Fluctuating sump level

[tkm]

***This is my first sump*** So when I did the installation I more than likely did something wrong. Tank has been running for 2 months and was upgraded from a 32g AIO.

Please help, not sure what else to do. Ok my sump level keeps fluctuating, it will be fine for like a day maybe two, then all of the sudden it will raise and cause my skimmer to go crazy and overflow. I’ve tried adjusting the flow from my drain lines and I’ve tried to adjust my pump settings. Right when I think I have it sorted out it will raise again. I keep my ATO off because of the fluctuations I can’t tell exactly how much water is evaporating.

I have a 150 gallon tank with corner overflows. Drain lines are 1” and return lines are plumbed from the pump to bulkhead 1” then reduced down to 3/4” just before going into the bulkhead. I don’t know why I did it that way, but I’m sure at the time something in my head said it was a good idea. (Probably not). I have the eshopps af200, a dc pump. Instead of gate valves for the drains I used ball valves. I put a ball valve on the return for emergencies a long with a check valve. I do a weekly water change around 30 gallons, I clean my return pump and skimmer every other week and my wavemakers opposite of the return pump.

 

[exnisstech]

Have you tried shutting down the skimmer and see if the water level still raises? Just trying to rule out a skimmer malfunction because mine randomly overflows.

 

[tkm]

Yes I’ve kept my skimmer off at times before going to work, because when the return chamber rises so does the skimmer’s chamber and that’s when the skimmer overflows. So I’ve kept it off at times for fear of it overflowing and when I keep the skimmer the level still rises.

 

[tkm]

Like right now I turned the pump up and it seems to have leveled off and so I turned my skimmer back on. Not sure what’s going to happen though.