Help with my AIO peninsula build.

1Clown · Jan 6, 2021

I'm looking at getting a custom AIO peninsula built however the ones on the market are either too big and will cost too much to kit out (skimmer, clarisea roller, return pump) and sump will take up a lot of cabinet space and I don't want the cabinet to be jam packed or others are too small.

So I'm looking at getting one with roughly the following dimensions 50" length, 26" width, 19" height, with the sump being 6" deep.

This is my current design, measurements aren't that accurate but I am playing with the idea of only having 1 intake/weir and making it a little bigger so the other sections can be bigger or is the 2 weir design better, thoughts?

tsouth · Jan 7, 2021

For clarity, you're mocking up an AIO, but you're referring to a sump being 6" deep. AIO's on the market don't contain sumps in my experience.

An AIO system uses chambers or rather an isolated area that is separated by partitions that is built within one glass aquarium. A sump is a separate item, and the wording in this post may be giving the wrong impression.

Just a thought for convenience? - Consider having your dimensions be able to fit in a pre-made media basket. Here's an example:

inTank Chamber Two Media Basket For Fluval Evo 13.5 | Fluval Evo 52L | Fluval Spec 16 | Fluval Spec 60L

inTank aquarium-specific designed Media Baskets help improve the filtration and clarity of your aquarium while making maintenance extremely easy.

intankaquatics.com

On another note - Be sure not to limit yourself to protein skimmers because the chamber won't fit it. Possibly best to pick a contender and ensure you have a chamber that's large enough to suit it.

MickeyR · Jan 7, 2021

Agree with @tsouth. If you are planning, figure out total gallons and expected bioload and figure out several skimmers and the size of the skimmers (footprint) to see how much space you need for it. ie my BIL bought a cvue 40, limited to only skimmers that fit a 4.75X4.75 skimmer. then you have to look at the height, with the AIO the beauty is how clean they look, then imaging an ugly skimmer cup sticking out of the back compartment