AIO sump problems

[kowen]

I got a NanoCube 24 from a client because nobody in their office wanted to take care of it. It spent the next year or so not getting much care from me, either, until recently. The tank has been looking a lot better lately, but tonight I did something that I can't figure out.

I decided to take the sponges out of the sump and give them a good rinse, which is the first time they've been rinsed in who knows how long. Now that everything is back in place, the water level in the sump is a lot higher than I'm used to. It's not as high as the level in the display, but it's clearing the last baffle by quite a margin.

So is this normal? Did I mess something up?

 

[Mek84]

Try cleaning your return pump.. it sounds like it may not be move the water to the dysplay fast enough to displace the water in the sump..
With my biocube 30 I had the water in the back sump I always keep close to the water level in the front many to increase the amount of water in the system in that setup there was no issue with running water level high because it is all in one tank there really isn't a way to make it over flow with lake of return or to much return it wont matter

 

[kowen]

Pump is clean (MJ 900). Also tried an old MJ 1200, and that couldn't keep the water level down, either.

My main concern is that I'm currently at minimum water level to keep the return nozzle from aerating the tank. If I add any more water, then my heater is submerged more than recommended.

The sponges were pretty dirty, but I wouldn't have imagined cleaning them would make that big a difference in flow through them.

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[catchandreleas]

Maybe run some filter floss with the sponges to restrict flow a bit. It is likely due to the sponges now being clean an increasing flow. Can you not raise your heater?

 

[kowen]

Adding filter floss was actually my main objective tonight, but it turned into cleaning out the sponges, too.

There's not much clearance in the hood for the top of the heater. I'm thinking my best bet is to block off part of the overflow grill.

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