Help! my overflow and return wont match!

[ProFlatlander15]

i just set up my under-tank fuge, and the pump is pumping in more water than the siphon can handle. i throttled down the pump w/ a ball valve, and it works, but i dont wanna burn up the pump. i lowered the baffle a little bit (3/8) with no solution. i thought the faster the water level rose, the faster the siphon worked...y is it doing this?

[Withers]

what size is your return? if it's too powerful then you will probably have to get one that has less power, or buy a new overflow box.

[ProFlatlander15]

i have a 250gph mag-drive into 1/2" ID PVC, the siphon is the same size PVC

[bobbyb323]

Wow, 250 gallon pump on a 10 gallon tank. A little over kill, don't ya think? Throttling it back won't hurt the pump. I would have used a Maxi-Jet 600 on that application. It's rated at 160 gph but when you add in the head you'll end up at about 100 ghp which 10x flow. You'll probably have another small power head in the tank for addtion flow, right?

[darthteddy]

wow if that is overdoing it then i must be flat out killing it. I am gonna start a 10g in a few weeks. I got a 20g long im using as a sump with a custom made filter that goes on top. I got them from my friend for 10$$. The pump that is on it is like 520gph. It works realy well and the return is not that powerful. Right now i have it all setup in my bathroom but instead of a tank its tupper wear.

[Hwarang]

Dang. 243,543,564 x per hour turnover rate for your water. lol!

[ProFlatlander15]

yea i got the pump for a good deal, i kno its powerful, but its better than sumthing thats too small. i went to my LFS and he said to put a T in right after the output of the pump, and put a valve on that, which limits the water to flowing to the easiest way possible (either up 3 ft, or out the T) the more the valve on the T is closed, the more water goes up to the tank, then more its open, the less water goes up to the tank. i thought it was a good idea, it took me like 5 minutes to install, and it working great.

 

but when the flow is matched (the water level is stable), theres not a whole lot of flow comming from the output (into the tank). can i get a larger sihpon hose in my overflow to siphon water quicker so that i get more flow?

[Bikelock]

Put another siphon in the overflow and if needed another bulkhead.

 

Try these calculators out.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/drain.php

 

Put a scwd on there and you might want a bigger pump.

[nalbar]

all you have to do is drill a small hole in the return line right after it leaves the pump. this diverts some of the water from the tank back into the sump. just make sure to drill the hole AFTER the pump and UNDER the water. closer to the pump the better. start with a small hole and make it bigger if it does not divert enough water.

 

 

nalbar

[tinyreef]

1/2" is too small for the drain ime, go at least 3/4" drain/siphon. i'd recommend 1" in case of any slight blockage (e.g. algae, vermetids, coralline, etc.) and for the overall peace of mind.

[darthteddy]

THe one i have is a diy of my friends dad. It is really nicely done. I can tell he took a lot of time on it. But any way it came with a T valve thingie that went on the end of the hose from the oerflow box to the filter. I took it off becaus eit just didnt work. Also i had a problem with the return and that at first. The overflow didnt come with a tube so i had to make my own. I got my trusty FW Python and cut a section of the hose off it. I used this as my U-tube. But it just didnt suck up enoulf. So i just cut another section and have two in it now. I had to play with length but once i got it it works perfectly. My problem is what to put into the filter its self. Right now its got filter floss and bio-balls but i dont like it. I need to make a decision because its stinking up the bathroom. I am using about 6 air fresheners plus spray.

[ProFlatlander15]

yea, my line from my overflow to fuge is fine, its actually running partially dry and sounds like a toilet flushing. the problem is the siphon. i think i am going to get a bigger diameter hose or get an additonal siphon

[ProFlatlander15]

i just added another 1/2" siphon to my overflow, and its running better. it works like a charm. my pump is a little noisy, and so is the water going down the drain, but no leaks, and all my DIY work has paid off!!