Return Pump WAY Too Powerful

[Anemone_Fanatic]

I just finished filling my tank (good) and turned the return pump on. The return pumped out too much water, and ended up running out of water (bad). The problem is that I think that the return pump (Sicce Syncra 4.0) is too powerful, and pumps water into the tank at a greater rate than the drain hose can fill the sump. What should I do? I could just put a powerhead in the tank and run it without the sump while a new return pump gets here, but I would much rather just turn down the pump. How can I do this? Thanks!

 

[exnisstech]

You could throttle the return with a gate valve or ball valve. It does not hurt a pump if you restrict the out flow. Your probably going to have to do something like that. Or try a DC pump which will allow you to control the flow.
Maybe something like this?

 

[uninformed]

You simply don’t have enough water in your tank or your sump to account for your lines and the holdup in the tank—the increase in level above the overflow. How big is your tank, your sump, and what size are your return and drain lines (length and diameter)?

Is your sump baffled? Is is the return chamber that runs dry? Can you lower your baffles?

Can you partially close a valve on your return line? A lower flow rate will reduce the holdup in the tank.

Can you simply add more water to the system?

 

[OfficeReefer]

Does the flow regulation not help at all?

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Does the flow regulation not help at all?

I didn't know that existed... Silly me, I'll give that a go! Thanks!

 

[Aquagen]

The level when all pumps are off, isn't the same as when the pumps are running. All off tank should be sitting at the bottom lip of overflow and sump will be below level of overflowing. All on tank will sit somewhere above the lip of overflow due to teeth/friction restriction and sump will sit low.
Sounds like you need more water in sump. If your drains aren't keeping up the tank would overflow

 

[Aquagen]

Easiest way to set the level is fill from tank til sumo fills almost to the top, then run pump, then take out some water from sump to get desired height.

 

[Potatohead]

The level when all pumps are off, isn't the same as when the pumps are running. All off tank should be sitting at the bottom lip of overflow and sump will be below level of overflowing. All on tank will sit somewhere above the lip of overflow due to teeth/friction restriction and sump will sit low.
Sounds like you need more water in sump. If your drains aren't keeping up the tank would overflow

Agree. Adjusting pump speed won’t help a thing if there isn’t enough water in the system

 

[workhz]

Also make sure that when you add water to the sump (cuz it sounds like you need to unless you have restrictions in the drain) that when all pumps are off you don’t flood.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Whoops. I guess that I never updated this. I ended up turning the level down on the pump, and it worked. The water level in the sump is now stable, and has been for the past three weeks. I did end up adding more water after the fact, but that was more to combat noise from the overflow than to help the return pump. Thanks for all the suggestions!