Flow draining return

[Rabidbeast666]

I upgraded my return pump on a IM15 to the mighty jet 326. At it's lowest setting its raising my tank level and draining my return. Can I put an inline ball type flow restrictor on without damaging my pump?

 

[Saltyreef]

Is the lowest setting overflowing the display consistantly?
If not just add more water into the back return section.

If so, put the original pump back in.

 

[slickreefing]

AC pumps are not fond of restriction but it’s quite alright if the ball valve only needs to be closed about a quarter turn. More than that and I’d switch to a smaller pump or larger drain pipe size. And please correct me if this is an AIO

 

[slickreefing]

AC pumps are not fond of restriction but it’s quite alright if the ball valve only needs to be closed about a quarter turn. More than that and I’d switch to a smaller pump or larger drain pipe size.

And please correct me if this is an AIO

 

[Saltyreef]

And please correct me if this is an AIO

I believe innovative marine only makes AIOs that small.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

AC pumps are not fond of restriction but it’s quite alright if the ball valve only needs to be closed about a quarter turn. More than that and I’d switch to a smaller pump or larger drain pipe size. And please correct me if this is an AIO

Yes. It's a 15 AIO. The design itself has a really large volume return. Its putting everything I put in the return into the tank. Level increases majorly. I'm just wanting to down it down maybe a 1/4 to the present flow rate. I'm going to switch to dual return random flow & I'm hoping that will take some steam out of it as well.

Is the lowest setting overflowing the display consistantly?
If not just add more water into the back return section.

If so, put the original pump back in.

The o.g is puny. I think I should have got the one under this at 238 I think. But I'm also going to put dual random flows on. So I may just need to throttle this back a hair. I got 8 more settings of increase just in case. But I don't think that's an issue.

 

[Saltyreef]

Yes. It's a 15 AIO. The design itself has a really large volume return. Its putting everything I put in the return into the tank. Level increases majorly. I'm just wanting to down it down maybe a 1/4 to the present flow rate. I'm going to switch to dual return random flow & I'm hoping that will take some steam out of it as well.

The o.g is puny. I think I should have got the one under this at 238 I think. But I'm also going to put dual random flows on. So I may just need to throttle this back a hair. I got 8 more settings of increase just in case. But I don't think that's an issue.

The original is designed for a specific turnover for the size of the tank.

Increasing it can actually make your filter section less efficient.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

All I got is filter floss a magtool protein skimmer and a pump at the moment.

 

[Saltyreef]

You are better off putting a powerhead like the hygger mini inside and keeping the original pump.

 

[slickreefing]

All I got is filter floss a magtool protein skimmer and a pump at the moment.

Meaning the the system has no livestock?

 

[slickreefing]

Yes. It's a 15 AIO. The design itself has a really large volume return. Its putting everything I put in the return into the tank. Level increases majorly. I'm just wanting to down it down maybe a 1/4 to the present flow rate. I'm going to switch to dual return random flow & I'm hoping that will take some steam out of it as well.

The o.g is puny. I think I should have got the one under this at 238 I think. But I'm also going to put dual random flows on. So I may just need to throttle this back a hair. I got 8 more settings of increase just in case. But I don't think that's an issue.

You could interrupt it with a ball valve. No big deal as it is the same as any pump which has flow restricted via fins with a gate on the casing built in. Is this your system and the arrow; do you have filter floss there by any chance?

 

[Rabidbeast666]

Meaning the the system has no livestock?

I got a clown, a torch, various crabs and snails, and copepods adding a couple more frags this weekend.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

You could interrupt it with a ball valve. No big deal as it is the same as any pump which has flow restricted via fins with a gate on the casing built in. Is this your system and the arrow; do you have filter floss there by any chance?

Yes that is my overflow diagram. I bought an after market tray to run filter floss instead of the sock. Have a skimmer in the second chamber with my return in the 3rd.

 

[slickreefing]

Yes that is my overflow diagram. I bought an after market tray to run filter floss instead of the sock. Have a skimmer in the second chamber with my return in the 3rd.

Figured that much. Do not overpack the filter floss which slows down the water velocity, cut it shorter in both width and length to give relief pathways for the water flow. You don’t want the floss hugging all the walls super tight. Any chance that the skimmer fits in the third chamber?

 

[Rabidbeast666]

It does but its tight and returns too many bubbles.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

Well I built the ball valve return line and added dual 1/4" random flow return nozzles. With very little effort was able to adjust tank volume, flow rate and match volume in my return to the old pumps level. Torch has fluffed out the most I've seen it yet. The random flow has him gently swaying like he should be.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

Waiting for the skimmer to settle back down. But levels are staying constant. Happy with the flow. And confident it will stay there.

 

[slickreefing]

Waiting for the skimmer to settle back down. But levels are staying constant. Happy with the flow. And confident it will stay there.

Great job getting it done.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

Great job getting it done.

Thanks. One of the lucky few times everything went as planned. Without 12 revisions and trips back to the hardware store.