Can’t seem to get my sump level correct..

[Water Dog]

Refresh my memory... what’s your return pump and what level intensity is it running at?

 

[Be102]

Refresh my memory... what’s your return pump and what level intensity is it running at?

Reef octopus varios 6 and I run it on the level 2 intensity. I could always turn it down and that would prob fix problems.. just don’t want to have such slow flow really but maybe I will try it!

 

[Mickeyt1reef]

Maybe I missed it but are you running socks? I have a waterbox 45.2. If I run socks or anything that can restrict the overflow over 12 hours it effects the level in my sump triggering the ato prematurely. I know you are trying to stop the noise. I was just wondering about the socks.

 

[Be102]

Maybe I missed it but are you running socks? I have a waterbox 45.2. If I run socks or anything that can restrict the overflow over 12 hours it effects the level in my sump triggering the ato prematurely. I know you are trying to stop the noise. I was just wondering about the socks.

I actually am using filter media cups with some poly fil.

I’m really thinking I just should just admit defeat and use my pump at a lower speed. It’s a lot quieter that way ( not the pump the water splashing and whatnot.

Like I went to bed and it was relatively silent and then woke up a few hours later to loud sloshing


the biggest problem I have with running my return pump so low is that it leaves my overflow box open so to speak. The last time I left it like one of my large snails climbed in and must have covered the input of the overflow and it resulted in my getting a little flood

 

[Dburr1014]

So I tried to do what you suggested and I am a little stumped. How much airline tubing is too much? The piece on the standpipe I have now is I’d say 8 inches long and it silences it a little bit but it seems even louder now than it did without anything on top. should I add more?

Am I missing something here? Perhaps my standpipe just is junk?

I'm sorry, I did not read the read thread but I quieted mine down by opening the hole some. I kept drilling a bigger hole until it was quiet. I think it starts off at .25 then I went to .275 then the next size and so on.
It just needs more air so it won't suck air down with the water with the vacuum it creates.

I also agree you should not restrict both pipes of that tee. Besides the leveling effect, what if 1 cloggs? The other pipe is restricted and water will overflow the tank.

Also, as long as you have the hose from your top off above it's own water line and the end not in any water, it will not siphone into your tank.

Happy reefing.

 

[Be102]

I'm sorry, I did not read the read thread but I quieted mine down by opening the hole some. I kept drilling a bigger hole until it was quiet. I think it starts off at .25 then I went to .275 then the next size and so on.
It just needs more air so it won't suck air down with the water with the vacuum it creates.

I also agree you should not restrict both pipes of that tee. Besides the leveling effect, what if 1 cloggs? The other pipe is restricted and water will overflow the tank.

Also, as long as you have the hose from your top off above it's own water line and the end not in any water, it will not siphone into your tank.

Happy reefing.

Honestly with all this I am thinking about attempting to just plumb in my extra overflow box. Idk. I feel it’s too much of a hassle to try to get the water to go where I want / or to not go somewhere. That way if I re-do my plumbing I could potentially have an overflow strictly for my sump in the left and then the right overflow will go to the fuge. Could be a bad idea but I don’t really know what else to do between noises and or battling the level

 

[Dj City]

Please go back and read my previous post.
It might help you with your water level problem.

 

[Be102]

Just curious to see if I'm understanding you...

You use a timer on a pump to dispense water for ato?

If Im reading you correctly, I can tell you that can't work and would be the reason you can't keep a steady level of water.

Evaporation is different depending on temperature, humidity, surface agitation etc, etc.

There is no way to dose the correct amount of water with a timer.
It has to be done with a float switch or sensor and based on the actual level of water.
The sensor needs to be in the sump. The display will keep level but the sump will get low.

You can add the water to either the sump or display. It does not really matter where the water is added but adding water to the sump has a faster response.

Good luck.

Hi yes, I completely understand and agree with what you are saying. the only problem I am having now is that the water level is fluctuating in both my sump as well as my tank now. I am beginning to think that eitehr i have too much flow throughout my tank from my return pump or i need to figure out how to limit the flow to where I want it to go. as of right now with my sump fully open its like a waterfall. It's quiet if I lower to level 1 but I would liike more flow through my tank. I also am worrid if I limit the flow I will alow my overflow box to be open / like not under the water. COuld you show me a picture of your overflow if you have one? Maybe its not possible to have a silent tank as well as a to / ato / everything. I do agree that i should not use a timer and I do not plan on using an ato until i can get like my tank to be quiet / as well as like trustowrhy. I went to bed last night and it was silent then woke up to a loud rushing noise when nothing changed at all..

