AIO chamber cleaning?

[JTP424]

Running a 15 gallon WB AIO.
Do consistent water changes etc. But every so often, every couple of months, sometimes 3, sometimes 6, my rear chambers just seem to get really gunked up. Detritus random pineapple sponge etc.
I end up removing all the water from back there and wiping all the equipment down and resetting it all. I replace my carbon and media at this time too. (Tank looks gorgeous after)
Is this standard maintenance or am I running into an "issue"
I haven't paid SUPER close attention to it... but it COULD be caused by me leaving for a few days and running an autofeed....

Thoughts?

 

[JZ199]

Do you have any filtration in the top portion of your chamber?

In my AIO, I use media baskets from intank and the top shelf is Filter floss, so far I haven't had any issues with my chamber getting any gunk or anything that shouldn't belong there, the floss stops it all before it makes it way any further.

 

[JTP424]

Do you have any filtration in the top portion of your chamber?

In my AIO, I use media baskets from intank and the top shelf is Filter floss, so far I haven't had any issues with my chamber getting any gunk or anything that shouldn't belong there, the floss stops it all before it makes it way any further.

I've got filter floss.... maybe it's not perfectly cut.... hmmm... I'll check my sizing.

 

[JZ199]

I've got filter floss.... maybe it's not perfectly cut.... hmmm... I'll check my sizing.

are you using the loose floss (that looks like pillow stuffing) or pads? I've had tremendous lucky with the Intank filter floss... the top portion is regular filter floss material and the bottom half is an extremely dense? not sure of the word to use, but it doesn't allow any tiny particles to get through... I'll try to attach a picture

 

[JTP424]

are you using the loose floss (that looks like pillow stuffing) or pads? I've had tremendous lucky with the Intank filter floss... the top portion is regular filter floss material and the bottom half is an extremely dense? not sure of the word to use, but it doesn't allow any tiny particles to get through... I'll try to attach a picture

Yup! Intank basket and all! I use one of the middle shelves as a guide to cut it.... but it gets kind of rushed... I'll be more precise and see what happens!

 

[Tyrone]

Are you using marine pure or maxspect biosphere? If you are do keep yours in a bag so you can easily remove them when you need to clean?

 

[OldRed1]

I have a WB 25g aio. My rear chambers get really gunky too, even though I use the same filter floss shown above. Like you, I clean out the rear chamber every other month as best I can. Seems like good practice in my opinion. Doesn’t seem to harm anything either.

 

[Caliginosity]

I do a 10% water change daily on my 10g WB and a complete drain of the rear chamber, (including cleaning of fleece roller, skimmer, bio-balls, carbon, return pump, heater and replace filter floss I wedge between the over flow gaps of each chamber.

 

[JTP424]

Are you using marine pure or maxspect biosphere? If you are do keep yours in a bag so you can easily remove them when you need to clean?

Using Matrix Seachem at the moment, use large holed mesh bags for it. and the fancy ROX .8 carbon from BRS in a fine mesh bag

 

[Vsnutz]

I've had a IM20 running for years and have not run into "gunk" in my rear chambers. I use loose filter floss for the first chamber on the top of my caddie. I do have a reactor and skimmer back there also. I will stick the siphon back there while doing WC, but mostly for sand and loose bits that sit on the bottom. The walls of the chambers do get a film but I just leave that and it never gets worse.