AIO Cube Return pump keeps running dry

[psphillies]

Hello all!

My Waterbox cube 20 return pump keeps running dry. Causing it to grind and spit sand all over my tank.
I have initially thought that it was just the media in the back causing the pump to eventually dry out because not enough water would flow into the far right chamber. However, the problem still occured with no media in the back at all.

It is not due to evaporation. I have it running with an ATO and the problem still occurs when the tank is completely full. I am thinking the pump is too powerful for the tank, but I have it down at the lowest setting and it still happens.

Please let me know if I am missing anything!
Thanks!

 

[Bryknicks]

Are you running any floss/socks? I have a similar issue with the WB 10 cube. After anywhere from 1-3 days my filter floss severely slows the overflow causing my ATO to run over filling the tank. It gets to the point that the display fills up to the brim and the rear chambers all fill to the top. I'm considering removing mechanical filtration to resolve this issue. I'm hesitant because then the rear chambers/media will fill up with detritus.

 

[psphillies]

Are you running any floss/socks? I have a similar issue with the WB 10 cube. After anywhere from 1-3 days my filter floss severely slows the overflow causing my ATO to run over filling the tank. It gets to the point that the display fills up to the brim and the rear chambers all fill to the top. I'm considering removing mechanical filtration to resolve this issue. I'm hesitant because then the rear chambers/media will fill up with detritus.

I have a mix of chemipure and carbon in the first chamber held up by sponge, and then bio media and a sponge in my second chamber. I had the same thing happen to me with my ATO overfilling the tank and had 5 gallons of water poured all over my dresser soaking all my clothes.
Fun times.

It still did it with no media in the tank at all. Not sure if it happened any faster though.

 

[Bryknicks]

Have you checked the sponges? I suspect that to be the culprit. Check to see if they have a lot of buildup on them and if possible remove from the system to see if you still have the issue. The return pump should not be the culprit here. If it was too powerful, the weir/overflow would not be able to handle the water and the tank would overflow.

 

[psphillies]

Have you checked the sponges? I suspect that to be the culprit. Check to see if they have a lot of buildup on them and if possible remove from the system to see if you still have the issue. The return pump should not be the culprit here. If it was too powerful, the weir/overflow would not be able to handle the water and the tank would overflow.

I will take out the sponges all together and just run the chemipure / carbon and bio media alone. Is it worth the investment to put a filter sock on?

I am thinking about having it be filter sock / floss in the first chamber and then set up a refugium in the middle compartment with no bio media other than the liverock and sand.

Would you suggest that or just the chemipure and bio media?

 

[Potatohead]

What pump is it?

Either you don't have enough water in the system, or the return pump is pushing more water than the overflow can handle. If the latter was the case the water level in the aquarium would keep rising no matter how more water you added.

 

[psphillies]

What pump is it?

Either you don't have enough water in the system, or the return pump is pushing more water than the overflow can handle. If the latter was the case the water level in the aquarium would keep rising no matter how more water you added.

I will get the name of the pump once I am home. If i add any more water the water level will rise to above the inlet for the rear sump area and it will overfill my tank.

I will also post pictures to show levels in the tank.

 

[Potatohead]

Does it have an adjustable overflow? Sometimes they have a baffle you can move up and down.

 

[psphillies]

Does it have an adjustable overflow? Sometimes they have a baffle you can move up and down.

Yeah the pump is adjustable. I have it on the lowest setting already!

 

[Potatohead]

Yeah the pump is adjustable. I have it on the lowest setting already!

No, is the overflow adjustable? I looked at Waterbox's website and it doesn't look like it.

I find it hard to believe they would include a pump in a kit that would outflow the overflow. Are you using the pump that comes with the unit? When the return pump is off you're saying there's enough water in the system that it's almost flooding, but it still runs dry?

 

[psphillies]

No, is the overflow adjustable? I looked at Waterbox's website and it doesn't look like it.

I find it hard to believe they would include a pump in a kit that would outflow the overflow. Are you using the pump that comes with the unit? When the return pump is off you're saying there's enough water in the system that it's almost flooding, but it still runs dry?

It is not the pump that comes with the cube. I just checked however and the tag is off with no model number. The guy I bought it from said it was an upgrade and worked fine. When I have the unit running, it is almost high enough to go overtop of the intake. When I turn off the pump water rushes into the 3rd section very quickly. It seems to be running a bit better with all of the sponges removed but still dropping a bit.

 

[SliceGolfer]

The guy I bought it from said it was an upgrade and worked fine.

Is this a new or used tank? New or used pump? Did the problem start the first time you added water to the tank or over time?

 

[ReeferWarrant]

I had this problem on my Biocube, sponges between chambers were clogging up. Worth a look.

 

[psphillies]

Is this a new or used tank? New or used pump? Did the problem start the first time you added water to the tank or over time?

Bought the tank used. He said he never had a problem with it that is why I believe I'm doing something wrong. The pump is used as well but he said it is fairly new. I've had the problem since I've set up the tank. I believe it may have been a combo of clogged sponges, too much bio media and the pump on full blast. I have ran it for about an hour and the issue seems to be going away but I will have to see overnight.

Not sure how familiar you are with AIO's but would you suggest a refugium in the middle compartment? I have the setup listed for my current build above.

 

[psphillies]

I had this problem on my Biocube, sponges between chambers were clogging up. Worth a look.

I'm thinking that may have been adding to the issue. Is it worth it to get rid of the sponges all together?

 

[Potatohead]

With how high the water is in the overflow compartment you are not even surface skimming. If its like that with no media at all in the filter section the pump is definitely too strong.

 

[psphillies]

With how high the water is in the overflow compartment you are not even surface skimming. If its like that with no media at all in the filter section the pump is definitely too strong.

I'm starting to think the same thing. However I cannot find the stock GPH of the original pump that I want to match. Does anyone know the GPH on the stock Pump for the Waterbox Cube 20?

 

[Bryknicks]

I would remove the sponges. I only have one in the middle chamber to hold my skimmer up higher but it does not restrict my flow. I have the mighty jet dc pump and can crank it up with no problems so your issue definitely isn't the pump being too strong. In my first chamber I used the intank media rack with filter floss on the top, carbon in the middle, and bio rings on the bottom. The middle chamber is my skimmer. The last chamber is return pump and ATO.

 

[psphillies]

I would remove the sponges. I only have one in the middle chamber to hold my skimmer up higher but it does not restrict my flow. I have the mighty jet dc pump and can crank it up with no problems so your issue definitely isn't the pump being too strong. In my first chamber I used the intank media rack with filter floss on the top, carbon in the middle, and bio rings on the bottom. The middle chamber is my skimmer. The last chamber is return pump and ATO.

I took all of the sponges out and was just running some bio media in the middle chamber overnight and the problem still occurred! I have no clue at all of what the issue could be!!!

 

[SliceGolfer]

So I took a look at the stock pump in my Waterbox 20. It is a Hidom AP-1500, rated at 1000lph which translates to 264gph. Noisy thing that it is. I may look into a DC return swap out or maybe a Sicce.