How to reduce overflow water volume into sump

[ether]

I have an 80 gallon internal overflow SC Aquarium tank. Decent tank, good price. The major complaint I have about it is that the overflow is HUGE. This irked me when scaping, but I've also realized that it means that it drains a LOT of water when I turn the return pump off for maintenance or feeding. My sump fills to within 1/2" of the top, which makes me very nervous. Almost all of the water that's draining is coming from the overflow - not much from the tank itself.

SO. I'm looking for a way to reduce the volume of water that drains into the sump. So far my best thought is to fill the overflow with marbles (or something) so that not as much will drain when the return pump is turned off. Thoughts? Better suggestions to this ridiculous plan?

TIA!

 

[Kfactor]

Sounds like the sump is to small for the system how big is it ?

 

[Snoopy 67]

Fill the overflow box with something, carbon, media like ceramics or a block to reduce volume.

 

[X-37B]

Your overflow box should not completely drain.
All of my overflows only drain to the pipes height.
The water stops when the retun gets air.

Something does not sound right.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

How's your drain plumbing in the overflow? Something doesn't sound right. I'm draining only about 3-5 gallons when my pump shuts off for feeding, maintenance, etc, I'm on a 120 gal with a 25 gallon trigger cube sump.

 

[AltitudeAquarium]

You should have stand pipes such as a Durso, Herbie or Bean Animal. There are videos and diagrams available to help understand how to get the proper length of pipe. Otherwise, I agree with earlier mentioned that the sump volume may be undersized.

 

[ether]

Sounds like the sump is to small for the system how big is it ?

It's the eschopps ar100, about the biggest I could get in the stand

 

[ether]

Fill the overflow box with something, carbon, media like ceramics or a block to reduce volume.

That was my thought. Anything better than marbles?

 

[ether]

Your overflow box should not completely drain.
All of my overflows only drain to the pipes height.
The water stops when the retun gets air.

Something does not sound right.

I have the full siphon drain with no stand pipe so detritus doesn't gather in the bottom of the box. Am I better off putting in a standpipe? Do you get junk gathering in the bottom of your overflow?

 

[ether]

It's a

You should have stand pipes such as a Durso, Herbie or Bean Animal. There are videos and diagrams available to help understand how to get the proper length of pipe. Otherwise, I agree with earlier mentioned that the sump volume may be undersized.

Herbie setup but the full siphon has no standpipe to prevent detritus collecting in the overflow. Better off with a stand pipe?

 

[ether]

How's your drain plumbing in the overflow? Something doesn't sound right. I'm draining only about 3-5 gallons when my pump shuts off for feeding, maintenance, etc, I'm on a 120 gal with a 25 gallon trigger cube sump.

Bean animal, but full siphon is just a screen, no pipe. I did that so detritus wouldn't gather on the overflow. Am I better off with a standpipe? I guess it would fix my issue!

 

[Hermie]

can you provide a photo?

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Bean animal, but full siphon is just a screen, no pipe. I did that so detritus wouldn't gather on the overflow. Am I better off with a standpipe? I guess it would fix my issue!

Ah I'm running a Herbie setup, so basically gravity drain and the backup. Sounds like you may need to adjust plumbing height in the overflow.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

I get your detritus reasoning for no standpipe. I'm in a somewhat similar situation using a standpipe of only half the depth of the overflow chamber. I have reduced the drainable water volume of the overflow chamber by filling water bottles (or any bottles that will fit) to take up the room. Been running for years like this.

 

[AltitudeAquarium]

Bean animal, but full siphon is just a screen, no pipe. I did that so detritus wouldn't gather on the overflow. Am I better off with a standpipe? I guess it would fix my issue!

If you are worried about detritus, I have a few hermit crabs in my overflow. I have a stand pipe that is about half of the height of the overflow with a strainer inserted into the opening of the main drain pipe. The emergency drain pipe is just under the slots of the overflow weir by about a 1/4 inch. My overflow is full of aiptasia.

 

[X-37B]

I have the full siphon drain with no stand pipe so detritus doesn't gather in the bottom of the box. Am I better off putting in a standpipe? Do you get junk gathering in the bottom of your overflow?

I used to use a turkey baster to keep detrius out but I just leave it now. Their are all kind of things in my overflow and I dont worry about it anymore.
Now my remote fuge has no standpipe so their is no water in the overflow. The amount of water that exits into my 120's 40 breeder sump is determined by the placememt of my return height.