Help! Fluctuating water level

[Mendozau89]

Hi Reef 2 Reef.
So the water level in my 65 gallon (80 with sump) Red Sea tank has been fluctuating a lot over the past 2 weeks or so. I’d say it happened once I hooked up the Cheato reactor. I not have a chiller and a rector return pump curcutling water in the sump but nothing fluctuates in speed so I don’t understand why the water level
Fluctuates soo much. When I adjust to be right below the overflow it will stay like that for a about a day maybe 18 hours before either rising or lower either of which makes a horrible gurgling sound after it reaches a certain drop or increase.
I suspect it to be the multiple return pumps moving water but can’t find a rythum to it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!!

 

[Uncle99]

Is there a coresponding rise or fall in the return chamber?

 

[Reefering1]

This is hard to follow...
So everything was fine before adding a pump that feeds a reactor?
Where is the pump feeding that reactor? Where is the outlet?
I assume this is a separate pump from from the display tanks return pump?
The noise is coming from the overflow in the tank or chamber overflow in sump?

 

[Mendozau89]

Is there a coresponding rise or fall in the return chamber?

Yes, when the water in the display tank rises and rushes over the overflow making that gurgling sound I think the level in the sump drops, and vice versa, when the water level in the sump rises the display tank is getting less water and the water level is way below the overflow again making the gurgling sound.
The adjustment knob is super sensitive and slow so once this happens it’s hard to get right again.
I’m thinking of adding a coupling to the overflow to make it a little higher.

 

[Mendozau89]

This is hard to follow...
So everything was fine before adding a pump that feeds a reactor?
Where is the pump feeding that reactor? Where is the outlet?
I assume this is a separate pump from from the display tanks return pump?
The noise is coming from the overflow in the tank or chamber overflow in sump?

Yes, everything was fine before adding the return pump that feeds the reactor.
The pump is in the sump and is attached to a 6 foot long hose feeding a reactor in a cabinet next to the tank.
Yes it is a seperate pump from the display tank pump, totaling 3 return pumps moving water in the tank, display, chiller and reactor all always on.
The gurgling noise happens in the overflow area in display tank and not in the sump.
It’s either rushing through the overflow pipe making the noise or rushing past it making a noise because of the drop.

 

[ZoWhat]

Im assuming yiu are saying that the level only gets stabilized by adding more water (?)

Only 4 ways SW leaves the tank
*leak
*evaporation
*skimmer
*waterchange

 

[Reefering1]

What return pump? When the water level is low, in the return chamber, doesn't the ato make up the difference? I assume it does and it still makes the noise(?) It sounds like the return pump is not maintaining a consistent speed. Have you turned off the reactor and notice if this stops happening?

 

[Reefering1]

And where is the pump for the reactor? Where does this water return to the system?

 

[Mendozau89]

Only 4 ways out of the tank
*leak
*evaporation
*skimmer
*waterchange

You think wade leaving the tank is causing the fluctuations?
What about the when it rises in the display?
I did notice that the Ato emptied ou t a little more than usual in a week, along with the skimmer producing almost just water.
Definitely no leak though.

 

[cohojoe412]

Did you add some water to the system when you added the reactor?

May be making to large of adjustments on the Red Sea valve, when’s the last time you pulled it off and cleaned it?

Have you cleaned your display return pump lately?

Depending on your pump I’ve had success on my RS getting the pump and valve close then just adjusting the pump to get the final tweaking done.

 

[Mendozau89]

What return pump? When the water level is low, in the return chamber, doesn't the ato make up the difference? I assume it does and it still makes the noise(?) It sounds like the return pump is not maintaining a consistent speed. Have you turned off the reactor and notice if this stops happening?

I have not made a link between the ato and the return chamber when this happens but I’m fairly certain they are not going off at the same time. I’m pretty sure the water level in the return part of the sump doesent change.
I suspect it to be the pump as well. I have adjusted it to mainaint a constant speed of 20 as opposed to changing between tidal swell ands nutrient transport and things like that.
All one speed now.

 

[Mendozau89]

Did you add some water to the system when you added the reactor?

May be making to large of adjustments on the Red Sea valve, when’s the last time you pulled it off and cleaned it?

Have you cleaned your display return pump lately?

Depending on your pump I’ve had success on my RS getting the pump and valve close then just adjusting the pump to get the final tweaking done.

