Sump intake eating water too slowly

[Alpha_and_Gec]

So I just installed a few mesh nets across the openings on my sump intake, but it was apparently enough to slow the intake to be slower than the speed at which my pump pull the water out. Does anyone know what I can use to block off the intake that isn't mesh? Can I use toothpicks as bars?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

So I just installed a few mesh nets across the openings on my sump intake, but it was apparently enough to slow the intake to be slower than the speed at which my pump pull the water out. Does anyone know what I can use to block off the intake that isn't mesh? Can I use toothpicks as bars?

Do you have a picture of the setup? Are you talking about covering the weir with mesh? The drain pipe openings? Something else?

 

[00W]

Do you have a picture of the setup? Are you talking about covering the weir with mesh? The drain pipe openings? Something else?

Yeah pictures would be great I'm pretty confused.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Do you have a picture of the setup? Are you talking about covering the weir with mesh? The drain pipe openings? Something else?

So essentially, these three gaps lead down into the sump. I have to block it off with mesh so fish doesn’t get stuck and die. However, blocking it off with mesh slows down the flow to the point where the sump dries up.
I ripped off the mesh that I put on the one on top this morning since it caused the sump to go dry in the middle of the day, and I managed to make it last until the afternoon.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Can you turn on the lights in the room or use your flash? I still can't tell what I'm even looking at. What "gaps"??

 

[00W]

Can you turn on the lights in the room or use your flash? I still can't tell what I'm even looking at. What "gaps"??

Yes please.

 

[00W]

We're both here to help just don't know what we are looking at.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Can you turn on the lights in the room or use your flash? I still can't tell what I'm even looking at. What "gaps"??

These gaps…..
They get clogged with algae within a few hours and I can’t clean them off, and even without algae clogging them they slow my intake to the point of being slower than my return pump.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

It looks like you have binder clips holding something that is blocking the weir...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Is this a DIY overflow box? You need a bunch of slots at the top to allow water to enter... that's called a weir.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

It looks like you have binder clips holding something that is blocking the weir...

Oh, that was from last week when I needed to clip a few fish bags. They don't do anything other than serving as a holder for my tongs.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

And what's with the turkey basters in the overflow box?

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Is this a DIY overflow box? You need a bunch of slots at the top to allow water to enter... that's called a weir.

Not sure, it had been with the tank when I got it but I'm not certain it was the original. The intake has its own weir. The white walls form kinda an encapsulating box that holds the intake and the outlet, but for the purposes of preventing fish entry, it is effectively equivalent to the intake.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

And what's with the turkey basters in the overflow box?

oh I don't have anywhere else to put them lol

 

[KrisReef]

Interesting design. Perhaps a large foam sponge inside the tank would allow water to flow enough?

 

[00W]

Is this a replacement DIY for something else

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

This is just a quick example pulled from the internet, but you want your overflow box to look like this...

 

[00W]

If it's the square cutout circled you can use a fish net.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Is this a replacement DIY for something else

No, it had always been there. I'm just trying to block it off with a wire mesh so that fish doesn't get in. Originally the holes were completely open, which resulted in the loss of a few fish in the past.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Do you even have drain pipes?