Need help

[Deborah Armay]

So my new 150 gal has been plumbed by a local guy that owns coral business. It’s a dual corner overflow. The problem is that as u add water to the sump the return pump takes it back to the tank, however the level in the tank keeps rising dangerously close to the top but the sump is so low it’s exposing the pump. As I add mor water to the sump to cover the pump the water level in the tank rises. There is water returning via gravity to my filter socks. I have posted pictures. Thanks for help.

 

[rockdiver]

Well im far from an expert but it looks like you have 2 different size hoses and I don't see any valves to adjust the flow out from the tank or into the tank.
What you wrote and what I read is the tank fills up but does not drain quick enough
I dont see any pictures of the overflow from the bottom

 

[lapin]

Looks like Durso drain type. They are not meant for high flow . Sounds like to me your pump is too strong and pumping more water than the drains can handle

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[WVNed]

Be careful. You can get enough water in the system that the sump will overflow if you stop the pump.
Are there animals in your tank?
Have you called the guy to come back?
At the bottom is the water coming out of both drains into the socks sort of equally?
Do both the drains stick this far above the tank?

 

[Uncle99]

Too much flow going into the DT than coming out to sump.
Increase flow from overflow, or decrease return pump flow.

 

[Uncle99]

A gate valve on your overflow will help.
And turn down return flow.

 

[WVNed]

Does you pump have a control box where you can slow it down?

 

[rockdiver]

Maybe some pics from the sump. Not so close ones that we can see everything

 

[Deborah Armay]

Well im far from an expert but it looks like you have 2 different size hoses and I don't see any valves to adjust the flow out from the tank or into the tank.
What you wrote and what I read is the tank fills up but does not drain quick enough
I dont see any pictures of the overflow from the bottom

Yes the tank was cut for 1 " & 3/4". Not sure what you mean by overflow from the bottom. I have a 40 gal sump with 3 filter socks, a refugium and return pump/skimmer area. Yes you are right fills up faster than drains down.

 

[Deborah Armay]

Looks like Durso drain type. They are not meant for high flow . Sounds like to me your pump is too strong and pumping more water than the drains can handle

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You could be right but we turned the pump down to a third of what it was running and its still doing it.

 

[Uncle99]

Maybe your socks are too restrictive.
Try removing them to see if that fixes them.
I had to go to 200 micron and remove a sponge filter.

 

[lapin]

You could be right but we turned the pump down to a third of what it was running and its still doing it.

I would first have the guy come back out and get it set right. We are not there so all our suggestions as to how to fix it will be guesses.

 

[Deborah Armay]

Be careful. You can get enough water in the system that the sump will overflow if you stop the pump.
Are there animals in your tank?
Have you called the guy to come back?
At the bottom is the water coming out of both drains into the socks sort of equally?
Do both the drains stick this far above the tank?

Thats what Im so worried about. My sump right now doesn't have enough water to run my skimmer. There is maybe 3 inches of water just enough to cover the pump. Yes I have fish and corals. Yes I have spoken with him He says he is coming back but did not hear from him today. Both pipes seem to have the same flow into the socks. When I did research on the Durso system I was under the impression that both drains with the cap which has a hole in it needed to be under water. I was wondering if that could be the problem.

 

[Deborah Armay]

I would first have the guy come back out and get it set right. We are not there so all our suggestions as to how to fix it will be guesses.

Yes I'm waiting. He has a very good reputation so I'm not sure what happened.

 

[lapin]

Thats what Im so worried about. My sump right now doesn't have enough water to run my skimmer. There is maybe 3 inches of water just enough to cover the pump. Yes I have fish and corals. Yes I have spoken with him He says he is coming back but did not hear from him today. Both pipes seem to have the same flow into the socks. When I did research on the Durso system I was under the impression that both drains with the cap which has a hole in it needed to be under water. I was wondering if that could be the problem.

Yes only the cap with the hole should be out of the water. The intake part should be fully underwater.
Prob need to just shorten the pipes a bit. However pulling them out will cause the water in the boxes to drain into the sump. ( this is a guess fix)

 

[Rmckoy]

Sounds like the return pump is too powerful for the size of drains .

I’d try restricting the pump down a little and see if that helps .
or increasing the drain hose diameter

 

[lapin]

Sounds like the return pump is too powerful for the size of drains .

I’d try restricting the pump down a little and see if that helps .
or increasing the drain hose diameter

If you read the post the OP has done that

 

[WVNed]

Does the pump have a controller? Can you slow it down. It looks like a DC pump that has a driver box.
I see it does.

The drains are too high. The intakes are the same height as the weir. So even if they are working right that is what the tank level would be

 

[lapin]

You could be right but we turned the pump down to a third of what it was running and its still doing it.

 

[mehaffydr]

I would for now turn the pump down more and then see what they guy can do for you but you dont want the pump running dry and a little less flow is not going to hurt anything