Sump question

riche

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Ok so I have a 40 breeder diy sump on my 90 gallon. It’s 1” drain herbie style and the issue I am having is the water is going over the top of the baffles.

I have swapped pumps to a smaller one both pumps are dc so I can control the flow.

I have a valve on the drain and have tried adjusting it.

So do I need more return flow or less to get the water to stop going over the baffles?
 

Gtinnel

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If you setup your sump to have 3 baffles between chambers as an over-under-over and the water is going over the "under" baffle then it is a sign of either too much flow or the baffles are too close together, restricting flow.

I agree that we need a picture to understand what it's doing but my best guess would also be too much flow, or incorrectly designed baffles
 
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riche

riche

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Don’t worry the cords are tucked away

A friend told me that the baffles are wrong, I bought this used so I didn’t make it
 

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Gtinnel

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I'd agree with your friend.
The baffle will set the height of the water level before it in the sump, since the baffle before the return chamber is the tallest it will make the water level in the sump that height up to the return chamber.
If you redo it (which I would strongly reccoment) make each baffle at least slightly lower than the one before it (with an exception being that one after the return pump chamber which I am assuming to to make an ATO resevoir).
 

schuby

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I don't think it is a flow-rate issue. I think you just have too much water in your system. You have to remove water until the level is where you want it in the sump. When your return pumps are off, you want to make sure your sump doesn't overflow onto the floor.
 

schuby

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When my return pump is off, the water in my sump is higher than the baffles. When it is on, the water-level is below the high baffles, flowing over or under the other baffles.
 

Gtinnel

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I don't think it is a flow-rate issue. I think you just have too much water in your system. You have to remove water until the level is where you want it in the sump. When your return pumps are off, you want to make sure your sump doesn't overflow onto the floor.
I agree it isn't a flow rate issue, but I'm pretty sure it isn't a water volume issue either. If you look in the next to last chamber (which I am assuming is the return pump) the water level is fairly low. If they remove more water their pump will run dry (again assuming the pump is in that section).

I believe the issue to be an incorrectly designed sump.
 

schuby

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Can you add some close-up pics of the baffles on the right? I'm trying to understand the intended flow through this sump. I'm wondering if you have the water flowing through, in the opposite way than was intended, based on the baffle placements.
 

jgirardnrg

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I agree it isn't a flow rate issue, but I'm pretty sure it isn't a water volume issue either. If you look in the next to last chamber (which I am assuming is the return pump) the water level is fairly low. If they remove more water their pump will run dry (again assuming the pump is in that section).

I believe the issue to be an incorrectly designed sump.
It actually appears that everything might be reversed the way the baffles are setup. From right to left: Overflow > Refugium > Skimmer > Return
 

Gtinnel

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It actually appears that everything might be reversed the way the baffles are setup. From right to left: Overflow > Refugium > Skimmer > Return
I agree it is hard to tell, but am I wrong that there is one chamber that has a lower water level? If I'm seeing it right then there is no way the water is flowing from right to left.
If I am wrong then most of what I've said can be ignored.
Screenshot_20210415-131437_Chrome.jpg
 

prdubois

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Where does the water come into the sump? on the left? If so the 12" baffle is too high.
What is the chamber all the way to the right? Is that fresh water for top off or is there a opening to the rest of the sump?
You may have everything backwards
 
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schuby

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Trying to stay positive, the sump may have been constructed based on someone else's design, but the execution may have fallen short.
 

Gtinnel

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Trying to stay positive, the sump may have been constructed based on someone else's design, but the execution may have fallen short.
Possibly, for the Bubble trap maybe someone accidentally wrote their last 9 upside down and the person putting it together didn't know any better.
 

jgirardnrg

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I agree it is hard to tell, but am I wrong that there is one chamber that has a lower water level? If I'm seeing it right then there is no way the water is flowing from right to left.
If I am wrong then most of what I've said can be ignored.
Screenshot_20210415-131437_Chrome.jpg
Hard to tell for sure... either way it needs work and is going to make some noise...

To me it almost looks like it should go this way (unless that right compartment is for ATO):
30D79A30-E187-4AAE-86F8-638EC9E95D02 copy.jpg
 
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