Red Sea AIO Max E-170

[nyc_ag]

Hello to all,
After reading all of your posts about the E 170 media basket, I decided to go with your solution and get an inTank media basket for the 170. However, when I got it and installed it onto the back. I noticed that water started flowing through the sides of the media basket and not through the filter floss. The basket doesn’t fill up with water. I was wondering if this happens to you guys. It’s a little loose in the back. I made sure to order the media basket that was meant for the 170. Perhaps I placed it wrong. I added filter floss to the sides of the media basket to not let water escape.

 

[VDamian]

I actually wondered the same thing! I emailed intank and got this message back:

" Hi Vincent –

Yes that is normal. The aquarium has molding around the top, so the basket can only be so large to install. Once past that molding the is a small amount of room front to back. The basket is still effective, thank you"

I have been using it for a few months now, and it seems to work - the water stays clear with the carbon, and the sponges and filter floss I use do indeed catch things. With that said, it doesn't catch 100%. Because of this, I cut a slice of the Red Sea sponge in the return chamber and put it above the return pump. It still gets quite dirty - even dirtier than the media in the intank basket. So, it seems that what gets through is still significant. This is probably not too harmful, but I do not like the idea of unfiltered water constantly passing through my return pump. I am guessing it will either shorten the lifespan or at least need more cleanings.

I do not understand the reasoning the rep gave me - it doesn't seem like there is molding preventing it from being full size. Hmm....

 

[NOHtorious]

Greetings. I am looking to purchase E170 as well and been reading some of the AIO build threads. I think I saw in DukeLeto's E170 build thread, someone mentioned putting a strip of floss pad across the grill. He posted a picture of the pad after running the tank for a few days(?) and it showed a lot of detritus being trapped there. Perhaps that's the mod that will help with this Intank water flow issue? Anyway, looking forward to hearing more about everyone's journey with the E170!

 

[AlessandroB]

Greetings. I am looking to purchase E170 as well and been reading some of the AIO build threads. I think I saw in DukeLeto's E170 build thread, someone mentioned putting a strip of floss pad across the grill. He posted a picture of the pad after running the tank for a few days(?) and it showed a lot of detritus being trapped there. Perhaps that's the mod that will help with this Intank water flow issue? Anyway, looking forward to hearing more about everyone's journey with the E170!

I think that may work, but also potentially could trap detritus in the display thank, unless you’re religiously replacing the floss.
I have added a small floss holder that I think was for a waterbox AIO tank in the left chamber, to filter the water that comes out of the skimmer water gate. In reality you don’t need to block all detritus, just make sure that it eventually it will get trapped.

 

[Alex_star]

Hi, fellow max e-170 user here. Honestly I gave up on the sponge right away, when I realized that taking it out to clean it would have been a major hassle. I got instead an intank media basket for the max e-170, added a marine pure block cut to size for the bottom chamber, filter floss in the top slot and chemi-pure elite instead of the standard Red Sea carbon bag.
It has been working fine in the last 3 months.

I also have the Redsea Max 170. I know this was. Posted a long time ago, but it would be nice to get a reply from you. It would help me a lot! I also hate the filter sponge to this system I know it’s a filter and it’s doing its purpose but things end up getting trapped in it a little too easily, and not only is it difficult and annoying to keep the sponge clean but it affects the way the return pump functions I really hate it whenever millions of air bubbles and particles start making their way through the return pump to the main display all because of the filter sponge! So My question is if I could just get rid of the filter sponge all together is it necessary or is there any point for me to even have it on the system at all? And in terms of filtration, I of course have the protein skimmer that came with the system. I also added A innovative, marine mini media, reactor with carbon and I’m running a hang on the back refugium with chaeto and a large pod population, so should I just remove the filter sponge? I’m desperate for a reply!