need advice on dialing in the overflow

[Lonny]

Thanks for the pic. I don't have the tube coming out of the whole I drilled and didn't know what it was for so that's great info thank you. I'll install soon.

What? 2 full siphons? If that is correct, that is your problem. Bean is one full siphon and one open channel which just has a trickle of water. The other drain is totally dry. The one with the gate valve is for the full siphon. The valve is for tuning the drain so that just a trickle goes down the open channel. The goal is not to get as much water as possible flowing through your sump. Bean is just about the easiest drain to get tuned and running properly.

Yeah - also you need to put 3 standpipes in the external overflow compartment. One with a 180 degree curved top (full siphon), one just like that but a little higher with a hold drilled and the tube coming out of that hole near the water level so if it rises, it will cover the tube and create an full siphon (open channel), and one with just an open top (emergency).

Here is mine (before I put the cap and tube on the center drain).

 

[ReeferBob]

FYI: When you add the drains to the inside of the overflow box, they just need to be friction fit in the bulkhead. In other words, just set them in the hole, do not glue them or screw them.

 

[Lonny]

[Qdon't think a more trite statement has ever been made lol. Thanks to all for the help and expert advice! UOTE="beaslbob, post: 2680234, member: 8668"]You see you come here and get all this "expert" advice especially mine (well for the quotes anyway).

And what happens.

With all the worry, kabitzing, stupid jokes, looking at dark pictures and everything.

it just starts working when the wife is present.



At least now the wife will think she got it working.

which is a big thing in my house.[/QUOTE]
I

 

[Lonny]

="ReeferBob, post: 2680244, member: 26545"]FYI: When you add the drains to the inside of the overflow box, they just need to be friction fit in the bulkhead. In other words, just set them in the hole, do not glue them or screw them.[/QUOTE]Thankfully I didn't glue them

 

[beaslbob]

from what I understand from the bean animal operation is it is based on the full drain, an open trickle drain, and a high water level emergency drain in caose the firs two fail.

the idea is that water draining in a full pipe is quiet as is a drain where the water is just trickling.

IME using durso with large diameter you get a lot or water rushing noise.


So I guess that if you slightly close the ball valve more water with "trickle" through the open drain. with more noise. I guess you play around until you get a quiet non flushing operation.

my .02

 

[Lonny]

Ya, according to the wife it's quite now so I will not be touching it. Now the cycle waiting game. I'm only a few days in.

 

[Lonny]

Ya, according to the wife it's quite now so I will not be touching it. Now the cycle waiting game. I'm only a few days in.

 

[beaslbob]

sound like progress.

Now do you want my cycle expertise or which fish should be first?

Naaaa you better not.. take the wife's advice.

 

[Lonny]

My kids want nemo of course. What do suggest?

 

[beaslbob]

My kids want nemo of course. What do suggest?

nemo is a good choice.

FWIW I start the system with macro algae, after a week add a male molly, and not add food for a week. then feed a single flake per day.

After a couple of more weeks start adding the marine only fish.

the idea is to setup a system balanced and stabilized with the algae. In that way you have a much more forgiving system.

But lotsa people don't agree with that.

so it's worth at most .02

 

[Lonny]

So chato in the sump? I have a single t5 lamp in there right now and was planning on algae just not sure when. Worth a shot. Be nice to have something growing. So can I put the algae in there now? Water has been in the tank for seven days now. I had a leak to deal with which is why the pump has only ran for the last three days. And your advice on cycling would be appreciated as well..

 

[beaslbob]

IMHO put the macros in now now.

In the very remote chance it doesn't grow because of lack of nutrients, add some calcium nitrates to get nitrates up to 20-40 ppm or so.

If the system is balanced out with macro algaes the cycle is 0 ammonia, some nitrite spikes, and a possible immediate nitrate spike.

Because if you have some type of bioload from the live rock or whatever, the macros will immediately consume the ammonia for nitrogen forgoing nitrates.

So after a week you add that male molly to get the bioload going and to learn how to acclimate as well. Again the ammonia from the bioload will be immediately consumed by the algae preventing the ammonia spike.

After a week start adding a single flake per day. Note this is not starving the molly. He will be eating algae and pods and pooping nicely without adding any human added food. Then start adding that single flake per day to augment the food in the tank.

At that point you have no ammonia but the bacteria has not cycled yet. After a few more weeks nitrates will finally drop down signaling the aerobic bacteria has build up and is consuming the ammonia and the macros are forced to use nitrates for nitrogen.

Each time you add bioload the same thing happens where the macros consume the ammonia directly preventing spikes.

And the same thing happens where something goes "bump in the night". The macros prevent ammonia spikes and possible tank crashes.

Meanwhile back at the refugium, the macros are also consuming other nutrients, carbon dioxide and returning oxygen and fish food.

But that's just my .02

 

[Lonny]

Sweet thanks. Wanna here something funny? Fixed the gurgling siphon balance problem. My water had gotten low. I've had fresh water tanks in the past just never had a tank with a sump. So I'm watching the water level in the tank for evap and not the sump. Of course the tank level is staying constant as Long as the return pump has water to return. Added water and vwalah, problem solved. Sometimes you can't see the forest thru the trees I guess