Sump going up to tank, not enough return pressure

kevinbeatzeus

kevinbeatzeus

Member
Hello, i have a 2800 liter/hour pump in my sump, it goes to the top of my 60 gallon tank via two loc-lines. there is not enough presure and the chamber that houses the pump drains too fast when i turn the pump on.
Any sugguestions? do i need a better pump? more water volume? what?
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
Not too sure just what is going on-do you mean that the pump is pumping the sump dry? If that is the case, then could your overflow be insuficient to supply the sump. Is this a change in the way it operates or has it always done it? is there any restriction in the overflow or the overflow drain line into the sump that would restrict/reduce the amount of water draining out of the tank? Or, is this a new pump that may be oversized?
 
tr1gger

tr1gger

Member
That pump is roughly 700-750 Gallons a hour, depending on your overflow box/ built in overflows we cant determine what the problem is quite yet. Can you tell us some about the overflow situation ?
I am NOW WHERE NEAR a sump expert, but im sure someone will come along quick and help ya out
my .02
 
mkzimms

mkzimms

Member
i agree we need more details... but this sounds like your issue
you probably need more water volume so before your pump dries the chamber its in there is already water moving into the overflow. when i fill my tanks i always fill the display first until its draining into the sump and then i fill the sump to the desired level. that way when the pump starts flowing the display is already at its max volume and the display water will start going into the overflow and down the drain to feed the pump.
is this a new tank your setting up or one that has been running for a while with this being a new issue?
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by kevinbeatzeus
http:///forum/post/2728694
there is not enough presure and the chamber that houses the pump drains too fast when i turn the pump on.
Question is confusing, but based on this sentence, I agree with Nordy and the others. Either you are going to have to modify your overflows to allow water to move more quickly down to the sump area, or you are going to have to add more water volume, just make sure that the total volume will not overflow your sump tank if the power goes out and everything drains down below.
The only part of your post that throws me off is near the end, you ask "do I need a better pump?". If the problem we are describing is the case, why would you need a better pump? Sounds like you might have too much pump if it's draining the chamber dry before the water from up above can make it's way back down.
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
sounds to me like you just need to add more water. if your draining the pump section, you dont have enough water housed in that section to start returning flow to your sump and refill the section. how full is your sump BEFORE you turn on the pump?
 
scrombus2

scrombus2

Member
Wouldn't the simple solution be to install a ball valve on the return line to regulate flow, thereby regulating the water level in the sump?
 
tr1gger

tr1gger

Member
No that would not be a good solution. I just read a post about someone getting something clogged in the ball valve and the lack in filtration killed off alot of his Live Stock in his tank while he was AFT (away from tank ... yeh i JUST made that up) Plus i think it burned up his pump and over flowed the sump some. I think the solution is a smaller GPH pump.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
Originally Posted by tr1gger
http:///forum/post/2730377
No that would not be a good solution. I just read a post about someone getting something clogged in the ball valve and the lack in filtration killed off alot of his Live Stock in his tank while he was AFT (away from tank ... yeh i JUST made that up) Plus i think it burned up his pump and over flowed the sump some. I think the solution is a smaller GPH pump.

Agree-this would probably work but seems kinda like a band-aid type of solution to a problem of having an oversized return pump or an insufficient oveflow or both.
Waiting for the original poster to post some more info!
 
groupergenius

groupergenius

Active Member
Ball valves and any other restrictors in the overflow line can get obstructed by:
Rogue snails
jumper fish into the o-flow
loosened algae clumps
regular tank slime
Any of these may cause the display to overflow the rim and on to the floor.
kevinbeatzeus, turn everything off. Fill the tank with saltwater, assuming it's all saltwater now, until it runs down the overflow pipe and fills the sump three fourths of the way. Start the pump and see what gives.
 
kevinbeatzeus

kevinbeatzeus

Member
Thank you fellow swf keepers.
I got everything worked out. I'm using the overflow box with two U-tubes, going into the sump. I still have the sterilizer connecting en route to the sump box. I've also connected my fluval into the story, it's taking water from the main tank filtering then dumping onto bio balls into sump. I got a new pump, 3000 liter/ hr. and now i got tons of flow in the tank, the extra water intake from the fluval to the sump has helped lots too. Finally. I drilled some holes in the last baffle in my sump to allow exchange of water from the 2nd section (where the pumps are) and 3rd section ( where the return pump is supposed to go) to create a fuge. Right now all i've got in there is live rock, and this green, stringey, sponging stuff i got from LFS. i want my pod production to explode! ANy suggestions? the size of the chamber I'm attemping to use as a fuge is 8"x5" and the water level is about 7".
Thanks for your help.
 
fishtk75

fishtk75

Member
You do not need all of that flow for a sump.You need to go by the size of your over flow box. If it is made for 300 gph then you get a pump to not go over that 300 gph.
3/4 outlet - 300 gph
1 inch - 600 gph
2-1 inch - 1200 gph
Also if you have too much flow you will pump bubbles from the skimmer to the tank and not let them have time to come to top of the sump surface.
3000 liter is 800 gph if you have a pump that size and a 300 gph overflow box it will no return to supply the pump.You drilled holes in sump that was for to hold water so it has skimmer water level.If it FO tank bio balls may be ok put for reef no bio balls make nitrates.The green string is miro algae and that needs slower flow then you have. The fluval if the power goes out the water from the fluval will drain into the sump and on the floor and drain the tank out. The sterilizer connecting en route to the sump box if the power go out will drain the tank. I have a 500 gph on my 75 and work well give time for the skimmer to cycle the water and no bubbles.I'm attemping to use as a fuge is 8"x5" and the water level is about 7" you did not say the light you will use for that and 7" is not deep. You drilled some holes in the last baffle in my sump to allow exchange of water from the 2nd section that was for the refuge if it had a center box in the sump.I do not know what to say if you have holes in the sump.does it look like this.
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s...p_model_e.html
 
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