Need Help Understanding AIO Chambers

[SmolGoby]

I’ve been running 2 AIO tanks for a little over a year, a 25 gallon and a 15 gallon. In that time I’ve had nothing but headaches in trying to figure out exactly how the rear chambers are supposed to be operating. Here are my questions:

1. For the intake chamber, what should the water level be? Low - Running down the wall to the bottom of the chamber. Medium - Running down the wall half way into the chamber. High - Level with the display tank water.

2. How exactly should the media chambers work and what water level should they be at - Should water flow from one chamber down into the other like a waterfall, or should the water level in the chamber be high, completely covering the middle of both chambers?

How exactly does water volume and return pump flow rate affect the chambers ?

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[JTP424]

1 - intake it should flow into it, low is too low... between high and medium, that way gravity does the job of pulling the water in.
2 - think of it like a downward stair, i.e. your waterfall concept.

The water volume to return flow rate is something you will have to mess with based on your tank. I.E. how big the intake is, how powerful your pump is, if you're using mechanical filtration how quick that gunks up.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

The flow of water should go in a single direction and not overflow skipping the intended direction. Understand gravity and you understand water flow.

Take an example of this one:
If water spills over in the red, its bypassing the intended flow, thus skipping filtration.
Why is it doing this?
1. Return pump is too strong or weak. It can be both. Kept editing this but thinking about it more it can be both.
2. Too much filtration in first intake that slows down water flow
3. Filtration is clogged and needs to be cleaned

Now apply this in all chambers. Its the same principle. Now in the return chamber. Ideally you want max water in the tank. So most people will allow a waterfall affect. I usually have a few inches off the very top as annotated in green.

 

[SmolGoby]

The flow of water should go in a single direction and not overflow skipping the intended direction. Understand gravity and you understand water flow.

Take an example of this one:
If water spills over in the red, its bypassing the intended flow, thus skipping filtration.
Why is it doing this?
1. Return pump is too weak
2. Too much filtration in first intake that slows down water flow
3. Filtration is clogged and needs to be cleaned

Now apply this in all chambers. Its the same principle. Now in the return chamber. Ideally you want max water in the tank. So most people will allow a water affect. I usually have a few inches off the very top as annotated in green.

Thank you! I’ve been running the water level over top of all the chambers since I started. Water was flowing, but the top of the water would be completely still. I just emptied some water & now it’s flowing from chamber to chamber…

 

[SliceGolfer]

Thank you! I’ve been running the water level over top of all the chambers since I started. Water was flowing, but the top of the water would be completely still. I just emptied some water & now it’s flowing from chamber to chamber…

You want your water level in chamber one where the overflow/weir is to be near tank water level. There are intake gates you can purchase to raise the tank water level if desired. Chamber two will fill to the top and then overflow into chamber three. Chamber three is best ran with about 3/8" to 1/2" below chamber two water height to minimize noise.

Example: this is the back of my IM 25 frag tank

Chamber one:

Chamber two into chamber 3: