

3 hours ago, Zer0 said:

It’s because the return pump is pushing more water into the display area and the overflow can’t drain the water fast enough. Don’t the Sicce pumps all have flow adjusters on them? Try dialing back the output and you should see the water level in the display lower and the water level in the return chamber go back to normal. If you want to use that return pump on its highest setting, your only other option is to modify the overflow so that it can handle more throughput. 

Yea I know that but I have seen many people with this upgraded pump and no one really complains about the water level in 3 dropping. I figured the part out where the pump is pushing out more water than is coming in hence why I said that adding more water will overflow the tank and flood my place.

 

  I think they solution is to change out to an intank in chamber 1 keep the skimmer in 2 and use the pump.

 

  If I lower the setting all the way down it is pushing less water than the stock fluval so it would be pointless to use it really.

 

  I need to find the right balance and go from there. Anybody who has experience with this problem and has fixed it please chime in as I am all ears.

 

  Thanks for all the input and I will keep you posted if I figure out a solution that doesn’t require me turning it down as to make it the same as the fluval factory pump.