I just spent 10 minutes watching it and I can assume that my problem with the noise is that the water level is raising and lowering in my overflow box. I’ll attach a video.

any idea what is causing this?

 

[Dom]

Typically the ATO dispenses into the sump, but you are correct that if the ATO reservoir is up high then you can’t do that. Might be better going into the tank directly instead of the overflow. Make sure the end of the ATO hose is not submerged or you’ll siphon tank water back out.

If the ATO reservoir is up high (above the sump), then a he could use a float valve and turn it into a gravity fed system.

 

[Be102]

So this is what’s going on with my sump... any ideas?

 

[Be102]

If the ATO reservoir is up high (above the sump), then a he could use a float valve and turn it into a gravity fed system.

I think the biggest problem I have with my ato is where it is located / where it puts water into my tank. For this reason for literally the past months I have just dumped idk about 3-4 gallons of ro whenever the pump is close to running dry. My problem now is dialing in my plumbing to not have gurgling / big splashes and whatnot

 

[Be102]

lol of course my vids aren’t uploading! Great!!

 

[Be102]

I think I just fixed it sorta... so I started to pull on the tubing out of the stockman and it silenced it. I get some gurgling but I assume that’s air purging? Would that make sense if my Gate valve to my socks is somewhat closed whilst my return to my fuge is wide open? The gurgling comes every idk say 30 seconds and it’s like the fuge is burping

 

[Be102]

Ok. So given my ato is to the left of my sump ( same level) what are my options to prevent a siphon of ro water when the ato turns on? I have a few options.

• I can run the line into the section before the return, if I can figure out how to not make it siphon.
• I can run it into my overflow box where it is now however I don’t really trust the water level rising in time if the sensor is in the return pump section as I run stuff in my filter socks (poly fil) which sometimes can cause a backup
• I can continue to just top off by hand irregularly...

 

[Be102]

I do suppose I have a forth option.. if I am concerned about the likelihood of the water not getting to where I want, I can figure out how to adjust my ProfiLux to control my Powerbar that the ato is on to say turn on for no more than 1 min at a time every so often in case the water level has not risen to the right spot it will have time to settle. This way the ato is the control of everything and just is either on or off based off of where the water level is. Or is this a bad idea?

 

[Water Dog]

Let’s try something... what happens when you close off flow to the refugium and open up the sump valve all the way? How does the overflow box react in terms of noise and water level?

 

[Be102]

Let’s try something... what happens when you close off flow to the refugium and open up the sump valve all the way? How does the overflow box react in terms of noise and water level?

I think I’ve managed to dial it down to not make as much noise. At this point I just get a little surge in my fuge every id say 30 seconds? I think the noise problem with the sump is just I have a lot of water splashing down as before I always limited the flow ( bad idea). I was thinking if I closed the fuge a little the water would have less air to compete with in the pipe hopefully minimizing the burping in my fuge.
Overall my sump level stayed Relatively consistent regardless of everything else. Which is great!!
Maybe you can help me find a better setup for my ro return line? As I mentioned above.

 

[Water Dog]

I’m a believer in having the ATO line in the return and running a quality ATO, like the 3155 independent of any controller programming. So I would fill your ATO reservoir such that the water level in the reservoir is below where the ATO outlet tube is placed on the lip of the return section. As long as the outlet of the ATO tube is above the water level in your ATO reservoir, there is no chance of creating a siphon situation.

 

[Be102]

I’m a believer in having the ATO line in the return and running a quality ATO, like the 3155 independent of any controller programming. So I would fill your ATO reservoir such that the water level in the reservoir is below where the ATO outlet tube is placed on the lip of the return section. As long as the outlet of the ATO tube is above the water level in your ATO reservoir, there is no chance of creating a siphon situation.

I’m just concerned my friend about the water level not rising in time. For example it takes a little bit for my return level to raise if I put water into the overflow. Which is where my ato hose is now. I want to trust the ato and most likely will. Just the action of having to find the best leveling and whatnot to work.

 

[Water Dog]

That’s why I suggest putting the ATO outlet hose into the return section of your sump and make sure the ATO reservoir water level is never above the ATO outlet hose that feeds said return section. This will alleviate all the issues as it relates to your ATO.