Innovative Marine 40 long filtration

[Fishtank3]

I have a 40 gal AIO IM long and currently running (from left to right) stock filter sock, empty chamber, heater and some sensors for heater controller and AIO sensor, next chamber is bio squares and AIO tube, then stock basket with stock media on top and middle, then bio balls in bottom. I am wanting to upgrade to intank basket and skip the filter sock, then eventually get a protein skimmer (think the mode aquarium one?).

My question is, do I still run the carbon and gfo in the media basket or stop that and just keep the filter pad on both sides? Once I put the skimmer in.

 

[blaxsun]

The InTank media basket is a great upgrade and well worth the money. If you're going to ditch the filter socks entirely I'd probably recommend keeping the stock IM media basket on the right side. The reason for this is that the InTank media basket - while superior in every respect - doesn't have an emergency overflow feature built-in should it get clogged (the stock IM media basket does).

When I ran my IM 25 Lagoon tanks with the InTank baskets I used 1-2 layers of filter floss and ChemiPure Blue in the middle chamber for carbon/GFO. If you want to run bio media I'd use the third (lowest) chamber for both.

 

[Fishtank3]

The InTank media basket is a great upgrade and well worth the money. If you're going to ditch the filter socks entirely I'd probably recommend keeping the stock IM media basket on the right side. The reason for this is that the InTank media basket - while superior in every respect - doesn't have an emergency overflow feature built-in should it get clogged (the stock IM media basket does).

When I ran my IM 25 Lagoon tanks with the InTank baskets I used 1-2 layers of filter floss and ChemiPure Blue in the middle chamber for carbon/GFO. If you want to run bio media I'd use the third (lowest) chamber for both.

Should I still run the media with the protein skimmer?

 

[blaxsun]

Should I still run the media with the protein skimmer?

Definitely.

 

[Reef.]

Should I still run the media with the protein skimmer?

You test and if you need gfo, which you most likely will, then you run it, carbon is a choice, some run it 24/7 some only now and again, I run it 24/7.

Btw chemi blue doesn’t have any gfo in it, so I would recommend rowaphos, it works out a lot cheaper than chemi pure anyway.

Also, your ato sensor should be in with the return, which is normally the last chamber as that is the chamber that will reduce in water level first, this triggers your ato, if it’s in another chamber it will never trigger, until your tank is past saving.