Yup didn’t make it a year

[doubleshot00]

I had an annoying Red Sea tank like that. Their valve was awful.

Can we see how it is plumbed and what sort of gate valve are you using?

It is a fixable issue. You are it supposed to have to constantly tweak it.

I don’t have much time or energy for my tank anymore so I traded my SPS and a bunch of LPS for nice softies and keep some cool fish. It’s super relaxing since I can just not do anything for months at a time if I don’t feel like it.

 

[humbletumble]

Your setup looks amazing. I wish I had the space and money to set up a tank like that

Glad you are not giving up yet. The most important thing is definitely taking your time and having patience. If something seems low, very very gradually raise it up, but also keep an eye on other readings and the tank environment when doing so. Drastic changes anywhere will affect the whole tank and create issues upon issues (self lesson lol). Keep at it and enjoy the journey. It'll get there

 

[Tamberav]

I generally try to never do hard 90 degrees like that. Not sure if it is a problem but it can make the system more noisy. I was told to always try to do 45 degrees instead.

you want drain one full siphon and the second one just a trickle.

 

[doubleshot00]

I generally try to never do hard 90 degrees like that. Not sure if it is a problem but it can make the system more noisy. I was told to always try to do 45 degrees instead.

you want drain one full siphon and the second one just a trickle.

Noise isn’t the issue. But its been stable since taking off the succe pump and just adjusting the dc pump with gate valve.

 

[Troylee]

The less you mess with it the better! If you have a local store ask if they got a Maintence guy and have him come dial it all in if it’s too much for you! Once it’s up and going it’s pretty simple.. I just got back in after 12 years or something and don’t even own test kits and keeping Sps haha! I thought about my last experience and I never changed water or tested for anything unless my corals looked weird.. so my strategy now is just watch the tank grow and listen to the inhabitants… if you see corals browning it’s lights or nutrients, burnt tips is high alk etc etc.. I’ve been there and saw something little going on and started testing and adjusting everything and just made it worse! Best solution is a water change if something going south! That’s been my experience..

 

[TnFishwater98]

Exactly F it. Wait it out and see how bad the rocks and corals look after a few months see how it goes.

I went without a filter on one of my tanks for 6 months and it’s doing fine now. Yes, I come across some ugly phases…I still did water changes but not on a regular schedule. The fish and corals I had did fine. I think the process was actually good for the tank. The ugly stages help the tank “grow up”… Like mentioned early a mature tank is when things become easier.

 

[TnFishwater98]

I went without a filter on one of my tanks for 6 months and it’s doing fine now. Yes, I come across some ugly phases…I still did water changes but not on a regular schedule. The fish and corals I had did fine. I think the process was actually good for the tank. The ugly stages help the tank “grow up”… Like mentioned early a mature tank is when things become easier.

I very rarely test my water unless I feel something is off. I had a magnet cracked and leaking one time. I could tell something was wrong with the tank. I immediately started testing my water but figured out it was the magnet.

 

[Copperhead Viper]

I think im done. That amount if time i spend testing, inspecting and adjusting things in my tanks is so time consuming. Like it’s annoying. This is the most frustrating hobby I’ve ever been into where nothing goes as planned. Its like going out on the boat but you literally always break down or you never catch fish.

I really don’t see how anyone is successful in this hobby. I have been so diligent in testing and keeping everything as perfect as i can but it is taking up a ton of my time.

My wife wants me to end it.

I had a 90 running transferred everything over to a new 90 no issues until last week. Levels tanked over 2 days and now have dinos. Everyone said i need a sump. I got a sump. All i do is keep adjusting the gate valve because the water level in the tank after about a 2 weeks it goes down. Like literally don’t get why its doing it. I literally hate my tank.

Had a fluval wanted a nicer tank so got a new IM15. Transferred everything over. It has dinos now and all the coralline on the rock is dying.

Im at a lost for words how terrible everything goes in this hobby. I want to succeed but everything is against me.

Yup same with me ... I'm done done done .. stupidiest hobby every had bar none... serious! And I've been on and off for 29 years .. spent at least 20 k all in all .. not worth it just warning you

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Sorry late getting back to you. I have no idea why your water level could change in your main display. As long as your drain is handling all the water your sending it, then the water level should be set by the overflow box, and any evaporation etc should only affect your sump level. Running one or more pumps at a steady rate shouldn’t affect the display as long as all of the water returned from the tank to the sump all goes through the same overflow.

The only issue would be if one of your drain lines gets clogged which should then direct the excess water through your overflow safety drain. Changes in the level (height) of water in your display would have to imply a change in the volume of water leaving or returning to the tank. So if your pumps are set to run at a constant GPH there shouldn’t be any change in the water level.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I had an annoying Red Sea tank like that. Their valve was awful.

Can we see how it is plumbed and what sort of gate valve are you using?

It is a fixable issue. You are it supposed to have to constantly tweak it.

I don’t have much time or energy for my tank anymore so I traded my SPS and a bunch of LPS for nice softies and keep some cool fish. It’s super relaxing since I can just not do anything for months at a time if I don’t feel like it.

Not sure what issues you had with a Red Sea, but I have 5 all purchased in the last 2 years and they all adjust really well with the valve. Run so silent I have to make sure the water is rippling on top to see if they are running. 4 are in the same room.

