AIO Chambers Innovative Marine question

[crazybanana2]

Heu guys, I have a quick question. I bought a uv sterilizer so i now need more space for chambers, can I put my biological media and my chemical media in the same chamber under my filter sock first chamber? currently i have a chamber tower on the first chamber on the right side but i wanted to put my filter sock back on the right side and have my bio media and chemical media under it?

 

[13rodo]

Heu guys, I have a quick question. I bought a uv sterilizer so i now need more space for chambers, can I put my biological media and my chemical media in the same chamber under my filter sock first chamber? currently i have a chamber tower on the first chamber on the right side but i wanted to put my filter sock back on the right side and have my bio media and chemical media under it?

You can, but I’d watch out for the chemical media clogging up the flow.

I tried something similar once with a bag of chemipure in my IM15. Eventually a portion of the bag got sucked under the baffle, compacted, and inhibited flow. I went back to the media tower. You might have better luck though

 

[crazybanana2]

You can, but I’d watch out for the chemical media clogging up the flow.

I tried something similar once with a bag of chemipure in my IM15. Eventually a portion of the bag got sucked under the baffle, compacted, and inhibited flow. I went back to the media tower. You might have better luck though

Thanks for the info, do you think I can put my media tower into the second chamber and filter sock in the first, or do they counteract

 

[13rodo]

Thanks for the info, do you think I can put my media tower into the second chamber and filter sock in the first, or do they counteract

If it fits I don’t see why not. The chemical and biological filtration aren’t mechanical like the sock so they don’t counteract.

 

[crazybanana2]

If it fits I don’t see why not. The chemical and biological filtration aren’t mechanical like the sock so they don’t counteract.

Thanks, I’ll try it out got to save space somehow lol

 

[13rodo]

Thanks, I’ll try it out got to save space somehow lol

Ya that’s the one problem that I’ve had with the AIO… space is at a premium :) Hope it works out for you!

 

[Fish Fan]

I have several of the smaller IM AIO's, which tank do you have?

I personally do not like filter socks, I don't care for cleaning them. For this reason, I don't use them. I have a three-tier media tower in my IM 15, for example, and instead of a filter sock I run the tower with a pinch of Poly-Fil in the first (top) section for mechanical media. Poly-fil is exactly the same as aquarium filter floss, but much cheaper since there isn't a picture of a fish on the bag. Poly-Fil can be found in the craft section of your local Mega-Lo-Mart, or craft stores like Michael's (it's typically used to stuff pillows and kid's toys). It's so cheap that I simply pull it every few days to a week, pitch it, and replace it. No socks to clean

I then run whatever chemical media in the middle section, and in the very bottom section I tend to place some small plastic bioballs or plastic pot scrubbies I get cheap from my local dollar store for biomedia:

Please know that I don't believe that a reef tank needs "extra" biomedia. Your rock and sand and other surfaces all grow beneficial bacteria, and, according to some experts, using too much biomedia can be a negative.

However, I personally suggest that everyone runs just a little plastic biomedia in their system that can be pulled and used to immediately start an emergency tank or hospital tank. Many people are caught off guard when a disease or emergency issue happens. I suggest being prepared by at least having some mature biomedia on hand. I suggest plastic specifically because plastic doesn't interact with medications, like ceramic media can.

Then, you've got your whole refugium section and return section open for more gear like your skimmer

I hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Uncle99]

UV goes into the 1st chamber for most effective sterilization.

You can remove the sock. You can use floss in the top of the media caddy for “mechanical” filtration.

 

[bristleworm]

What tank and what UV do you have?
I have an im 25 and literally just got their Uv sterilizer yesterday. It fits right into the first skimmer box, left or right.
I also put a little extra square of blue filter pad on top of the black mesh for a little better mech filtration. This leaves two chambers open for whatever you want.
I need a media tower to run some Chem filtration so that will go on one side, then probably a protein skimmer in the other.
I also got rid of the sock and 3d printed a carrier to hold floss. I cut a square of polishing pad and then put a square of blue pad on top of that.

 

[Fish Fan]

UV goes into the 1st chamber for most effective sterilization.

You can remove the sock. You can use floss in the top of the media caddy for “mechanical” filtration.

Good point about the UV, I forgot that was what the OP was trying to run

I have an IM UV on my IM 25 gallon (which has "dual" filter sections in the back), and I do run that UV in the first chamber on one side. My IM has a little sponge on top of the UV, I usually add a bit of Poly-Fil on top of that sponge too.