Yes, I filled the reactor but didn’t consider the empty lines? Now that I think of it, I think adding water when the level is low may be a solution.

I have never cleaned the Red Sea valve. I didn’t know this was something I had to do but did suspect the lines.
I inspected the drain inlet today and all was good.
I cleaned the return pump about 6 months ago. My Alk and cal is dosed right on top of the return pump.

I am in the process at adjusting the pump speed combined with the Red Sea clave to see if I get a constant harmonic balance between the two.

The thing is when I ge *** right, for example i just fixed it now after tweaking it in frustration for about an hour, but later tonight or tomorrow morning it might be either high or low.

 

[Mendozau89]

Yes, I filled the reactor but didn’t consider the empty lines? Now that I think of it, I think adding water when the level is low may be a solution.

I have never cleaned the Red Sea valve. I didn’t know this was something I had to do but did suspect the lines.
I inspected the drain inlet today and all was good.
I cleaned the return pump about 6 months ago. My Alk and cal is dosed right on top of the return pump.

I am in the process at adjusting the pump speed combined with the Red Sea clave to see if I get a constant harmonic balance between the two.

The thing is when I ge *** right, for example i just fixed it now after tweaking it in frustration for about an hour, but later tonight or tomorrow morning it might be either high or low.

Idk what the asterisks are for I did not use a curse word.
It was a typo.

 

[ZoWhat]

You think wade leaving the tank is causing the fluctuations?
What about the when it rises in the display?
I did notice that the Ato emptied ou t a little more than usual in a week, along with the skimmer producing almost just water.
Definitely no leak though.

Fluctuating levels may be this 2nd pump not pushing a consistent water flow.

Just enough of a disturbance to interrupt the over return cycle.

I would pull this 2nd pump and hook it up with hoses at it's inlet and outlet using 5g buckets to see if it's pumping water at a consistent rate.

Also check the electrical circuit that the 2nd pump is plugged in to.

Could be a brown-out situation on that outlet where sometimes it draws 115v.... sometimes 95v under overall load.

Meaning the pump might be at 100%.... but when that electrical gets on a 'load' from other devices coming on and off, the voltage to the pump may drop by 15% causing the water flow to drop.

Sounds like something that can't be solved here.

 

[Reefering1]

Fluctuating levels may be this 2nd pump not pushing a consistent water flow.

Just enough of a disturbance to interrupt the over return cycle.

I would pull this 2nd pump and hook it up with hoses at it's inlet and outlet using 5g buckets to see if it's pumping water at a consistent rate.

Also check the electrical circuit that the 2nd pump is plugged in to.

Could be a brown-out situation on that outlet where sometimes it draws 115v.... sometimes 95v under overall load.

Meaning the pump might be at 100%.... but when that electrical gets on a 'load' from other devices coming on and off, the voltage to the pump may drop by 15% causing the water flow to drop.

Sounds like something that can't be solved here.

Idk. There's alot of pretty smart people here..
I thought we were still in the "gathering information" stage. It's still unclear where the reactor's pump is or where the outlet is...

 

[DCR]

From your first post, it sounds to me like you are trying to control the level in the overflow box below the overflow by adjusting the full siphon. That is always going to be unstable. The gurgling sound is when your overflow goes to full siphon or when the full siphon drains so low that it pulls in air. You probably do have some variation in the return flow, but I believe you should always have a small trickle of water going down the overflow drain and not try to control the level below it.

 

[cohojoe412]

Yes, I filled the reactor but didn’t consider the empty lines? Now that I think of it, I think adding water when the level is low may be a solution.

I have never cleaned the Red Sea valve. I didn’t know this was something I had to do but did suspect the lines.
I inspected the drain inlet today and all was good.
I cleaned the return pump about 6 months ago. My Alk and cal is dosed right on top of the return pump.

I am in the process at adjusting the pump speed combined with the Red Sea clave to see if I get a constant harmonic balance between the two.

The thing is when I ge *** right, for example i just fixed it now after tweaking it in frustration for about an hour, but later tonight or tomorrow morning it might be either high or low.

Depending what model you can clean the valve sometimes junk gets caught in it which creates weird flow.

I would also only adjust the pump or valve not both otherwise you’re creating a moving target.

Could clean the pump too if it’s been 6 months might be full of enough gunk it’s not staying as steady.