Return Pump Causing Underwater Tornado

[fftfk]

All - Quick Question. I’m running a Red Dragon High Pressure pump as a return pump in a basement fish room/upstairs display tank setup. What is the best way to deal with the pump sucking air into the pump. It does this starting about 50% power.

Does the water need to be deeper? The pump is already in 8 inches of water which should be enough per the directions. Would plumbing it externally help?

 

[Uncle99]

Pulling too fast for the given water level.
Slow it or deepen waters.

 

[JGT]

Deeper water would help. Does the pump come with an adapter grid to go over the input? That might minimize the twister.

 

[Kfactor]

add a elbow to it and point it down and cut it short

 

[mtraylor]

What he said. Yes just get a piece of pvc and push in the inlet and then put a 90 degree elbow on the pump facing down toward the bottom of the aquarium. No glue or anything. That will solve the issue.

 

[fftfk]

Thanks! I looked through the directions again and the do show it plumbed like gvat

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Stick a PVC pipe out of there about 3” and drill holes in the pipe with a medium sized drill hit, will spread the suction and fix problem