Biggest mistake I've made in years

[corey.nolta]

The high baffles allow water under. The short baffles allow water over. Do you this the high baffles are still too high? The sump was already done, I didn't make it. Is there a way to fix it without have to tear everything apart and re-silicone?

 

[cmcoker]

The high baffles allow water under. The short baffles allow water over. Do you this the high baffles are still too high? The sump was already done, I didn't make it. Is there a way to fix it without have to tear everything apart and re-silicone?

I would try running it, turn off pump (be ready to start it back quick if it looking iffy) and see how much room you have when display stops draining . It may be fine how it is.

How are the overflows and returns setup? Maybe a picture from the top of the display? It's kind hard to make out in the picture you already have up

 

[Salty1962]

Definitely do a loss of power test! Nice setup...

 

[Breakthecycle2]

You can also put the heater in the sump.

 

[corey.nolta]

Tank is full, sump is up and running and everything seems to be going smoothly! Did have to purchase two new washer as there were a few drips, but that was an easy fix. Did a power loss test and cut the return pump; let it all drain back into the sump and had a good amount of room left. Just need to figure out how to tie in the ato and where to put it.
Looking better and better as everything gets up and running. All that's really left is to hang the lights and then figure out how I'll cover the stand / add doors. And clean everything up, of course
Question with the sump. Does it matter where the heater goes? Is one chamber better than the other?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Tank is full, sump is up and running and everything seems to be going smoothly! Did have to purchase two new washer as there were a few drips, but that was an easy fix. Did a power loss test and cut the return pump; let it all drain back into the sump and had a good amount of room left. Just need to figure out how to tie in the ato and where to put it.
Looking better and better as everything gets up and running. All that's really left is to hang the lights and then figure out how I'll cover the stand / add doors. And clean everything up, of course
Question with the sump. Does it matter where the heater goes? Is one chamber better than the other?

It doesn't really matter, but I think it's best in the return pump section.

 

[fishroomlady]

I have mine in the middle congrats on getting the sump up and running. I was really nervous when I got mine but have come to love it!

 

[corey.nolta]

All that's left is to cover the stand! Turned out better than I expected

The fish are so darn photogenic too! They are all loving their new home

 

[Chrisfish]

Congratulations! Just went through your thread and your tank looks awesome and definatley doesn't look like a mistake. and your clown looks very happy in his new home.

 

[2xal]

See, things always work our for the better!

 

[chris31759]

I would recommend the heater in the Skimmer section or the first overflow section. These are the two sections that are less likely to ever run dry if your ATO malfunctions. You don't want a hot heater running when its not submerged. This way if the ATO fails the return pump will start to shoot bubbles up top letting you know or if you are not home the return pump will burn out versus an exposed heater doing some damage. It is probably to late to add some grey shower pan liner under the sump. If you ever need to upgrade or make changes, I highly recommend creating a box with the liner to hold in any water. This will save your carpet over the long run. The tanks looks great. I am glad to see that you didn't use any 90 degree elbows for the drains. Let us know if the overflow is loud or gurgling. We can help you with that.

 

[brownsalt92]

If your going rigid use some unions to make your return pump easier to clean and maintain

 

[corey.nolta]

So I just woke up, first time sump has ran over night. So before turning in, I took a marker and just marked all the water levels just to compare to this morning. Well all the levels are the same except the last chamber with the return pump. It's two inches lower. There's not an extra water in the other chambers or the dt. Checked for leaks too, and everything is dry. Can someone fill me in on why there was water loss?

 

[cmcoker]

If tank level is the same it's probably evaporation

 

[brownsalt92]

Evaporation.

 

[corey.nolta]

That much that fast? That seems crazy

 

[cmcoker]

That much that fast? That seems crazy

Well, I lose 1-1.5g a day myself. And depending on the size of the return chamber it's not that much. I used a calculator the other day and my 120g 48*48*24, is about 5 gallons per inch of water depth..

 

[corey.nolta]

I'll have to do some tinkering to somehow get an ato setup under the stand as well. With that being said, I have two other questions regarding the sump. Sorry for the 20 questions, sumps are new to me. I move my heater down to the sump and it doesn't seem to heat the water as well. The tank water dropped from 80 to 73. I love not having the heater in the dt, but might have to move it back. I did turn up the heater itself to see if that helps. I'm just getting concerned with the temp swings and how it's going to affect the corals I have.
Second question. Shouldn't the water be the same salinity? My dt is 1.026 while my sump reads 1.028. Is this normal? Or between to two issues is something with the sump not right?

 

[Smite]

Your return section doesn't look all that large, so that 2" is probably only a half gallon or gallon. Sounds about right. I was topping my 35g sump off 2x a day on my 100g display. About 1/3-1/2 gallon each time.

By the way. That's the only spot you'll see the level drop. No need for marking any other level unless you suspect a clogged drain line. That's also the section you'll want your ato sensor to monitor.

 

[Smite]

If the heater was handling the display fine before but not now that it's in the sump, I'd suspect that your return pump is under rated.

Edit: which section is the heater in? I'd place it in the return pump section of it will fit. Your water circulation might be lacking in the larger sections like the fuge.


I have no idea on the salinity though, sorry. That's a strange one.