Trouble with my setup...help, please.

ntvflgirl

ntvflgirl

Member
I just upgraded to a larger tank and I'm having trouble with my new setup...can someone help, please?
I'm having a tough time getting my new system to run right. I built my own ecosystem, and I have a pump rated at 1000 gph for a one inch pvc into the ecosystem. I know this is too large of a pump for this size pvc, but I put a ball valve on the return line hoping to make it work. It's not working. The pump, even with the ball valve turned almost all the way to off, still empties the last chamber before it can be filled, and it hardly has any flow into the main tank. Is there a way to get the U-tube to syphon faster?
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
U-tube meaning for a HOB overflow? So your "ecosystem" is a sump with dividers? Can you post some pictures? The water is not flowing fast enough into the last chamber where the pump draws water?
 
C

caryn_ia

Guest
The 'u-tube' I think you are talking about is for the hang on back as a output from your tank, sometime to be returned, right? From my experience, the u-tube is driven by gravity, so usually the bigger the pump, the more pressure. Also depends on your tubing size, head size on the pump helps, and I'm sure that the height your tank is at, but prob not too much unless its sitting on the floor :joy: That's all I can think of.
 
ntvflgirl

ntvflgirl

Member
Right, a U-tube going to the hang on overflow box is 1 inch. Golfish, you helped me out the other day. I went back and got the ball valve for the 1000gph like you suggested, but it's just not working right. My ecosystem is basically 4 chambers. The first is bioballs, the second is miracle mud with caulerpa, the third is a bubble baffle, and the 4th is the return pump. I can't get water into the return pump chamber fast enough. Would ANOTHER U-tube help? Or a bigger one?
 
S

sebae0

Guest
i think another u tube would help but then it depends on the size of the draing pvc in the overflow box.if you have only one drain then 2 tubes won't help because it can only drain as fast as the one line.
i have a dual overflow with 2 u tubes and 2 pvc drains it rated for 1400gph i beleive and use a mag 12 for return at about 4' head and still had to put a ball vavle on mine.
 
ntvflgirl

ntvflgirl

Member
Well this D@*# thing should work! Its supposed to be for an 800gph, and it's not even working with a 700gph pump. It seems like the return is just not flowing enough. There is no air in the U-tube, but...it still seems wrong. Surely there has to be some way to get it right:notsure:
:notsure:
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
What did I say the other day that your 1" would do, 700-800 gph? I didn't look back at that thread so I don't remember. I thought you had a built in overflow, maybe the HOB wont do that much. I had pretty much the same thing for years, HOB overflow with a 1" U-tube. I used a RIO 2500 with no problems. Their 748 gph so I was probably doing about 600 gph.
The more I think about it the more I think its your design. How do you have the baffles setup?
 
ntvflgirl

ntvflgirl

Member
Well, that in itself is a story...lol. Dh took on this project and wouldn't listen to me...a woman. Not that any of you here are that way...lol. Anyway, I told him that he needed 3 glass sheets for the baffels. What he did was have the water flowing over the top of the first, and under the bottom of the second, and that's it. I thought it needed one more to flow over...maybe I'm wrong. I did also try a 700gph pump....it was still too powerful. It's hardly putting out anything.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
A picture would be nice but after reading how the baffles are setup I have to say they sound fine. It would be nice if you could use a small tank, say 10 gals for a sump just to make sure its the overflow.
 
ntvflgirl

ntvflgirl

Member
Sorry, don't have a digital camera, and my dh keeps our camera in his patrol car:rolleyes: How bout a drawing? I'll get to work on it and see if I can draw it.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by ntvflgirl
my dh keeps our camera in his patrol car:rolleyes: How bout a drawing?
dh? I hope that's for dear husban and not dumb husban:D
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
it loaded up for me but in the end "the drawing failed" in other words I got nottin, zip, zilch.
 
tony detroit

tony detroit

Active Member
If you do not have bubbles at the top of your U tube and it is syphoning, it sounds to me like you have a flow restriction either in:
1.your drain plumbing
2.your ecosystem itself
You could run a gate valve on the output of the pump, they are a little better for fine tuning flow than a ball valve.
It is pretty hard to screw up a ecosystem, so my guess would be your drain piping.
What did you use to seal the plumbing joints? PVC glue or silicone?
Sometimes when you use silicone, it will pancake out inside the pipe and really restrict the flow. PVC glue is the way to fly if you did not already know.
Email me pics to packtony@hotmail.com if you get them figured out and I will most likely be able to walk you through it, I've plumbed quite a few tanks.
-tony
 
dragonboy

dragonboy

Active Member
I had that problem before not getting enough water to the sump. I have those type of U tube setup overflow box too. Here is what I did to make the flow faster I made my own box where it draws water from the tank. What I did was make the box bigger and drill my own holes around all of the sides except the back so the syphon would recieve more flow.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
is the line running from the overflow box to the sump hard plumbed or did you use flex line? How many elbows are in the line?
 
ntvflgirl

ntvflgirl

Member
sorry, you can't read my writing in that pic. If you need explanations, just ask.
By the way, the elbow is right above the ecosystem...
 
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