 

[Tamberav]

Not sure what issues you had with a Red Sea, but I have 5 all purchased in the last 2 years and they all adjust really well with the valve. Run so silent I have to make sure the water is rippling on top to see if they are running. 4 are in the same room.

It may be they fixed it but it was a problem for years. People talking about the valve. It was NOT a gate valve.

 

[Landon K]

Not sure what issues you had with a Red Sea, but I have 5 all purchased in the last 2 years and they all adjust really well with the valve. Run so silent I have to make sure the water is rippling on top to see if they are running. 4 are in the same room.

I have a new G2 RS Reefer and I love it but my only complaint is the diaphragm valve. I have to routinely adjust it. I have the same issue as OP with the water level in my overflow not staying consistent which has on a couple of occasions caused my ato to dump a bunch of water into the tank after the overflow water level suddenly rising.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I have a new G2 RS Reefer and I love it but my only complaint is the diaphragm valve. I have to routinely adjust it. I have the same issue as OP with the water level in my overflow not staying consistent which has on a couple of occasions caused my ato to dump a bunch of water into the tank after the overflow water level suddenly rising.

Wow, I have 5 all purchased in last 2 years. All work, set it and forget it. Ive never even cleaned one out yet. Any chance they are getting obstructed with something?

 

[Landon K]

Wow, I have 5 all purchased in last 2 years. All work, set it and forget it. Ive never even cleaned one out yet. Any chance they are getting obstructed with something?

Nah. I've seen plenty of people complain about them in the FB group too. I'll probably replace it with a gate valve eventually.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Nah. I've seen plenty of people complain about them in the FB group too. I'll probably replace it with a gate valve eventually.

I think I had some problems with my first one as I didn’t really understand it. Then I figured out how to make mine work anyway. I closed it until it was running through the safety some. Then opened it back up until the water level was just below the overflows. Then when I got more tanks I just did the same thing and it seems to work.

On the first one I would set it from a more open position and would think I had it, but then the level would drop again.

I’m sorry yours isn’t working as well. I use ball valves on a system I set up myself but would really like to get ones with more fine tuning than I have had in the past.

 

[Landon K]

I think I had some problems with my first one as I didn’t really understand it. Then I figured out how to make mine work anyway. I closed it until it was running through the safety some. Then opened it back up until the water level was just below the overflows. Then when I got more tanks I just did the same thing and it seems to work.

On the first one I would set it from a more open position and would think I had it, but then the level would drop again.

I’m sorry yours isn’t working as well. I use ball valves on a system I set up myself but would really like to get ones with more fine tuning than I have had in the past.

I'll give your method a shot. Thanks.

 

[acquaqueenbean89]

Listening to r2r advice

And can’t figure out my tank water level. It literally does what it wants.

let it do what it wants then maybe? I'm a perfectionist too but half of the stuff you're testing for doesn't even matter

 

[doubleshot00]

Sorry late getting back to you. I have no idea why your water level could change in your main display. As long as your drain is handling all the water your sending it, then the water level should be set by the overflow box, and any evaporation etc should only affect your sump level. Running one or more pumps at a steady rate shouldn’t affect the display as long as all of the water returned from the tank to the sump all goes through the same overflow.

The only issue would be if one of your drain lines gets clogged which should then direct the excess water through your overflow safety drain. Changes in the level (height) of water in your display would have to imply a change in the volume of water leaving or returning to the tank. So if your pumps are set to run at a constant GPH there shouldn’t be any change in the water level.

What i did was remove the sicce pump/uv. Then extended the emergency overflow to give it some more room. 5 days later and it’s holding. Imo if it does it again its the pump fluctuating its output. I read online Jebao pumps can di this its like 1 out if 100 i bet. I had a 2500 do this straight out if the box.

I did try the trickle over method and found my wave makers were pushing the water over it every 20sec.

So my wave makers on pulse push the water to each side really hard. So i reset them to random and now they are not doing it as bad

If it happens again ill buy a new pump and give it a try.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

What i did was remove the sicce pump/uv. Then extended the emergency overflow to give it some more room. 5 days later and it’s holding. Imo if it does it again its the pump fluctuating its output. I read online Jebao pumps can di this its like 1 out if 100 i bet. I had a 2500 do this straight out if the box.

I did try the trickle over method and found my wave makers were pushing the water over it every 20sec.

So my wave makers on pulse push the water to each side really hard. So i reset them to random and now they are not doing it as bad

If it happens again ill buy a new pump and give it a try.

I like current pumps. Eflux DC. Have had really good luck with them. They seem consistent. I have one in each of my 6 tanks and also use them
On my UV so like 11 of them.

 

[Rmckoy]

I’ve been there many times …
The worse was 15 years of corals growing and a crash wiped out every single thing I’ve ever bought .

I bought 1 small fish and I left the tank run for 6 months with only that one fish .

later decided to do a water change , scrub the glass and start over .

a
Mature tank is far easier … but getting go there is the hard part .
Stop adjusting and testing .
let it settle and find its mature “ happy spot .
Keep it simple and don’t over complicate what can already be a gold rush hobby.