Help with sump.
- Thread starter Bacon505
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Do you think my water level is too high for this 40 breeder?
Not really... As long as the tank doesn't overflow during a power outage is doesn't really matter how high the water is. You may have to elevate your skimmer a little so it will work properly, but that's about it.
Zero Nitrates
I love chalices
Looks too high.
Michael Llabona
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It's for sure high. But you can prevent a back siphon by adding a check valve at the middle of your return pipe. Also take into account how much water will siphon into sump from over flow depending on your drain setup.
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
You need to calculate the gallons that will siphon back into your sump in case of a power outage. This amount can be minimized by keeping your return line only a 1/2" or 1" under the DT surface... therefore you will only have that amount of water above that depth that will go back to the sump before the siphon can be broken by the return line sucking air. This "above the return line gallons" can be calculated by multiplying the display tank's length x width x depth (either 0.5" or 1" in this case) and divide that number by 231. Calculate using inches! This will give you the additional amount that your sump must be able to hold from the DT...but, don't forget to add the gallons from your overflow box that will also flow to your sump plus whatever might be in your plumbing lines as well ( which is pretty minimal unless your pipes run to a basement sump). Now, use the same formula above to measure the "free" space in your sump (area above where your current water level is). If your return gallons are greater than your free sump gallon space, then you're screwed, lol, time to re-design that sump! But if your sump extra space is greater than the amount than that which will return to the sump, you're golden! Just never bump that return line lower in the DT than what your sump can handle!
+1, do the math and test. Eye balling it is irrelevant, you can't look at a sump and say yep its too high unless its maybe a dang inch from the top of the rim...
bblumberg
Well-Known Member
Do you think my water level is too high for this 40 breeder?
As others have said, you need to test what happens when power goes off. If the sump contains all the water, then you are good to go. Best way to ensure this is to put returns just under the surface so that too much water can't flow back into the sump and make a flood. Check valves will eventually fail so it is risky to rely on them.
On another note, it looks like your flow through the sump is too fast for your baffles or the baffles are unusually designed. On the right of the picture, the flow is going over both baffles, which defeats the purpose. The one that is supposed to take flow under it should be higher than the first one so that the flow goes under, not over. Same situation on the left side of the sump, it appears that you are bypassing the leftmost baffle and dumping a fair amount of bubbles into the return chamber.
Bruce
