Hi i am having problems with the water level on my sump. i get the water level right then i will put it on feed mode the sump will fill up but when feed mode goes off and the water level settles out its always too low in the sump and this happens everytime i put it in to feed mode
sump water level
- Thread starter Matthew Barber
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W1ngz
Failed Padawan
A lot of assumptions need to be made, more detail would help. I'm assuming that you have an Apex, and you have the return pump off for feed mode.
Do you have a skimmer, and is it on or off before and after feed mode? Is there a delay on the skimmer after the return pump starts?
What happens if you just turn the return pump off, wait a little while, and turn it back on?
Do you have a skimmer, and is it on or off before and after feed mode? Is there a delay on the skimmer after the return pump starts?
What happens if you just turn the return pump off, wait a little while, and turn it back on?
hi no apex and no skimmer if i turn the return pump off and wait a while then back on the same thing happens the water level drops too much and i have to use a jug to fill the sump up again to stop the pump running dry but once i fill it up its fine until i turn it off or put it into feed mode again
W1ngz
Failed Padawan
If your return pump has it's own feed mode, you haven't said what brand or model it is.
The pump isn't making water disappear, so it's probably pumping at max speed, putting more water in the tank instead of the sump. Look at the tank water level.
The pump isn't making water disappear, so it's probably pumping at max speed, putting more water in the tank instead of the sump. Look at the tank water level.
Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
What kind of overflow/drain are you using?
overflow 2 pipes come from the bottom of the tank one is the main and one is just in case the other gets blocked.
the pump is marine dc-2500 and it is now turned all the way down but still does it when i turn it off or feed mode until i put more water from the tank into the sump then its fine until i turn it off again
the pump is marine dc-2500 and it is now turned all the way down but still does it when i turn it off or feed mode until i put more water from the tank into the sump then its fine until i turn it off again
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
When you add water to the sump when it gets low, are you taking the water from the display and adding it to the sump? Or adding totally new water that hasn't been in circulation in the tank yet?
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
Ok, then just open up your main full siphon drain line a little more to allow more water to get back into your sump from the display. It sounds like the water is being pumped up to the display faster than it can be returned to the sump.
Do you ever have any water coming down your emergency drain line into the sump?
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
Hmmm.. this isn't making much sense.
Are you sure you have enough saltwater in the system to begin with?
smartwater101
Valuable Member
Yeah this has me scratching my head as well...
@Matthew Barber so is the water in the display and sump ever the correct level (at the same time)??
When you switch off feed mode, how long are you waiting before you start scooping water to put in the sump?
Sometimes it takes a bit for the siphon to fully kick in. If you have to scoop water from the display to put in the sump... this is likely it.
If you wait a min or two (without manually moving water) do the levels eventually out?
My best guess it's an overflow issue. Your siphon isnt kicking in fast enough. If you can share pics of your display, sump, and the overflow that will definitely help us. Also, please share what pump you're using, display size and sump size. The answer is somewhere in there.
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Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
Pics of the overflow are definitely needed. Im assuming by the writeup that a Herbie Style overflow is being used. If the full siphon isn't kicking in fast enough, the full siphon drain may be too tall. The top of it needs to be at least 6" under the top water level in the overflow for the full siphon to kick in.
philosophile
Active Member
I think I know what's happening. you turn off the pump.. the sump fills up right? then you turn on the return pump. water gets pumped into the display, but then for a few moments the return pump is sucking air because the water hasn't made it down to the sump from the overflow. right?
The easy fix is to add more water to the system. But this will change your sump levels which may not play well with your skimmer.
The more permanent fix would be to increase the volume of water in your return chamber of the sump. If you have live rock in your return or anything else, take that out to increase water volume.
The easy fix is to add more water to the system. But this will change your sump levels which may not play well with your skimmer.
The more permanent fix would be to increase the volume of water in your return chamber of the sump. If you have live rock in your return or anything else, take that out to increase water volume.
Brett S
Valuable Member
The water level in the tank and the sump should reach an equilibrium on their own, although it can take even as long as 5 or 10 minutes from when the pump first starts. This equilibrium is dependent on the pump speed, the overflow height, the size and type of the drain and a number of other factors.
But that said, taking water from the tank manually and putting it in the sump will not affect the water level in the sump for more than a few minutes. The lower water level in the tank will mean that not as much water will go over the overflow for a short time and the pump will pump more water back up to the tank than is coming down and the equilibrium will be reached once again.
If the drain size is too small or the pump is too big then the pump will pump more water up to the tank than the drains are able to handle. In that case the water level in the sump will keep lowering while the water level in the tank keeps raising until the sump runs out of water or the tank overflows, but it sounds like that is not what’s happening here. From what you’ve said it sounds like the system does reach an equilibrium at some point.
My guess is that you’re simply not waiting long enough for the equilibrium to be reached. As I said above, manually moving water from the tank to the sump will do nothing to change the water levels... they will go back to their original equilibrium after a short time, so there’s no need for you to do that. It is possible that it’s taking a little while for the drain to start siphoning and before that happens the pump might be out pumping the drain and that will lower the water level in the sump for a short time. But once the drain starts flowing at full speed it should come back up again on it’s own.
You don’t say how long you’re waiting after restarting the pump, but like I said above it can take 5 or 10 minutes or more for it to reach this equilibrium. I would suggest just watching it and waiting longer. Restart the pump and keep an eye on it just to make sure that the tank doesn’t overflow or the sump doesn’t run dry, but I suspect that if you give it long enough it will return to equilibrium on it’s own after a few minutes.
But that said, taking water from the tank manually and putting it in the sump will not affect the water level in the sump for more than a few minutes. The lower water level in the tank will mean that not as much water will go over the overflow for a short time and the pump will pump more water back up to the tank than is coming down and the equilibrium will be reached once again.
If the drain size is too small or the pump is too big then the pump will pump more water up to the tank than the drains are able to handle. In that case the water level in the sump will keep lowering while the water level in the tank keeps raising until the sump runs out of water or the tank overflows, but it sounds like that is not what’s happening here. From what you’ve said it sounds like the system does reach an equilibrium at some point.
My guess is that you’re simply not waiting long enough for the equilibrium to be reached. As I said above, manually moving water from the tank to the sump will do nothing to change the water levels... they will go back to their original equilibrium after a short time, so there’s no need for you to do that. It is possible that it’s taking a little while for the drain to start siphoning and before that happens the pump might be out pumping the drain and that will lower the water level in the sump for a short time. But once the drain starts flowing at full speed it should come back up again on it’s own.
You don’t say how long you’re waiting after restarting the pump, but like I said above it can take 5 or 10 minutes or more for it to reach this equilibrium. I would suggest just watching it and waiting longer. Restart the pump and keep an eye on it just to make sure that the tank doesn’t overflow or the sump doesn’t run dry, but I suspect that if you give it long enough it will return to equilibrium on it’s own after a few minutes.
Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
A pic of the sump when the system is running properly and when the pump is off would definitely help. I’m thinking you don’t have enough water in the system overall. You have to balance enough water to keep the pump submerged at all times but not overflow the sump with the back flow from the return.
