55g AIO? Season experts opnion help!!

[SMACKERS4]

so my cousin scored this old reef tank setup. i thought it was a standard internal overflow from the pictures he sent me, i told him jomp on it, i have never seen anything like in the 4 months ive been on this hobby, lol i need some of you seasoned vets to lend your eyes and knowledge. please tell me what the heck this filtration system is!!! PS those huge filters are inside the overflow box!!
View attachment 18760View attachment 18761View attachment 18762View attachment 18763View attachment 18764View attachment 18765View attachment 18766View attachment 18767

 

[Gary]

So it has a float valve as a ATO. The sponge stuff is just mechanical filtration.

Personally, I'd use live rock rubble instead.

Can it work for a tank? Sure. Plenty of people use AIO setups perfectly fine.

I personal suck at them LOL.

Tank needs a good cleaning though lol.

I'd pay special attention to the silicone. Looks like a good tank, check that out and make sure it's still intact.

 

[SMACKERS4]

That dangling thing is a wooden air "stone"

 

[Aquaman]

long as the water goes inside it make no difference what it is... you can make it what ever you want .. a refuge... bioballs.. k1 ... its up to you and how you manipulate the water

 

[brettz16]

If i were your cousin, i would drill two drains and a return in the bottom of that overflow and just use it like a simple internal overflow to a sump. That looks like a huge pain in the A$$ if anything were to go wrong or for maintenance. Also, if he plans on doing a full reef, i doubt he'll be able to fit a decent skimmer back there.
Its not a bad idea, just not very practical for a reef. He'll have a lot more options and an easier time with a sump set up.

Just an FYI with my AIO tank....yesterday i came home to a clown missing. searched and searched and found him in the overflow area. Long story short, i spent 2 hours moving the 300lb tank away from the wall and had to take all the pumps, skimmer, and filtration out to finally catch him. and that just in a 30g.

keep us posted.