Adding water volume to the sump?

[Chayo]

Ive recently installed a new pump for added UV flow but I am running my return chamber dry. Ive messed with the levels on the baffles helped a bit but I still don’t have enough water to get the pump running where I need it to be. I have a CPR overflow CS90 that is rated for 600 gph. On a 125 gal. I can’t add anymore water as my DT is where it should be but the sump could gold way more water. My guess is the overflow needs to be replaced for a bigger model for more water into the sump to see a difference? Also when I had the overflow installed they installed it with extra flexible drain that reaches the bottom of my sump and fills my entire filter sock. Wondering if I cut the flexible drain tube would the sump fill more as the water would drain faster into the sump? not sure? maybe there’s a reason behind it being longer?
thanks for the help reefers

 

[sunken3]

any pic or diagram? having trouble picturing your issue.. sounds like your new pump pumps water faster than your overflow drains... yet, somehow you haven't overflowed your tank... which is a little odd. i would cut back on the pump power (reduce its flow - as that doesnt need to be too much anyways - as long as you have good powerhead flow in the tank). do you have any other filters in the sump that could be restricting your flow to the main pump?

 

[schuby]

How about a pic of sump with return pump on and a pic of sump with return pump off? Want to see water levels.

 

[Idoc]

If your return chamber is emptying too quickly...Sounds like you either need to slow down your return pump, or add more water to your sump system.

Pics of your drain line would be helpful before giving advice on that issue.

 

[biophilia]

Can you Y off from the return pump with one side of the split going to the tank with a valve to control the flow through it and the other side of the split going to the UV, and then dumping right back into the same return chamber it's pulling from? That would keep the level in the return chamber from dropping too quickly and maybe help with dwell time for the water going through the UV...

 

[Chayo]

Thanks everyone, seems my concern is with the amount of flow that is suppose to go through the UV. per manufacture the rate for algae and bacteria is 2100 gph. (ProMax UV 55watt) So I’m confused that is why I’m cranking up my pump to push that amount? Not sure. I have a Jebao DCP 10000. Rated for 2640 gph. I don’t have a way to measure the flow I guess is my problem. I just want to make sure I’m properly using the UV correct. I will take pics of the water levels later. But I’m thinking a bigger sump is what is needed to add more water into the system based on the reply’s. Currently have a Bashsea Smart Series sump (3015)
thanks again everyone

 

[sunken3]

Thanks everyone, seems my concern is with the amount of flow that is suppose to go through the UV. per manufacture the rate for algae and bacteria is 2100 gph. (ProMax UV 55watt) So I’m confused that is why I’m cranking up my pump to push that amount? Not sure. I have a Jebao DCP 10000. Rated for 2640 gph. I don’t have a way to measure the flow I guess is my problem. I just want to make sure I’m properly using the UV correct. I will take pics of the water levels later. But I’m thinking a bigger sump is what is needed to add more water into the system based on the reply’s. Currently have a Bashsea Smart Series sump (3015)
thanks again everyone

the slower the water the more (and more likely) you will kill baddies in the UV.. after that its really just maximum flow ratings. higher flow can only kill/limit algae, whereas slower flows can start to kill other things like bacteria and viruses. .. i suppose too slow could cause overheating, but that would need to be a trickle.

 

[biophilia]

A bigger sump won't make a difference. The issue in your case is that the amount of water draining via your overflow and into your sump is not enough to keep up with the more powerful return pump. In theory you could have a sump the size of a large cup of coffee if the return and overflow were matched up.

Your choices in this case are either to limit the flow back into the tank (by putting a ball valve on your return line), redirect part of the flow back into the return chamber (by Y-ing off of the return pump) or installing a bigger overflow on your tank. The UV flow rating you're looking at is just the absolute max flow you should be pushing through it, not necessarily what is recommended. Slowing down the flow through the UV will help with dwell time and maybe kill more stuff if that's what your goal is with the UV.

Since you have an overflow rated at only 600gph and a return pump pushing up to 2600gph (in reality maybe 2000gph max), Y-ing off from the return pump into your UV would allow you do direct ~1500gph throught the UV and straight back into the return champer in the sump and the remaining 500ish gph up into the tank so that you're not pushing the limits of your small overflow too much.

 

[Chayo]

Okay well that makes more sense. thinking about it now the slower rate through the UV is better than faster. Im
fighting dinos in the tank currently
So I guess in retrospect I should’ve never bought a bigger pump lol I swapped out my dcp6500 thinking bigger faster gph would help. Lol well thanks again everyone seems I will be turning down the pump and messing with the baffles and height of the overflow again later today until I find a sweet spot.

 

[sunken3]

Okay well that makes more sense. thinking about it now the slower rate through the UV is better than faster. Im
fighting dinos in the tank currently
So I guess in retrospect I should’ve never bought a bigger pump lol I swapped out my dcp6500 thinking bigger faster gph would help. Lol well thanks again everyone seems I will be turning down the pump and messing with the baffles and height of the overflow again later today until I find a sweet spot.

sounds like a good plan.. also, my understanding of dynos is that they are a bacteria (of some sort) borne often from an imbalance in the system usually nitrates vs phosphates (or lowering/raising them too fast).. maybe also look into your parameters.

 

[Brett S]

I think one of two things is happening. Either you are pumping water faster than your overflow can handle. If that’s the case then your options are to get another overflow that can handle more water, turn down the flow on your return pump, or T off the return line after the UV and send some of the water back to the sump. That way you could still run the UV at a higher flow rate without overwhelming your overflow.

However, it is also normal for the water level in your sump to lower when you turn up the return pump flow rate even if the overflow is keeping up. The water level in the DT rises slightly which lowers the water level in the sump. If this is the case you will just need to add a little more water to the system to get the sump level back to where it should be. However, if the sump level keeps lowering no matter how much water you add then you have the first problem. If it gets to a point where it is back in equilibrium, then you have the second problem and you should be good. If this is the case and you can get back in equilibrium, then the only other thing to check is to make sure that your sump doesn’t overflow when the return pump is shut off. Because there will be more water in the system then more water will drain into the sump when the return pump is shut off, so if it was close to overflowing before then it might be too much water for your sump to handle.