Overflow stopped syphoning..??

[eggy5404]

Hi,
After about of month of planning, I finally get my sump up and running. I have a 15 gallon long with a lifereef overflow box and Mag 9.5 for the return pump
I sat up all Sat night listening to the sump to make sure everything is going right. Around 7:10 am, I hear the return pump start making a loud noise. Both me and my husband run out into the living room and I plug the return pump out
The overflow completely stopped syphoning and the return side of the sump is low which explains the noise from the pump.
I checked the box and didn't see any snails or hermit crabs in it but it's possible that it's now stuck in the piping which is glue together.
Can someone please suggest what I can do to check the drains.
Also what can I do to make sure if the sump was to ever run dry, the return pump would automatically shut off.
If I can't get this working, I think my husband will suggest that I become "sumpless" and I don't want to do that.
Thanks
Michelle

 

[hondo]

the Lifereef comes with a prefilter pad which would keep snails or anything else from getting into the plumbing. did you leave this prefilter sponge on when you set up the overflow. With a mag 9.5 on the return and the design of the lifereef I can think of no other reason for the syphon to stop as any air in the syphon tube should have been pulled through by the water flow Must be a blockage in the plumbing.

 

[dreeves]

Even if the U tube was blocked...but still submerged in water at both ends...it wouldnt lose its siphon...it would just slow down.