Water level in the sump

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

Hi All,

I've recently added a sump and a DIY overflow. Pics below.

Problem is the water level in the sump keeps changing and I cant tell if its evaporation or it's just a bad install.

I have a gravity fed ATO on a valve that I manually adjust seasonally and that has worked perfectly over the past 4 months or so.

Any ideas on how I can figure this out?

 

[Alchameth]

Ok so if I see this right, water comes in down the back left compartment, then to the front left, over into the heater compartment and then under the last pane to the return pump?

If that is the case, you need a level baffle in the heater compartment that will set the water level in that chamber and then the evap will come out of the pump chamber. As it is, guessing the pump and heater chambers are staying level and loosing water at the same time.

 

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

Ok so if I see this right, water comes in down the back left compartment, then to the front left, over into the heater compartment and then under the last pane to the return pump?

If that is the case, you need a level baffle in the heater compartment that will set the water level in that chamber and then the evap will come out of the pump chamber. As it is, guessing the pump and heater chambers are staying level and loosing water at the same time.

Hi, thanks for responding.
Correct, my setup is as u describe. The reason for the lack of baffles is the lack of space. It's a 12litre tank to begin with and the heater compartment is intended for chaeto.

If it technically makes no difference which compartment the evaporation happens, I'm ok with it being from both heater and return compartments.

What is currently puzzling me and preventing me from setting the gravity ATO, is that the water level in the heater and return compartments seem to drop by 2 or 3cm over a 24 hour period. So I end up switching the return pump off, waiting 15 or 20 mins for water level to settle and I check where it is vs original level. Then test salinity then add RODI, then start the return pump again.

 

[Alchameth]

Technically it doesn't but if the heaters get exposed, since they are glass they could crack. You could go with smaller ATO setup that uses a sensor to detect the water level. Gravity ATOs are typically meant to be used with a float valve.

 

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

Technically it doesn't but if the heaters get exposed, since they are glass they could crack. You could go with smaller ATO setup that uses a sensor to detect the water level. Gravity ATOs are typically meant to be used with a float valve.

100% agree, but even with a float valve if the water level in the sump drops, float valve allows more freshwater than required, it messes up the salinity.

Could it be that the overflow is not removing enough water from the DT, albeit being a very small quantity over a prolonged period causes the significant water level drop in the sump?

 

[Alchameth]

The flow is the flow, and water will always evap from the sump. Water won't leave the tank faster than it's being pumped in, but if your pump has more flow than your overflow can handle the sump will drain and the tank will overflow. So is the water level in your tank going up throughout the day?

Adding that ballast probably is the best solution. In a smaller volume system that makes a difference. Measure the total L X W surface areas of those 2 chambers and then the same with just the return pump chamber and you can see how much more water has to evap since it's across those 2 chambers.

 

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

The flow is the flow, and water will always evap from the sump. Water won't leave the tank faster than it's being pumped in, but if your pump has more flow than your overflow can handle the sump will drain and the tank will overflow. So is the water level in your tank going up throughout the day?

Adding that ballast probably is the best solution. In a smaller volume system that makes a difference. Measure the total L X W surface areas of those 2 chambers and then the same with just the return pump chamber and you can see how much more water has to evap since it's across those 2 chambers.

Champion, many thanks.