Wavemaker box makes my water level fluctuate in sump

[Instigate]

So I hooked up a wavemaker box to my four powerheads and I noticed now when the two outer pumps turn off the water level drops in the return chamber of the sump. When they turn back on it raises back up. I also just installed an ATO and due to how small my return chamber is it would be triggering my ATO. When the two outer powerheads turn off the water in the return chamber drops about 1 1/2".

Do I just have to leave those pumps on because I made the return chamber too small? Not sure what I'm doing wrong here.

 

[Diesel]

Weird but than again why turn them off?
Do your pumps run on a program of different speeds or so?
Why is your sump so small with this giant tank?
What size tank is that and what the size of the sump?
How is your overflow hooked up and what do you use to drain it?

 

[Instigate]

Weird but than again why turn them off?
Do your pumps run on a program of different speeds or so?
Why is your sump so small with this giant tank?
What size tank is that and what the size of the sump?
How is your overflow hooked up and what do you use to drain it?

The pumps are cheap ac pumps and I hooked up the wavemaker box to create variation of flow.

The DT is 135gallon and the sump is like 25gallon from the dimentions but it's only filled like 1/2 way. I'm using the small sump because thats what came with the tank. Everything is used gear I got cheap. I have a more appropriate sump that I'm planning on switching to eventually but to use it I would need a submersible return pump and the tank setup came with a wet/dry filter and external return pump.

The drain is a durso standpipe.

Here is the build thread for more photos:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-first-fish-tank.317153/

 

[Diesel]

You have a overflow box or ghost overflow?

 

[Instigate]

You have a overflow box or ghost overflow?

The overflow is internal. The drain and return holes are in the bottom of the tank with the black acrylic enclosing the overflow area inside the tank.

 

[Diesel]

The overflow is internal. The drain and return holes are in the bottom of the tank with the black acrylic enclosing the overflow area inside the tank.

What's your water level in there?
High or low?

 

[Instigate]

 

[Instigate]

What's your water level in there?
High or low?

Very high, very little waterfall into the overflow chamber to reduce noise.

 

[Diesel]

That's good.
I also see you using a Maggie as that was my next recommendation.
I had the same problem a while back on a 120 and got me self a stronger return pump and upgraded my sump twice as big and problem was gone.

 

[Instigate]

 

[Instigate]

That's good.
I also see you using a Maggie as that was my next recommendation.
I had the same problem a while back on a 120 and got me self a stronger return pump and upgraded my sump twice as big and problem was gone.

I see. My return pump flow is reduced down quite a bit. I wish they had drilled a larger hole for the drain on the tank. Maybe I'll just have to run the outer pumps always on and just alternate the rear pumps.

 

[Diesel]

Pumps should always alternate, in that case you have a random flow in your tank which corals prefer but also your fish.

 

[Instigate]

Pumps should always alternate, in that case you have a random flow in your tank which corals prefer but also your fish.

For sure, that's what I was trying to achieve.

 

[Diesel]

What kind of pumps do you use?
Does they have a controller for different random flow?

 

[Saltybubbles288]

To me is sounds like the pumps maybe causing inconstistent flow into the overflow causing the siphon to be inconsistent is there any gurgling? Is the water level in the overflow changing?

 

[Instigate]

What kind of pumps do you use?
Does they have a controller for different random flow?

They are cheapo sunsun pumps. Stand ins until I can afford something more reliable. I'm using a jbj wavemaker box to turn the ac pumps on and off.

To me is sounds like the pumps maybe causing inconstistent flow into the overflow causing the siphon to be inconsistent is there any gurgling? Is the water level in the overflow changing?

Right, that's what I was thinking. No gurgling and I didn't look at the overflow chamber when it was going on but I bet it did drop. I'll have to play with it to see.

 

[Saltybubbles288]

I used service a 400g system that would flood because of something similar, the office was prone to poweroutages which would in turn cause the siphon to break and trap air, try feeding a small length or airline into the overflow pipe to allow for a conistant amount of air. Itll be slower than a full siphon but may maintain the water level better. I had to do this for my tank.

 

[Instigate]

I used service a 400g system that would flood because of something similar, the office was prone to poweroutages which would in turn cause the siphon to break and trap air, try feeding a small length or airline into the overflow pipe to allow for a conistant amount of air. Itll be slower than a full siphon but may maintain the water level better. I had to do this for my tank.

Oh good idea. I might try that.

 

[mkj]

return chamber could be too small to. I had that problem on my old tank and the power of the pump made my ATO bobble bounce up/down too much. I adjust that chamber and it fixed the problem