Sump intake eating water too slowly

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I don't have a Dremel, will a kitchen knife or craft knife be suitable?

Not unless it's an incredibly flimsy piece of plastic

 

[asome_one]

I feel like youre going to be in a constant battle and risk overflowing by blocking the only small inlets. If I were you I'd drain the water down as far as possible and take a dremel to the edge. Cutting slots all across the top. You can probably catch most of the debris by stuffing a cloth into the square as well as draping cloth on the outside. plus its likely mostly inert plastic that you can always siphon out without much harm done.
Edit:
didn't realize someone said this already. Without the right tools for the job I would just wait to do anything until you obtain the right tools. Hacking away at things without the right tools will just lead to breaking it and then its a bigger problem. You can get cheap rotary tools for like 30 bucks on amazon or even less used.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Buy bigger fish?

My family is certainly not on board with that... especially not after the engineer goby.
I'll try to use a slightly wider steel mesh until I can find one that wouldn't grow algae or let a clownfish through.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My family is certainly not on board with that... especially not after the engineer goby.
I'll try to use a slightly wider steel mesh until I can find one that wouldn't grow algae or let a clownfish through.

Don't use metal mesh in a saltwater aquarium

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

I feel like youre going to be in a constant battle and risk overflowing by blocking the only small inlets. If I were you I'd drain the water down as far as possible and take a dremel to the edge. Cutting slots all across the top. You can probably catch most of the debris by stuffing a cloth into the square as well as draping cloth on the outside. plus its likely mostly inert plastic that you can always siphon out without much harm done.

I will still have the issue of blocking off the larger gaps even if I do cut out weirs, and preferably I'd solve that problem first.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My family is certainly not on board with that... especially not after the engineer goby.
I'll try to use a slightly wider steel mesh until I can find one that wouldn't grow algae or let a clownfish through.

Anything you use will grow algae. Algae even grows on a proper weir. I think you're fighting an uphill battle. Maybe reach out to your LFS and see if they have a used tank they can lend you and then fix this one the right way.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I will still have the issue of blocking off the larger gaps even if I do cut out weirs, and preferably I'd solve that problem first.

Without another way for water to enter the box, you're not going to be able to block off the larger gaps without having the same problem you had this weekend.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The only other solution is getting a weaker return pump, and even then I think you'll still have problems

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Anything you use will grow algae. Algae even grows on a proper weir. I think you're fighting an uphill battle. Maybe reach out to your LFS and see if they have a used tank they can lend you and then fix this one the right way.

Well, perhaps "not growing algae" isn't the most correct term, as long as water can enter at a similar rate compared to before it is blocked, the solution is acceptable, which is why I'm thinking of a slightly larger mesh. However, I'm not certain if that line of thinking will work at all with filamentous algae.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Maybe get some eggcrate/ a light diffusing panel from the hardware store and cut small pieces to attach over the holes?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Maybe get some eggcrate/ a light diffusing panel from the hardware store and cut small pieces to attach over the holes?

Or build a box out of it to surround the current one?

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Without another way for water to enter the box, you're not going to be able to block off the larger gaps without having the same problem you had this weekend.

Unfortunately I still don't have a Dremel, or the ability to get one until the next weekend. I will temporarily remove all obstructions and use some toothpicks as bars until I can fix the whole thing properly.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Maybe get some eggcrate/ a light diffusing panel from the hardware store and cut small pieces to attach over the holes?

Wouldn't egg crates dissolve in the water? I'm not certain if paper contains harmful molecules to my animals(as far as I know, a small sheet of printer paper is fine). I'm not sure if algae will grow on the spikes of a light diffusing panel but it's worth a shot.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Oh wait hold up this is what you refer to as egg crate?
I... uh
I've actually never seen this stuff before to be honest, thought you were referring to the boxes eggs are sold in.
I'll check it out, given the mesh isn't too big.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Oh wait hold up this is what you refer to as egg crate?
I... uh
I've actually never seen this stuff before to be honest, thought you were referring to the boxes eggs are sold in.
I'll check it out, given the mesh isn't too big.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Crimsonphoenix]

You can attach #6 plastic needlepoint sheet over holes , cheap few bucks sheet at michaels craft store or more on amazon. It keeps my bubble

tip in.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

What size tank is this? It might be cheaper to get a new tank. It looks like the holes were cut out and not like a regular overflow. I have seen where a tank has multiple boxes and one with no weir or openings as it was not meant to be an overflow but a place for return and to bring wires up while there was a weir at other end of tank for overflow.

 

[MnFish1]

I might suggest that you drain the water down to the level you want your 'weir' to be save the water), keep up the flow thats in the tank, turn Off your sump. You can use a drill to make a weir quite easily - that though it may not look quite as good as the professional model - it should work. You can then replace the water you removed - and you would be done in 30 minutes

 

[juggernaut107]

I bought these to put over mushrooms to get them to stick to rocks. I’d shove one of these in those holes and not worry about it