Please help! Sump continues to pull so much water its sucking air and overflowing display

[bczeller]

Took over a tank while my Dad was hospitalized, been running ok, was sucking air here and there but I noted the overflow tank below was running below the pictured blue line.

Grabbed some ROI and a scraper to clean the tank at the fish store and went home to work on the tank. Unplugged the sump and protein skimmer to start, got pulled away so I re plugged in, and came back to overflowing top display.

No matter how I adjust water in overflow or to the top display, the sump keeps pulling so much water it goes below the blue line and starts sucking air, overflowing the top display.

I'm trying to Google and find solutions but not seeing how to fix this problem. I am willing to try anything, appreciate any ideas or help!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Took over a tank while my Dad was hospitalized, been running ok, was sucking air here and there but I noted the overflow tank below was running below the pictured blue line.

Grabbed some ROI and a scraper to clean the tank at the fish store and went home to work on the tank. Unplugged the sump and protein skimmer to start, got pulled away so I re plugged in, and came back to overflowing top display.

No matter how I adjust water in overflow or to the top display, the sump keeps pulling so much water it goes below the blue line and starts sucking air, overflowing the top display.

I'm trying to Google and find solutions but not seeing how to fix this problem. I am willing to try anything, appreciate any ideas or help!

Can you turn the return pump down?

 

[Reefering1]

And check drains for blockage

 

[jphilip813]

Took over a tank while my Dad was hospitalized, been running ok, was sucking air here and there but I noted the overflow tank below was running below the pictured blue line.

Grabbed some ROI and a scraper to clean the tank at the fish store and went home to work on the tank. Unplugged the sump and protein skimmer to start, got pulled away so I re plugged in, and came back to overflowing top display.

No matter how I adjust water in overflow or to the top display, the sump keeps pulling so much water it goes below the blue line and starts sucking air, overflowing the top display.

I'm trying to Google and find solutions but not seeing how to fix this problem. I am willing to try anything, appreciate any ideas or help!

Check the PUMP settings, what kind of RETURN Pump is it? It might be at 100 percent when you unplugged and plugged it back in. The other is as noted below, check for blockage everywhere especially that Gray tube that has that "DOUBLE LOOP". I would clean that out to ensure nothing is STUCK in there like a fish or coral or something.

 

[CoralB]

First sorry to hear about your Dad . I would definitely check for blockage and if you don’t find any you can put a small hose in the drain hole so that it allows air to create a vortex . Personally I don’t like how the drain hose goes down then up and down again . It’s a recipe for a clog . Straighter the better for proper drainage . As far as the pump you can add a valve to slow down the flow or get a dc smart motor to control the flow to keep up with the return . Or get a smaller less powerful pump . My guess is your issue is in the return . Good luck

 

[CoralB]

Took over a tank while my Dad was hospitalized, been running ok, was sucking air here and there but I noted the overflow tank below was running below the pictured blue line.

Grabbed some ROI and a scraper to clean the tank at the fish store and went home to work on the tank. Unplugged the sump and protein skimmer to start, got pulled away so I re plugged in, and came back to overflowing top display.

No matter how I adjust water in overflow or to the top display, the sump keeps pulling so much water it goes below the blue line and starts sucking air, overflowing the top display.

I'm trying to Google and find solutions but not seeing how to fix this problem. I am willing to try anything, appreciate any ideas or help!

Could you also show a picture of the pump and the top side drain ?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

First sorry to hear about your Dad . I would definitely check for blockage and if you don’t find any you can put a small hose in the return hole so that it allows air to create a vortex . Personally I don’t like how the return hose goes down then up and down again . It’s a recipe for a clog . Straighter the better for proper drainage . As far as the pump you can add a valve to slow down the flow or get a dc smart motor to control the flow to keep up with the return . Or get a smaller less powerful pump . My guess is your issue is in the return . Good luck

That's the drain hose, not the return

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I'm betting with that old school style sump it's a single drain that's partially clogged. Also as said above any controls anywhere for return pump. Should be a rectangular box with numbers on it, if it's a dc pump.

 

[bczeller]

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you, it was in fact the sump was running maxed out.

It seems to be an old model, no digital displace to adjust, but there was a know on the pump itself which I found after digging around.

Soon As I bumped it down, I was able to get the water level fixed in the overflow box and display.