Designing the Perfect Small AIO. Post your feature request, or wish list & let's build it!

[Tenecor Aquariums]

That’s amazing!!!

These should be available for sale in about a week

 

[5G Reefer]

These should be available for sale in about a week

This is how I did my baffles.

 

[5G Reefer]

Pretty close. We are not big on the wall to wall. For easthetic reasons. But yes, pretty much this is it. BTW, we will also offer this as a low cost insert. Around $30.

Something like this?

 

[X-37B]

An actual 10 gallon display not including aio.
Make the aio chambers bigger than they are now. My 18" nano cube is nice but the chambers are so small.
I would like to see 5" from back glass to back of the aio glass.
Mine are 2.5".

 

[5G Reefer]

An actual 10 gallon display not including aio.
Make the aio chambers bigger than they are now. My 18" nano cube is nice but the chambers are so small.
I would like to see 5" from back glass to back of the aio glass.
Mine are 2.5".

The all in one I built followed the design I pictured above and I built them 2.5 and it worked for my 5 gallon but I agree f you are going to make a bigger tank you need to make a bigger or wider in this case internal sump.

 

[5G Reefer]

We get you know a big discount rig it for helping you out…maybe

 

[5G Reefer]

We get you know a big discount rig it for helping you out…maybe

Tenecor Aquatics that is and just for the new ones

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Tenecor Aquatics that is and just for the new ones

All of you will be pleased.

 

[5G Reefer]

All of you will be pleased.

Wait so do we

 

[Reefing102]

Please sketch this

Something like this (excuse the poor design skills)

I do like the thought of a bare bones AIO to customize to one’s needs. I do think if you keep it in the sub 10gallons I think you’d be in a good market. Much more than that there’s a lot more competition.

The other option I like here is the option for a larger AIO chamber to fit either larger pumps or a skimmer (like the Tunze).

 

[DeniseAndy]

I actually designed a four sided view one a while back too. It was close to 20g though. Not sure much interest in that style. I can try to dig it out if interested.

 

[Reefing102]

Oh another thought would be adjustable baffles in both height and chamber width. For example if I need to raise the water in a chamber for a heater, it can be raised. But also if I need to make a chamber a little wider for a bigger sock or a skimmer, I can move the baffle left or right to increase or decrease widths of the chambers

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Good morning everybody. This is what we have come up with so far. The image is of a 10 cube but the basic design will be carried to the larger nanos as well. The sump level gauge is an oversight that should not be there as it is a carryover from or wet/dry design. It will not be part of the final design

 

[FishyFishFish]

Looks good.

My only observation would be the angled wall on the return pump chamber. Is there a benefit to that being angled? Space in the AIO chambers is always a struggle on smaller tanks and this will reduce the room available for the return pump. If that design allows for a particular pump/pumps then it looks good.

I'm sure you're all over this with your experience, but the one problem I am having with my Lifegard tank (and, to a certain extent the Fluval Evo as well) is that the pump is too powerful for the amount of flow that goes through the AIO chambers. Particularly in the case of the Lifegard, this appears to be due to the small size of the slots and their placement, as they are not high enough in respect to the positioning of the return pump outlet. If you make a prototype then it might be worth checking that those slots are big enough (both width and length) to ensure sufficient flow, and positioned correctly so that the display water level sits at the correct height to ensure that the surface is 'skimmed' at the weir.

Also, does the height of the first baffle not need to be higher to prevent the water being drawn across the top of the AIO chambers, rather than being forced down the first one (under the weir)? I am not an expert in baffle design and placement, so this could reduce the flow problem highlighted above, but it could also, presumably, reduce the flow through the filter media.

Maybe I'm looking too closely at your draft ideas

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Going wall to wall is no problem. We designed it like this because we are going to offer the AIO insert as a separate item as well. To make it a more universal insert, we designed it as a corner mount. The baffle heights will be as high as the filter wall. The inlet slots will be long and numerous enough to ensure good water flow. The baffle slots will also be long and numerous enough.

Here are a couple of questions for you: 1) Starting from left to right, the left being the pump chamber, what are the desired dimensions of the chambers? 2) What diameter is the thru hole?

 

[FishyFishFish]

You will probably get a million different answers on this, but 'bigger' (10 gal plus) Nano's would probably benefit from a 'normal' pump (e.g. not a micro/nano pump). Something like a Sicce 0.5/1.0, as shown on the left in the diagram below, but other people might have different pumps that they prefer.

The other chambers can vary but there needs to be provision for an ATO, heater, and filter media. If the Tunze 3155 ATO will fit above the pump then that is ideal, as other ATOs tend to be smaller and that gives lots of options.

Some people will prefer the heater above the pump instead and may even try to make some sort of refugium in the middle chamber, with the filter media going in the first section. In fact, thinking about this, a separate heater chamber (4 in total) would be great but I'm not sure there would be enough space for that in such a small tank. I don't know if it would work if you put another baffle, parallel to the back wall of the AIO chamber, in the middle of chamber 2. You could then put the heater immediately behind the AIO wall, in its own chamber, with space behind it in a separate chamber for something else. I'm not sure how hot these heaters get and whether that might risk damaging the acrylic though?

As for the return outlet, that depends on what plumbing you plan to use. I think a 1/2 inch Loc-Line bulkhead connector (which needs a hole slightly bigger than 1/2 inch) might be good, but whatever you have used on your other tanks may well work as well.

The biggest thing as far as I am concerned, would be to come up with something that a user can re-create without having to try things out. Specify a pump/ATO/heater (or various options) that is tried and tested to work.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Here is the first tank. I tried to accommodate everyone as best as I could. This tank will go into production this week. The others will be available in a few days afterward. Please do not order yet. I am preparing something for all of you as a gesture of appreciation. Also, renders with lid options are coming....

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

You can get a preview where this exercise is going by visiting the new collection we are going to be offering >>>>https://tenecoraquariums.com/collections/diy-hobbyist

Lots more stuff going to be added.

 

[Reefing102]

It’s looking good! My only issue, and it’s likely just a personal preference thing, is the rounded corners. I’d much rather have a straight edge 90 degree corner than rounded (easier for algae cleaning - especially if using a magnet scraper)

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

It’s looking good! My only issue, and it’s likely just a personal preference thing, is the rounded corners. I’d much rather have a straight edge 90 degree corner than rounded (easier for algae cleaning - especially if using a magnet scraper)

The corners are tight radius, not as large as what is shown. The viewing panel looks so much better with one piece front/sides. We may offer square corners at a later date.