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Mark Peterson 
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 Topic: What is an AIO tank, really?
Posted: February 15 2015 at 5:55pm |
In recent years this new acronym has come into the hobby from manufactures that developed what they call an All-In-One aquarium. The marketing is catchy but in my opinion may be misleading to the hobbyist that thinks this so-called Plug-n-Play aquarium is better or easier than a regular glass/acrylic box aquarium.
Some hobbyists, looking at the currently popular aquariums, may think that their only other choice is an aquarium which overflows into a sump. They may have heard stories of leaking and flooding with sumps and they may believe that because there is no external sump to an AIO, that leaking/flooding is not a possibility. I believe this kind of thinking may lead to false confidence in the AIO tank.
The way I see it, the AIO is a tank with a tiny sump. It is typically a glass bottom and 3 sides with a plastic box on the back. The box is typically PVC (rigid white sprinkler pipe is PVC) bonded to the glass edges by a special process. Unfortunately, AIO tanks can fail from cracked glass and/or the separation of the bond between glass and plastic.
This special plastic box sump on the back concerns me in another way. The box is sometimes so small that evaporation can quickly bring the water level down to where the circulation pump sucks air, blowing bubbles into the tank. This bubble blowing action accelerates evaporation which quickly makes the pump run dry. The pump burns up.
Top-off for evaporation is also concerning in another way. Because the sump box is typically black plastic, the hobbyist cannot easily notice just how low the water has gotten. If they are away for an extended part of the day, bubbles blow, pumps burn up and coral gets pissed off. This is of special concern when the tank is in an office, left unattended over the weekend, holiday or vacation.
What am I getting at here?
I thought you'd never ask.  An AIO is fine if the hobbyist knows and understands the pros and cons, but I believe there is a better way. How about a sump-less self contained tank that can't leak, needs infrequent top-off and can run for weeks with practically no need of maintenance? Here are four examples:
Opposing points of view welcomed. Aloha 
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Phishin801
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Posted: February 15 2015 at 10:19pm |
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Where are the filters in the self contained tanks?
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Marcoss
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Posted: February 15 2015 at 10:30pm |
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I've always understood the AIO as an aquarium that can hold what you need all in one box. In other words, it has a tiny skimmer, tiny return, etc. When I was searching for a tank I personally did not see any advertisements talking about the ease of them or that they were plug and play.
Where have you read that AIO tanks crack easier than regular tanks? I'm curios as I'm looking at an AIO.
The Cadlight and Innovative Marine systems I have seen have a solid tank with a piece of plexiglass in it that creates the sump. Not sure if this is a new style or older than your example.
Edited by Marcoss - February 15 2015 at 10:30pm
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 9:32am |
The filtration of a reef aquarium is in the LS, LR, Algae and LW(Live Water). This is called the biofiltration. It is made up of all the algae, bacteria, bugs and worms living in the aquarium.
Why do we read about testing for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate? Because the populations of algae and animals that comprise the biofiltration must grow, reproduce and mature to a point where those polluting nutrients can be processed and decompose .
Fish and invertebrate animals must eat and excrete. The excretions become pollution unless and until the biofiltration processes it and breaks it down via sequential decomposition steps, ending in the final non-harmful molecules of water and Nitrogen gas. (See the Reefkeeping Tips thread linked below for information about providing the life that creates a mature biofiltration right from the start.)
Did you know this fact? Fish pollute the water while Algae and Coral clean the water. Essentially, the filter of a reef aquarium is the life living within it. Supplemental materials and equipment like sponge blocks, skimmers and AC(Activated Carbon) are helpful, but are really just a small part compared to the enormous pollution processing capacity of the mature biofiltration.
What is really needed to support and help keep a mature biofiltration? Just two things; water movement and light. Water movement Powerheads move the water. In most AIO tanks the return pump is tiny, providing just enough flow for a freshwater aquarium, but insufficient flow for a healthy reef aquarium. To make up, we add a powerhead to the AIO tank - exactly the same as in the traditional glass/acrylic tank. Lighting We could use the sun, but it may not be convenient. Electric lights are basically the same for an AIO as for a traditional tank.
What about Activated Carbon(AC)? This filter media though supplemental, is really a must for a reef aquarium, because of the need to remove a few territorial chemicals produced by coral. In an AIO tank, a bag of AC is placed in the sump compartment. In a traditional tank, there are two ways to run AC; in a mesh bag placed over/near a powerhead intake or in a small HOB(hang on back) filter. Two weeks/month is sufficient time for AC to remove the buildup of chemicals in a reef aquarium.
At least one advertisement I remember reading, uses the phrase Plug-n-Play. Regarding the possibility of cracking or leaking, re-reading the statement, one will notice that I did not say that one tank type was more likely to fail than the other. Though in recent months we have seen here on the forum a few more reports of cracked AIO tanks than traditional tanks. Except for goldfish bowls, any tank with corners may have bonded seams and at the very least will have more likely points of failure. This is true of all tanks, yet some designs are more at risk than others.
