Sump keeps breaking siphon overflowing my display

[N.Sreefer]

I have a eshopps 1200 HOB overflow that broke siphon this morning overflowing my display I unplugged my pump and restarted the siphon and now it nearly outpaced my 1500 GpH jebado dc pump the 5000 model. I had it running perfect but now I’m afraid it’ll screw up when I leave for work in 2 hours. What would cause the overflow to increase turnover so much? The water level is the same atm after topping off and the pump ran dry for a sec but is def pushing good flow. Should I disconnect the sump while I’m at work it would cause a huge headache but it’s better than a flood

 

[spfahnestock]

I am not sure what the cause is but for piece of mind I would kill the power to the return pump while you are at work and then work through the issue when you get home.

Just make sure there is still flow in the tank through powerheads to create aeration in the water while you are away.

That is just what i would do if I were you.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

I would turn the pump off while you’re at work. Don’t forget a heater in the display.

 

[N.Sreefer]

Ya that’s probably best I’m guessing it’ll kill the bio blocks in the sump, I don’t understand it ran for the last week just fine. I have enough powerheads to turn the tank over 5x an hour so not very much flow

 

[reefnfun]

An easy fix for this is to buy a different overflow box. I don't use them anymore but mine had a hole in the top that I hooked an airline to and used an aqualifter to suck water out of there. If any air got in the siphon it would suck that out too. It would be very difficult to lose your siphon. I trusted it for along time and never lost my siphon. I believe it was CPR brand. if you have a reef group in your area ask them if anyone has an extra overflow box. They would probably give them to you for free.

 

[N.Sreefer]

I’ll try and source one of them I may diy that drill a hole and add a line and a pump thanks I didn't think of that. I’m new to the whole sump thing I decided to give it a try but my tank has 3/4 inch glass so I’m hesitant to drill it

 

[Shon]

An easy fix for this is to buy a different overflow box. I don't use them anymore but mine had a hole in the top that I hooked an airline to and used an aqualifter to suck water out of there. If any air got in the siphon it would suck that out too. It would be very difficult to lose your siphon. I trusted it for along time and never lost my siphon. I believe it was CPR brand. if you have a reef group in your area ask them if anyone has an extra overflow box. They would probably give them to you for free.

Agreed


You could always build a u-tube that an aqualifter can hook up to.. also get the prefilter for the aqualifter.. it will more than double the pumps diaphragm life..

https://www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-1-4-in-x-1-2-in-dia-Barbed-Barb-x-MIP-Adapter-Fitting/1000505031

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LASCO-1-in-x-1-in-x-1-in-x-1-2-in-dia-Tee-PVC-Fitting/3369486

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LASCO-1-in-x-1-in-x-1-in-dia-Elbow-PVC-Fitting/3371194

1in pvc cut to length

 

[Gtinnel]

restarted the siphon and now it nearly outpaced my 1500 GpH jebado dc pump the 5000 model.

Unless I misunderstand what you meant, the overflow can't pass more water than the pump is putting in the tank, so you aren't trying to balance the return pump and the overflow to each other. All that matters is that you don't have more flow from the return pump than the overflow can handle.

Sometimes increasing the flow through the overflow by turning the pump up can cause bubbles to continue to flow through the u tube and help prevent them from gathering at the top and breaking siphon. Just don't turn it up to where the overflow can't keep up.

Also, in the future drilling the tank is a much, much better option than using a hob overflow.

 

[Shon]

My b-.

Ment to find and post 1/8inch barbed to 1/2in npt.. cant find on lowes, plenty on amazon.

 

[Snoopy 67]

The fix is simple. The water flowing through the tubes MUST pull any air bubbles completely out of the tube.
If not you get what you have now.

 

[driftin]

You may also want to install a float switch in your display tank to kill the power to your return pump if it starts to overfill. Cheap insurance (I learned the very hard way).

 

[theMeat]

If drilling the tank is not an option and hob is it, get. CPR hob overflow. It’s a tubeless design and you can add an aqualifter pump to it to have backup/piece of mind

 

[Snoopy 67]

IF you go with CPR get a spare Aqualifter pump because you will need it.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Like others have stated get a ATO switch, some DC pumps come with one, use that brand, nice thing about DC pumps that they have a soft start, you do not want all of the sudden the water coming on full blast. Do a bunch of dry runs, shut off the return pump and see what happens.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Why is everyone recommending cpr overflows? Those are hands down the WORST design around. If you want wet floors go with cpr.

 

[theMeat]

Why is everyone recommending cpr overflows? Those are hands down the WORST design around. If you want wet floors go with cpr.

Because they have a place where you can instal an aqualifter or other means to evacuate air that will stop the siphon.
In a perfect world where air doesn’t make it into your overflow a tube design is better. It’s not a perfect world, having a back up that acts without supervision is a better plan.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Because they have a place where you can instal an aqualifter or other means to evacuate air that will stop the siphon.
In a perfect world where air doesn’t make it into your overflow a tube design is better. It’s not a perfect world, having a back up that acts without supervision is a better plan.

A tube design is better in every way. Aqua lifters fail (flood), airlines clog (flood), cprs rarely restart after a power outage (flood), the little plastic nipple the airline connects to gets salty and brittle and snaps (flood)..... I've had alot of floods. It's been many years since I had my cpr overflow but I will tell you that if cpr was the only way to run a reef tank then I would have to leave the hobby.

 

[Mjl714]

I think the lifereef hob overflow is the only one I’d trust.

 

[theMeat]

A tube design is better in every way. Aqua lifters fail (flood), airlines clog (flood), cprs rarely restart after a power outage (flood), the little plastic nipple the airline connects to gets salty and brittle and snaps (flood)..... I've had alot of floods. It's been many years since I had my cpr overflow but I will tell you that if cpr was the only way to run a reef tank then I would have to leave the hobby.

I’v had cpr running with out any aqualifter. With the plastic nipple capped off, no flood. Aqualifter is not the only option, they last plenty long for 29 bucks, and you can have two, one running, one taken off, cleaned and ready to be rotated, no flood. If the pump fails that just means it won’t suck the air out. That won’t stop the siphon. Air stops the siphon, aqualifter or something else takes it out. The nipple can be seen. When/if it gets dirty clean it, no flood. Oh, and don’t snap the nipple that offers you back up off always good advice. Where a tube design has no back up

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I’v had cpr running with out any aqualifter. With the plastic nipple capped off, no flood. Aqualifter is not the only option, they last plenty long for 29 bucks, and you can have two, one running, one taken off, cleaned and ready to be rotated, no flood. If the pump fails that just means it won’t suck the air out. That won’t stop the siphon. Air stops the siphon, aqualifter or something else takes it out. The nipple can be seen. When/if it gets dirty clean it, no flood. Oh, and don’t snap the nipple that offers you back up off always good advice. Where a tube design has no back up

A failed aqualifter will not immediately cause a flood, but it will prevent the syphon from restarting when it needs too which causes a flood. I have also ran it with the airline attached to my return pump and that never really worked for me either. I'm not sure how long you've had yours for but I had one for about 4 years and I assure you that lots of heartache is in your future.

Sorry but this is fact. Don't offer this product to new reefers that are already having flood issues, it will not help them