12G reef casa AIO build

new2saltyfish

Non-member
Upgrading my 5 gallon aio to the reef casa 12G aio from love the reef. Got it as a gift so looking forward to changing over! Guessing i will have less fluctuations as compared with the 5 gallon. Plan is to have a spot for mechanical filtration as well as an in back fuge. Here are a few pictures of the back part of the aio. It has one spot at the beginning which looks like it’s for a filter sock, the water runs underneath into a second chamber, and then the water runs over the top into the return pump chamber. Before I set this up I want some opinions.

1.) looking at the pictures, should I add additional baffles so i can make an area for a small fuge as well as for an upgraded protein skimmer?


2.) in the first chamber it has small pieces of glass glued to the sides which i think are to hold a filter sock or filter floss in place. Should I take those out and purchase a leveled mechanical filtration insert like this? Or, should I just stick with the filter floss or a sock instead?
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Luckily everything that I overbought for my 5 gallon should fit the 12 fine ( although i may upgrade from the reefglass skimmer)

Equipment list:
Ai prime 16hd
Koralia heater
Reef glass skimmer
Aqamai kps powerhead
Reef casa 12G
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Last edited:
Added a few baffles for a fuge as well as a possible bubble magnus mini q skimmer. For some reason the back compartment was seriously lacking any baffles
 

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Looking good! I like the scape particularly how it leaves a nice open sand bed especially that middle ravine. Nicely done!
Thanks, I appreciate it. Wanted to go for a semi-minimalist view with some arches and small separated areas for torches and maybe a few small RBTA's in some time
 
Looks good but that water level looks a bit high! Make sure those baffles aren’s preventing flow in the back, the return chamber should be the section with the lowest water level
 
Looks good but that water level looks a bit high! Make sure those baffles aren’s preventing flow in the back, the return chamber should be the section with the lowest water level
It is a little high. I think some of the filter floss may have been inhibiting the flow a little. The water level in the far right where the return pump is is indeed the lowest portion but even as that decreases the level in the display doesn't seem to change much. Still tweaking a little. The return pump was crazy powerful and had limited flexibility. Changed the return to a lower GPH pump and am going to 3d print a dual return flow head. The torches on the right did not like the crazy high flow.
 
Need some help on some coral placement! Just got a giant piece of red cap and as you can see up to the right on the powerhead is a beautiful green with orange polyps monti cap. Could use some help with placement! Currently have the red cap in the middle BUt it’s right over where i’m keeping my acans. Troubles of a nano
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