Evaporation in a traditional tank is easily observed and easily topped off. As the water evaporates the salinity gradually increases. A slow increase even to as high as 1.080(~5% or 1/2 gal/10 gals) is relatively safe. In nature a fast reduction of salinity is normal during a heavy rain storm so adding water enough to top off the aquarium is no problem so long as salinity is decreased by no more than about 0.030 (1 quart/10 gals) in 10 minute increments. (A quick increase in salinity is much harder for marine organisms to handle, so take it slower when increasing salinity.)
I hope this helps point out the differences I see between the AIO tank and the traditional stand-alone glass or acrylic tank.
This free public forum welcomes opposing viewpoints. Aloha |
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proskier101
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 9:33am |
 Marcoss wrote:
I've always understood the AIO as an aquarium that can hold what you need all in one box. In other words, it has a tiny skimmer, tiny return, etc. When I was searching for a tank I personally did not see any advertisements talking about the ease of them or that they were plug and play.
Where have you read that AIO tanks crack easier than regular tanks? I'm curios as I'm looking at an AIO.
The Cadlight and Innovative Marine systems I have seen have a solid tank with a piece of plexiglass in it that creates the sump. Not sure if this is a new style or older than your example.
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I think common sense(kind of) is what argues the "easeiness of AIO" The whole concept of having a sump, filtration, lighting, and skimmer in one tank pretty much sums up plug and play. You buy this kit and BAM you have a salt water set up, no going out researching sumps, return pumps, tanks with overflow designs, lighting set ups, etc. I think Mark is saying there are other ways to do it and to do research first, for someone new in the hobby, there might be more work involved than what the tank shows.
Edited by proskier101 - February 16 2015 at 9:37am
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Pete Moss
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 9:42am |
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I think the seams between glass panes can be a failure just like the seams between an all in one chamber and the glass. They both use silicone. It would take a catastrophic manufacturing error for an AIO to fail. A hang on the back filter is just as likely to fail.
100% agree that an AIO is ultimately just a tiny sump inside the tank. One benefit is the surface skimming of an all in one so you don't get a nasty film on your water surface.
An all in one is a clean looking tank that doesn't have anything hanging off the back. It all comes down to preference.
At the end of the day, filtration is water moving past filtration layers. How you choose to move that water through the filtration is up to personal preference.
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Molli
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 11:12am |
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My first tank just a few years ago was an AIO tank..a biocube. I WOULD RATHER HAVE NO TANK than an AIO tank. I spent hundreds of dollars on upgrades. The media baskets and skimmers they make for them are a pain. If you don't have an ATO your skimmer will stop working properly every day even if you topped off first thing in the morning. You will have to buy circ pumps for them. I even had to purchase an extra plastic part to run along the top of the partition between the tank and the sump in the back because my clown fish kept getting in the sump. And don't even get me started on where in the world do you put the hood when you want to remove it for maintenance. Those tanks are definitely not for me.
Edited by Molli - February 16 2015 at 11:13am
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Marcoss
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 11:18am |
Proskier, agreed, there is always a ton of work in this hobby. The mechanical items are the easiest in my opinion. It gets really hard when you start adding items that start depleting calcium, alkalinity, etc. Having a larger sump versus an all in one is my preference since I plan on stocking the tank without a lot of items that would require unsightly machines. That said, the application would depend. If I wanted a tank at work I would use a small AIO and do a lot of water changes. At home I have a much larger area to house stuff where I need it.
Molli, that tank sounds like a pain in the ass.
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superman1981
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 12:33pm |
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Aside from my current nano cube, which would be classified as an AIO, I have always run my tanks sumpless (29, 45, & 125). I loved the convenience of having everything in one place without having to worry about leaks. This was especially important when I was living in a top floor apartment. I actually sold off a AquaClear 110 with my first tank (the 29 gal) and have always regretted it. This was by far my favorite setup that I have had. I totally prefer sumpless over the internal nano-sump.
That being said, I do have a 30-something-gallon sump sitting in my basement that I may hook up to my next tank just for the heck of it... primarily I'm going to use it so I have a "grow box" for corals and what not.
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Phishin801
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 1:08pm |
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I didn't even realize that it was an option to run a reef tank with a standard aquarium and a HOB filter like the aquaclear. Now I'm wondering whether I should look into that instead of the $800 AIO I'm looking at for my office
Edited by Phishin801 - February 16 2015 at 1:49pm
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Will Spencer
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 3:08pm |
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For me there is only 1 reason to have an AIO tank. The "Sump" part of the tank holds enough water that I don't have to top off every day to keep the tank looking like it is full.
My AIO is open top so the water evaporates fairly quickly. with the separate part on the back of the aquarium I can go 3-5 days between top off's rather than topping off daily or twice daily to keep the tank looking full of water.
For me the filtration that goes in the back of the tank is pretty much useless. Tiny Skimmers don't work really well, and sponges and other filter media just get dirty and produce nitrates. I do throw a bag of AC in the back most of the time too, but without water flowing directly through the AC I don't feel like it is doing a whole lot of good either. My filtration is the sand bed, rock and macro algae that are in the tank itself. My tank could function well as a stand alone tank, but I think I would either have to top it off more often or be lazy and wait let it look stupid until I finally top it off.
