HELP

[jdivz87]

Not sure what’s going on! Water level in my display tank keeps going up.

Yesterday I changed a sponge in the rear chamber
( I have a 10 gallon lifegard AIO)

Since then woke up and there was like a weird white flakeyness at surface and notice water level all the way up. That’s one issue


I’m also trying to figure out this whole rear sump and main display water level. I have a ATO in return chamber and have the sicce micro pump

Help anyone

 

[twentyleagues]

Is the entire tank more full? Or just display? Have you checked sg? Is your ato kicking on when it should not?

 

[jdivz87]

Is the entire tank more full? Or just display? Have you checked sg? Is your ato kicking on when it should not?

Yeah just display tank and at times I take some water out of display and the rear chamber gets less water and the ATO kicks in. To compensate

I’m so confused with this AIO I’ve always had refugiums. Very first AIO with rear chambers

Frustrated to say the least

 

[twentyleagues]

If you remove the sponge what happens?

 

[jdivz87]

If you remove the sponge what happens?

I did earlier quickly and water level remained the same. I have a black sponge and a tighter coarse white sponge with some white bio balls media in a bag I was told to put under. It’s just weird. I didn’t change anything except change the small 3”x3” square soonge in back and that’s how it turned up! And now the water is high and I wasn’t having that issue

A local FS owner said check calcium nitrate all that but I don’t think it’s that deep of an issue and he’s given me bad advice before so idk I’m stuck

 

[Lavey29]

How does the tank water circulate out of the DT? Is there a snail blocking a pipe inside.

 

[twentyleagues]

I did earlier quickly and water level remained the same. I have a black sponge and a tighter coarse white sponge with some white bio balls media in a bag I was told to put under. It’s just weird. I didn’t change anything except change the small 3”x3” square soonge in back and that’s how it turned up! And now the water is high and I wasn’t having that issue

A local FS owner said check calcium nitrate all that but I don’t think it’s that deep of an issue and he’s given me bad advice before so idk I’m stuck

if there is calcium or coraline build up in the weir blocking the teeth then maybe but I doubt it.

 

[jdivz87]

How does the tank water circulate out of the DT? Is there a snail blocking a pipe inside.

It’s just a rear chamber and I don’t think so. Should I take it all out and make sure and put everything back in?

 

[jdivz87]

Tank has been up for let’s say 7 days if that

 

[Lavey29]

It’s just a rear chamber and I don’t think so. Should I take it all out and make sure and put everything back in?

Wouldn't hurt to inspect it. Is the return pump the one recommend for your system? Not to strong or weak?

 

[jdivz87]

The one that came wss trash and everyone said it’s just too weak and I found a sicce rated at 90 gallons and quiet

 

[jdivz87]

The white powdery crap is leaving slowly it’s the fact that I can’t get this water level in line

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The white powdery crap is leaving slowly it’s the fact that I can’t get this water level in line

Your return pump is too powerful. Turn it down (if adjustable) or get a smaller pump.

 

[jdivz87]

Is there anything smaller? The one that came with AIO was making too much noise

 

[Lavey29]

The one that came wss trash and everyone said it’s just too weak and I found a sicce rated at 90 gallons and quiet

Is the flow rate adjustable? Turn it down a little. If my pump flow rate is to high, the sump level decreases and the DT level increases.

 

[mrpontiac80]

The white powdery crap is leaving slowly it’s the fact that I can’t get this water level in line

Without seeing everything I’d say the tank is 100% not getting proper flow. Either the return pump is pumping more water than the tank return can recover, the filtration (sponge, socks, filter floss) is too dense or clogged, or you have a blockage in between rear chambers or something. Whatever is causing it, you are simply pushing more water into the display than the rear chambers are receiving.

 

[jdivz87]

Without seeing everything I’d say the tank is 100% not getting proper flow. Either the return pump is pumping more water than the tank return can recover, the filtration (sponge, socks, filter floss) is too dense or clogged, or you have a blockage in between rear chambers or something. Whatever is causing it, you are simply pushing more water into the display than the rear chambers are receiving.

That sounds pretty accurate when I look at it as a whole! Tomorrow I will take everything out and double check and get back to you guys

 

[jdivz87]

Is the flow rate adjustable? Turn it down a little. If my pump flow rate is to high, the sump level decreases and the DT level increases.

Is the flow rate adjustable? Turn it down a little. If my pump flow rate is to high, the sump level decreases and the DT level increases.

It’s not adjustable because idk if they make an adjustable flow pump that fits in that rear chamber but I’ll be looking now

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Is there anything smaller? The one that came with AIO was making too much noise

The one that came with mine works fine.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The one that came with mine works fine.

This one.