Biocube 32 with intank media rack getting airlocked??

[everpresentnoob]

Had my Biocube up and running for a couple months now with the intake media rack. Using the intank filter floss in the top, then a baggie of Bio-balls on the middle, then purigen on the bottom. I keep noticing that the water leaves chamber 1, and has filled the space in the rack above the filter floss and is just over flowing down the side of the rack and bypassing the rest of the media in t two lower chambers. If I move the floss a bit I get the system to burp air out that is trapped under the floss and then it runs like it should. well, for a hour or so... then its once again airlocked if you will.

Im just put a straw between the floss and the side of hte media rack and barely poking through the holes in teh shelf the floss sits on so that it will hopefully allow the air to evacuate rather than airlocking the whole thing.

Has anyone else dealt with this? I would understand if the media on the lower areas were filled to much so water couldnt flow through, but its not that, its air getting trapped under the floss..

Current water level is about 1/2 inch lower than the shelf the floss sits on which allows me to see that it is air under it and not just water.

 

[BAMatter]

Mine would always airlock and clear after I burped it. Can you post some pics from the top of the rear chambers? Are you using the flow director?

 

[Üter]

have you cleaned the sponge that protects the pump?

 

[everpresentnoob]

Here is a pic of the chambers in back. As to the sponge, yes it's clean but even if it wasn't how would that fill the media rack with air? If anything I would have thought it would restrict flow to chamber 3 and and back water up into chamber 1, 2 and the display.

 

[BAMatter]

Try lowering the return chamber level a bit. Just remove some water. I think I kept mine 2” give or take lower than how high yours is. Give that a try. After it’s lowered, pull the flow director off, and lift the media basket halfway out of the water a couple times to fully purge any air in there. I’d start with those steps and see if it corrects the problem for you.

Also- I used to cut the filter floss about half as big as that so if it got gunked up it wouldn’t back up so water wouldn’t flow over the sides, it would just continue flowing down.

 

[Üter]

Here is a pic of the chambers in back. As to the sponge, yes it's clean but even if it wasn't how would that fill the media rack with air? If anything I would have thought it would restrict flow to chamber 3 and and back water up into chamber 1, 2 and the display.

There's a few things that go on with it. one if it's too sealed off, it creates the pocket that needs a burping. At the same time, if the pump pre filter has any debris in it, it doesn't "pull" the water through the media.so it isn't forced through it. Then it trickles out the sides of the in tank unit.

 

[everpresentnoob]

Also- I used to cut the filter floss about half as big as that so if it got gunked up it wouldn’t back up so water wouldn’t flow over the sides, it would just continue flowing down.

Do you mean so it didnt fill the entire space? as in if the space is 3 inches by 4 inches, you cut the floss to be 2 inches by 3 inches with space around the sides?

There's a few things that go on with it. one if it's too sealed off, it creates the pocket that needs a burping. At the same time, if the pump pre filter has any debris in it, it doesn't "pull" the water through the media.so it isn't forced through it. Then it trickles out the sides of the in tank unit.

Ill pull it out and double check that its good and clear.

 

[BAMatter]

Do you mean so it didnt fill the entire space? as in if the space is 3 inches by 4 inches, you cut the floss to be 2 inches by 3 inches with space around the sides?

Would cut it like that so it basically was just directly under the water to catch it. If it gunks up it just continues to flow forward over it and then down until you change the floss. The red is the sponge leaving the other part of it open.

 

[everpresentnoob]

thak you. Im due to change the floss today anyway, its kinda nasty looking so ill try a smaller piece like that. Tank only has 4 fish in it and an Urchin so not a huge load but I know that i over feed so i was thinking more floss to catch all the excess!! Lol.

 

[BAMatter]

thak you. Im due to change the floss today anyway, its kinda nasty looking so ill try a smaller piece like that. Tank only has 4 fish in it and an Urchin so not a huge load but I know that i over feed so i was thinking more floss to catch all the excess!! Lol.

Let us know if those changes work for ya

 

[everpresentnoob]

well, the tank ran fine over night with the floss cut a little smaller than the shelf. Im now working at not over feeding my tank as i know if I do some of the excess food will bypass the floss and go down into my bioballs and purigen and not be removed. No mas, Its something I do need to work on with all my tanks, not just this one.

Thanks for all the help with this silly little annoying issues. :)

 

[purpfish]

Thanks for all the help with this silly little annoying issues. :)

Tank pic?

 

[Bfgjose]

Here is a pic of the chambers in back. As to the sponge, yes it's clean but even if it wasn't how would that fill the media rack with air? If anything I would have thought it would restrict flow to chamber 3 and and back water up into chamber 1, 2 and the display.

Hello, I have the same biocube. Do you have the heater and skimmer in the same chamber? If so, what skimmer did you get and are you happy with it? Also I see you removed the media trays that came with your to something custom. Would you mind sharing what/where you got your media tray and how you have it set up?

TIA

 

[everpresentnoob]

I am running a titanium heater on an inkbird controller in chamber 1 kinda under and beside the coralife v2 skimmer. Chamber 2 I removed the factory media rack and replaced it with the intank media rack. This is a better design as it directs the water flow from chamber 1 down through the media in the rack. On the top level I use filter floss, then I have a bag of purigen and on the bottom I run ceramic bio spheres. To the side of the rack I have another bag of bio spheres and eubnle from breaking up rock for various aquascapes. Chamber three has my return pump and nothing else.