Innovative Marine 10g AIO features that suck...any fixes?

[AaronRV45]

I have an Innovative Marine 10g AIO and there are a couple of design issues. Maybe you can assist me.

 

1. The pump is way too strong and blows my sand everywhere even on the lowest setting with the wave action on or off. I have even bought a 3rd part nozzle in an attempt to reduce this. I may have to put a valve on the hose to slow it down at the risk of overworking the motor. Bad choice in a pump IMHO. You don't need that much for this small AIO. That or make the computer go as low as a trickle if I wanted that.

2. The water level is too high. The overflow at it's lowest setting with enough water to keep the overflow to the pump quiet puts the water level almost at the top. The overflow needs a lower setting. If you lower the water level with less water in the tank the sump where the pump is makes so much noise with the water falling down. This leads to #3.

3. The screen top needs to be inverted so that it doesn't hang lower than the top of the aquarium. It collects water in the screen because of the insane water flow from #1 and the high water level and salt creep is a nightmare. Why on earth did they hang the screen lower than the top? The screen should be higher than the top level of the tank. 

4. Between the #1 chamber and the #3 chamber there is a 1" hidden chamber at the bottom that collects debris. Why is this there? So I can remove the pump and everything to siphon out the crap at each water change? I am tempted to fill it with rubble. 

 

I am very frustrated with this AIO and the things they did wrong. 

 

If anyone has fixes for these issues I would appreciate any advice.

 

Thank You

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

I had this tank up and running for a couple years. I used VCA Random Flow Generator nozzle on the highest setting for the pump (1.9, I think. I believe that 2.x is a pulse mode.) In addition I had an MP10 wave maker. I didn’t have any issue with sand being blown every where. Do you have the nozzle pointed at the sand bed? 
 

I kept the third return chamber nearly full (maybe an inch below the second chamber level) for the exact reason you described. I didn’t hear any water splashing at that level. 
 

I do agree with you, and the lid sucking. I believe they made it sit inside the tank, so it would be more pleasing to the eye… But the bottom side of the lid definitely collected moisture. 
 

I never once cleaned that section, or even messed with it. I have heard of people putting a heater in that section, but I never did. I probably wouldn’t put any substrate in it. You’re just asking for a detritus trap. It’s an odd design for sure, but I don’t think it impacts the tank as much as you’re thinking it will.  

[debbeach13]

Did it come with the mighty jet aqua gadget pump? That is what mine came with, 326gph. I run it on 2.1. Play around a little bit so that the water surface i moving just a little so it doesn't have any film on top of the water. I should get a random flow or dual nozzle but honestly, I never did.

[AaronRV45]

I bought the VCA random nozzle and that has helped a lot. I changed my rockscape as well so that water didn't funnel around it. 

[AaronRV45]

I still have an issue at one corner that seems to be getting dug up by the current. Shells and things collect there. I have adjusted the nozzle and can't seem to get rid of this. I don't want rock to block it because it will be ugly but I seem to have to push sand back in there daily.

 

 

[AaronRV45]

I just moved the rock around again. I will report back once I see how it goes.

 

[AaronRV45]

Still having issues. I think I have too much rock. I cannot seem to get it organized attractively while still allowing me enough room around the rock to clean and let my turbo move around. I am going to remove one of my large pieces of rock to see how it works. The sandbed is 3" deep which also may be too much. I am going to remove the rock and put it in a bucket of warm prepped water and make sure I get all of my critters out of the sand before I reset so I don't bury a nassarius or something. 

[AaronRV45]

So I have removed all of my rock. I left the snails and hermits in the tank. I did a big water change and used the old water and put it and the rock in a big bucket with a heater and circ. The tank has 5g of new water and a filter sock to clear it up. I want to see how the sand reacts to the VCA random flow nozzle. So far not great but it hasn't cleared enough for me to see everything.

 

I have another 5g of heated and salted water ready. I am not impressed with the 'randomness' of the VCA. The corners are already emptying of sand. If I angle the nozzle higher the screen gets soaked in water and starts to leak out of the edges and drip down the tank. The innovative cover is a TERRIBLE design! It is completely backward! If you pair that with the VCA it is double trouble. 

 

 

[AaronRV45]

The VCA is pushing my inverts into a corner. If I raise it, then it sprays out the top. If I use the dual nozzle from the Innovative you get a weird flow with a lot of dead spots. 

[mcarroll]

19 hours ago, AaronRV45 said:

I think I have too much rock.

Having too much is kinda the norm for starting out.....the tank looks so empty at first, so I think everyone has this tendency, even if it's unconscious.

 

Try to make the space 2/3 empty and 1/3 full of rock.

 

19 hours ago, AaronRV45 said:

The sandbed is 3" deep which also may be too much.

Depends on your goals, but bare-bottomed or around 1" of sand are the most popular options for a "typical" reef tank.

 

18 hours ago, AaronRV45 said:

I am not impressed with the 'randomness' of the VCA.

It's another version of an educator, which I can't really imagine helping THAT much....throughout the 90's they were sold as a way to INCREASE flow.  The "randomizing" aspect is a new marketing angle, and maybe isn't actually as true as we might hope.   Something like a Hydro FLO would probably help more.  

 

BUT, turning down your flow might be the most correct answer.  ...assuming you want to keep all that sand.

 

18 hours ago, AaronRV45 said:

If I use the dual nozzle from the Innovative you get a weird flow with a lot of dead spots.

I'm assuming this is a "Y" shaped splitter?   That would at least cut the force of flow from each nozzle by 50%.   Still might have to cut your flow down.  (Creating a return system with more outlets would be an option too....look at old school "closed loop" flow systems for ideas.

 

In the final analysis, it's better to restrict flow through the filter compartment (only needs 2X to 4X turnover) and do the display flow for the corals with powerheads.