Problem matching overflow speed and return speed

[abagail]

So Im new to owning a sump and when i first set it up the flow was PERFECT then after a month it randomly decided to stop matching eachother (a fish got in the overflow and it started acting funny and now i cant get it corrected). Im not too fond of sumps to be honest but the water is returning to the aquarium faster than its leaving it. Anyone know how I can fix this?

edit: I got the tank off a guy who had it running for 6-7 years but i literally know nothing about the tank, sump, and what not so im just really lost

 

[KStatefan]

What type of overflow do you have?

 

[shakacuz]

What type of overflow do you have?

^ this. also, do you have a gate valve/ball valve on both your drain and return?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Yep, need to know what type of overflow. What you should have is some type of passive overflow to supply tank water to your sump and a return pump in your sump that does not exceed the rating of your overflow. As an example, I have a 1500 gph overflow and run by return pump at about 1100 gph. The overflow can easily handle returning this water to the sump.

 

[abagail]

^ this. also, do you have a gate valve/ball valve on both your drain and return?

I dont think theres any? but i also got the tank setup off of a guy who had it running for 6 years so lets just say im confused lol

 

[redfishbluefish]

Appears that you have a conventional back wall overflow with a durso (maybe 1") overflow going down to the sump. The return appears to be a MAG pump....maybe a MAG 7 or MAG 9.5. Sump is an Oceanic (maybe a model 2), and for some reason the water level looks very low. Wondering if you're missing a baffle??? Many protein skimmers need somewhere around 6-8 inches of water to work.

The Durso should be able to handle 700 gph. Definitely a MAG 7 would work, and likely a MAG 9.5, with the head loss.
I'm wondering if that u-shaped loop of the drain pipe is inhibiting flow down to the sump.

And is that a UV unit hanging on the left of the sump.....and is the return line pumping water directly through the UV? If so, the flow rate is way too high for the UV to be effective.

Anyway, let's get some more eyes on this....it's been years since I've run a Durso..... #reefsquad

 

[abagail]

Appears that you have a conventional back wall overflow with a durso (maybe 1") overflow going down to the sump. The return appears to be a MAG pump....maybe a MAG 7 or MAG 9.5. Sump is an Oceanic (maybe a model 2), and for some reason the water level looks very low. Wondering if you're missing a baffle??? Many protein skimmers need somewhere around 6-8 inches of water to work.

The Durso should be able to handle 700 gph. Definitely a MAG 7 would work, and likely a MAG 9.5, with the head loss.
I'm wondering if that u-shaped loop of the drain pipe is inhibiting flow down to the sump.

And is that a UV unit hanging on the left of the sump.....and is the return line pumping water directly through the UV? If so, the flow rate is way too high for the UV to be effective.

Anyway, let's get some more eyes on this....it's been years since I've run a Durso..... #reefsquad

I can try filling it more, im just really worried about it somehow overflowing my tank. I never saw what his sump looked like up and running, he just explained how to set it back up and didnt explain much about what stuff is. Im assuming its a uv? not entirely sure tho ): i wish i could be more of help

 

[redfishbluefish]

The baffles (walls) of each section in the sump determine the water height. The exception is your return section where the water waterfalls into that section.

 

[abagail]

The baffles (walls) of each section in the sump determine the water height. The exception is your return section where the water waterfalls into that section.

I ended up adding two more gallons and messing with the tube in the overflow and got it to even out and stay that way luckily so it should hopefully be fine again. thank you so much for the help!

 

[piranhaman00]

I would take the sump offline until you understand what you are dealing with or you are gonna have a flood, good luck!

 

[abagail]

I would take the sump offline until you understand what you are dealing with or you are gonna have a flood, good luck!

Ya, i kept turning it off and on while messing with it to make sure i wasnt gonna royally screw myself, the flow has remained the same for the past three hours and it was fine before I had to pull out the pipe to get my fish out of the overflow which sucks tbh

 

[Screwgunner]

Turn your pump off let your water come down all the way in your display tank if you want you can fill you sump to acouple inches from the top that way if your power goes out you don't have to worry about a overflow on your floor. Turn your pump back on mark the water line on your sump . Your water will go down in the sump do to evaporation so try to keep your water at that line. It will reduce the fluctuation of salinity.

 

[Screwgunner]

Replace evaporated water with fresh water not saltwater.

 

[Screwgunner]

And don't worry about keeping up with the over flow . As long as you are not pumping more water than the overflow can handle. If that happens your main tank will overflow.