Increasing water passage through filtration media

[GiannisK]

I have a nano all-in-one tank. I keep my filtration media like carbon, phosguard, etc in the middle and return chambers, where I have the most free space. However the water doesn't seem to have a lot of flow back there, it's mostly stagnant. The only place where there's a lot of movement is directly under the waterfall from the overflow to the middle chamber, but I use that for filter floss.

Is there a way to increase water flow through my media in the middle/return chambers so I can increase their effectiveness? Might be a stupid idea, but what about a small airpump that just churns the water a bit back there with an airstone?

 

[Owen386]

Larger return pump?

 

[GiannisK]

Larger return pump?

Maybe, but I run very high flow through my tank already and I'd like to avoid adding more. I was hoping there would be a way to organize the filtration to maximise water flow through it, or add flow only to the rear chambers.

 

[TPhan]

Sounds like u have too much water in those chambers. Decrease the water volume so that water is forced to flow over and down to the return chamber. Play with it till u find a happy medium with flow and noise.

 

[GiannisK]

Sounds like u have too much water in those chambers. Decrease the water volume so that water is forced to flow over and down to the return chamber. Play with it till u find a happy medium with flow and noise.

Is the return chamber supposed to be at a lower water level than the middle chamber?

 

[Cooper2]

If by "Return Chamber" we are talking about the baffled compartment housing the return pump, yes. A slightly lower level will also cause a skimming effect. Do you get any type of film on the surface of your middle chamber? If you do, lower the level of the pump chamber and watch as the film goes away...

 

[GiannisK]

That is what I mean yes.

May be a dumb question but I’ve never had an AIO before so please bear with me.

Is this hole between the middle and return chamber supposed to have water flowing through it? Is that where additional flow is supposed to come through? In which case I should raise the water?

This is the only passage point between the middle and last chamber excluding a slot alllll the way on the bottom.

 

[TPhan]

Is the return chamber supposed to be at a lower water level than the middle?

Is the return chamber supposed to be at a lower water level than the middle chamber?

That is what I mean yes.

May be a dumb question but I’ve never had an AIO before so please bear with me.

Is this hole between the middle and return chamber supposed to have water flowing through it? Is that where additional flow is supposed to come through? In which case I should raise the water?

This is the only passage point between the middle and last chamber excluding a slot alllll the way on the bottom.

View attachment 210967

Which tank do u have?

 

[GiannisK]

Biocube ~30 gallons

Which tank do u have?

 

[TPhan]

That is what I mean yes.

May be a dumb question but I’ve never had an AIO before so please bear with me.

Is this hole between the middle and return chamber supposed to have water flowing through it? Is that where additional flow is supposed to come through? In which case I should raise the water?

This is the only passage point between the middle and last chamber excluding a slot alllll the way on the bottom.

View attachment 210967

Are the slots on the last baffle? Those chambers r design like a sump. The baffles r what direct the water flow. Usually the very last baffle will direct water over and down into the return pump chamber. For optimum flow, u want raise the water level of the return chamber just below that baffle.

 

[GiannisK]

Yes that’s the last baffle. So raise it so it partly flows through that gap?

Never had a sump either, sorry.

 

[TPhan]

Yes that’s the last baffle. So raise it so it partly flows through that gap?

Never had a sump either, sorry.

Is yours set up exactly like the image below? If so that openning maybe the emergency overflow when the slots on the bottom are clogged.

 

[GiannisK]

No matter how much I adjust the water, it’s the same height in the middle and last chamber. And this just makes sense - why would their heights be different when the hole is all the way at the bottom? The overflow chamber has a greater height than the middle because the only place for the water to escape is all the way at the top.

What am I missing?

 

[Bao]

A small media reactor is the best way for carbon and GFO. But if you just want to use those media in a bag, then the bag would go into that chamber where the water flows into the back. Don't put it into the chamber where the return pump is. The middle chamber is okay but not a lot of flow there. The middle and last chambers will have the same water level. It was designed like that for those Biocube. I used to use a carbon reactor for that tank and I would put GFO on the bottom then a layer of foam? and then carbon on top.