Even water level in sump

[CringeTankDaddy]

So pictures speak a thousand words. I don't understand how this should work. I filled it starting in the filter sock section and let if flow now it's even no matter what. Is this major leaking? I know there are two small patches I can fill but is that all it takes to ruin the system? Is this super wrong?

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Get some water out of the return chamber (the lowest one). see if your observation holds true still. as it sits, it's just over filled.

If it does, Your baffles aren't sealed to the glass.

 

[Biochembob]

Take out a a little water (maybe a gallon) then run your pump hose to your filter sock and turn it on. See if your pump section lowers and water flows through correctly.

 

[Uncle99]

how is the water going back to sump?
When pump is off, water levels.
When pump is on, water drops by pump, and is refilled through sock.
The system looks both incomplete and flow stopped.
Now when running, if it stays level it’s leaking or overfilled.
Or maybe I misunderstood your question.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

When I built mine, I put the return pump in the chamber and ran it emptying into the intake section to get an idea of how flow would work.

From what I can see in your pics, it appears in the lower water level one, you have weirs on every baffle, those would set the water level points there.

Those weirs all appear to be at that hieght, and without enough flow going to the point where those lower weirs can't keep up, that will be the highest point in the chambers if what I am seeing is correct and the water level is in fact all at the weirs accross the entire sump in the pic with lower water level. Also with that design, at rest, its going to level unless severely low

 

[Indymann99]

Your pictures show what your sump will look like with Return pump OFF. Perfectly normal. If you want to test the "flow" through the sump, put your return pump in the return section and plumb to dump water into the Sock section. My sump below. Green is normal RETURN pump on. Red line is RETURN pump off.

 

[CringeTankDaddy]

Your pictures show what your sump will look like with Return pump OFF. Perfectly normal. If you want to test the "flow" through the sump, put your return pump in the return section and plumb to dump water into the Sock section. My sump below. Green is normal RETURN pump on. Red line is RETURN pump off.

Ngl. Your sump is equally beautiful and intimidating. I think I know everything that is in it, but getting that together feels like a lot. It's why I'm taking this hobby very slow. So it's normal for the first three chambers to have same level? Is that pink thing an algae scrubber?

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Ngl. Your sump is equally beautiful and intimidating. I think I know everything that is in it, but getting that together feels like a lot. It's why I'm taking this hobby very slow. So it's normal for the first three chambers to have same level? Is that pink thing an algae scrubber?

It only depends on baffle height, which it looks like the sump ypu posted has the hieght at which water passes to the next chamber at the same.