Edit: Also with a small tank I don't feel the need for much mechanical filtration since it is so easy to do a water change on a weekly basis. (Or more often if necessary.)
Edited by Will Spencer - February 16 2015 at 3:09pm
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Phishin801
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 3:21pm |
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Will, what AIO are you running?
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Molli
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 4:49pm |
Phishin801 wrote:
I didn't even realize that it was an option to run a reef tank with a standard aquarium and a HOB filter like the aquaclear. Now I'm wondering whether I should look into that instead of the $800 AIO I'm looking at for my office |
Personally I wouldn't trust an HOB filter not to leak at an office, but I wouldn't trust one period. I am pretty resistant to cheap plastic parts pushing water outside my tank. Its funny cause I completely trust well put together plumbing and my sump.
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Phishin801
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 4:56pm |
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Interesting. Sounds like the NUVO may be the best option for me.
Edited by Phishin801 - February 16 2015 at 4:59pm
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proskier101
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 5:08pm |
Phishin801 wrote:
I didn't even realize that it was an option to run a reef tank with a standard aquarium and a HOB filter like the aquaclear. Now I'm wondering whether I should look into that instead of the $800 AIO I'm looking at for my office |
my 40b has an aquaclear 50 and a hob skimmer. it ran just the aqua clear for a long time.
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Will Spencer
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 8:34pm |
Phishin801 wrote:
Will, what AIO are you running? |
I'm running an Oceanic 29 gallon. Unfortunately I don't think they make them anymore.
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Phishin801
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 8:43pm |
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I have a 29 nanocube at home. I want something bigger for the office
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 9:47pm |
Pete Moss wrote:
100% agree that an AIO is ultimately just a tiny sump inside the tank. One benefit is the surface skimming of an all in one so you don't get a nasty film on your water surface. |
I agree with that, but when the water stream is shooting up at the surface, as the most efficient manner to provide gas exchange and keep pH high, the "nasty film" surface scum is no trouble.
Because a sump has been impractical in many of my home setups and because one client in particular will not even consider a sump(hang on the wall picture framed tank below), I have found really easy ways to remove scum. One way is to place a paper towel flat over the scum, immediately pinch the middle of the paper and pull it out into a waiting container. Also, the scum sticks to plastic, which opens so many ways of removal. Normally scum removal is a once/week job.
In all the years I've used them, since my first freshwater aquariums 50 years ago, I cannot remember ever having an HOB filter that leaked. I also prefer the well made Aquaclear HOB filters. That reminds me of another tank, a 55 situated on an island in our home in Coral Canyon(southern Utah). See the pics below.
The AIO tanks can look sleek, but ultimately it's the hobbyists skill in creating a living work of art that makes all the difference. The use of a traditional glass or acrylic aquarium works out to be about a third the cost. That economy makes a big difference for me.
Aloha, Mark
P.S. Anyone else dare to show pics of your tanks, examples of traditional tanks without sumps?
55 on island in background. Foreground on the right is a 2 gal acrylic hex tank with macroalgae, coral and Nemo under a small screw in twist PC daylight bulb and aerated with a bubbler(plastic lid was absolutely necessary ). It's my opinion that Macroalgae turns any tank into a masterpiece of clean water and healthy animals.
I'm embarrassed to see the scum and bubbles on the surface in this pic. That was in 2007, before I discovered the advantage of pointing water streams up toward and along the top surface.  Yep, that's Coral Pink Sand and Utah Rock with a little LR at the right end under the Aquaclear 50, or was it a 70. The coral pink sand looked awesome but didn't work so good so I gave up on it after this tank. It easily blew up into the Aquaclear causing premature wear on the impeller and was so fine it packed too tightly and went black at just 1/4" deep. It pays to try new things, even if they don't work out. 
Edited by Mark Peterson - February 16 2015 at 9:55pm
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PDoug
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Posted: February 24 2015 at 7:07pm |
[ Personally I wouldn't trust an HOB filter not to leak at an office, but I wouldn't trust one period. Am I the only one who wants to burn down their office I fear that is a sign I need a better job 
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Pete Moss
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Posted: February 25 2015 at 10:59am |
Mark Peterson wrote:
Because a sump has been impractical in many of my home setups and because one client in particular will not even consider a sump(hang on the wall picture framed tank below), I have found really easy ways to remove scum. One way is to place a paper towel flat over the scum, immediately pinch the middle of the paper and pull it out into a waiting container. Also, the scum sticks to plastic, which opens so many ways of removal. Normally scum removal is a once/week job.
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Sounds like a royal PITA. I would run a sump just so I didn't have to use paper to clean the surface of my water once a week haha
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125g 90g 2x33g 34g
What stores do I recommend?
Up North: Bill ( Saltwater Paradise 801-317-8115 )
Down South: Jerry ( Reef On 801-563-0600 )
Member of GCFB
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