Sump Return level confusion

[Eggpaul]

I need an explanation everyone. So I was just trying to calibrate my ato to off and I am confused. I set the water level, walked away for 10 min, came back and the level had dropped. And the level in the overflow and increased. So if I keep adding water to the return area will it just keep dropping again and increasing the display level????


See pics below. I put some tape to monitor the level. And see the Hydor sensor?? After filling to max it dropped after 10 min. Why????

 

[Eggpaul]

@crabs_mcjones need your help on this one.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

Are you using a gate valve to create full shipon like a herbie or a bean animal? If so that could be your issue. It takes a while for the water to equalize in the system.

 

[Eggpaul]

Are you using a gate valve to create full shipon like a herbie or a bean animal? If so that could be your issue. It takes a while for the water to equalize in the system.

Then will the water level go back to normal? I felt The water is equalized. I just raised the ato sensor because I wanted more water in the return area. After it filled I walked away for 10 min. Came back to see the level had dropped and the overflow rose. I am using a durso that basically is submerged except for the air holes on top and an emergency pipe. Used a ball valve to adjust drain. Zero sound

 

[Flux Capacitor]

Once it is stabilized it shouldn’t be changing with ato water. Where is your ato water line sitting? Is it now below the water line in the sump? Maybe back siphoning into your ato tank?

Can you take some pictures of your sump and overflow chamber?

 

[Eggpaul]

Once it is stabilized it shouldn’t be changing with ato water. Where is your ato water line sitting? Is it now below the water line in the sump? Maybe back siphoning into your ato tank?

Can you take some pictures of your sump and overflow chamber?

I'll take some pics tonight. The line is above the water, so no siphoning. I feel like if I add any water past the stabilized amount it just adds to the display.

 

[Eggpaul]

Once it is stabilized it shouldn’t be changing with ato water. Where is your ato water line sitting? Is it now below the water line in the sump? Maybe back siphoning into your ato tank?

Can you take some pictures of your sump and overflow chamber?

Here is a picture I have with me. Will take more tonight

 

[Flux Capacitor]

What pump are you running as a return?

What is the second pipe going into your filter sock, is it an emergency drain?

 

[Eggpaul]

What pump are you running as a return?

What is the second pipe going into your filter sock, is it an emergency drain?

Vectra M1, yes that is the emergency pipe.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

Is the M1 running at 100%?

The only thing I can think of right now is the Durso pipe is holding some of the water, because it can’t breath right. You could try drilling the air hole in the top a little bigger to see what that does. If it were me I would just make it a straight stand pipe with a filter guard over the top of it. It’s harder to fine tune a full siphon using a ball valve vs using a gate valve, so maybe that could be part of the issue, but it might not be a factor at all.

Lastly you are gonna wanna make the emergency drain pipe bigger. If your 1” or 1.5” pipe, I can’t tell, clogs that 3/4 pipe isn’t going to be able to handle the flow of the pump by itself leaving you open to a flood.

 

[Eggpaul]

Is the M1 running at 100%?

The only thing I can think of right now is the Durso pipe is holding some of the water, because it can’t breath right. You could try drilling the air hole in the top a little bigger to see what that does. If it were me I would just make it a straight stand pipe with a filter guard over the top of it. It’s harder to fine tune a full siphon using a ball valve vs using a gate valve, so maybe that could be part of the issue, but it might not be a factor at all.

Lastly you are gonna wanna make the emergency drain pipe bigger. If your 1” or 1.5” pipe, I can’t tell, clogs that 3/4 pipe isn’t going to be able to handle the flow of the pump by itself leaving you open to a flood.

M1 is running at 50% (6 out of 12 bars). I don't have any noise from the durso pipe or the drain, it's perfect. The return level is perfect. I can adjust the ATO sensor to this point and it would be fine, but I'm trying to understand why it is filling the tank if I choose to raise the return area water level. I was just trying to make the refugium cascade a little less into the return so I wanted to raise the water level. After 10 minutes it was back down and water in the display was higher. That's what I'm dealing with.

On the emergency pipe, the holes came like that (1.5 inch and 3/4 inch). I guess I can test if the emergency pipe can handle it, but I will have a top cover so how would the drain pipe be clogged?

 

[thegrun]

Any number of things (like hair algae) can get caught in the gate valve, reducing flow and causing water to build up in the display tank. Try opening and closing the gate valve a couple of times and see if that changes things.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

There has to be a reason this is happening. I would sill look at the vent hole as well as operating the ball valve a few times to make sure nothings growing in there. The overflow can be silent, and holding the water back at the same time so it’s worth looking into. Were you able to get some photos of the overflow chamber?

The emergency drain is incase the main pipe gets plugged for whatever reason like a fish bag accidentally flowing over and covering it. You want to make sure that it can handle what your main pipe is doing, or it could be a disaster.

 

[Eggpaul]

There has to be a reason this is happening. I would sill look at the vent hole as well as operating the ball valve a few times to make sure nothings growing in there. The overflow can be silent, and holding the water back at the same time so it’s worth looking into. Were you able to get some photos of the overflow chamber?

The emergency drain is incase the main pipe gets plugged for whatever reason like a fish bag accidentally flowing over and covering it. You want to make sure that it can handle what your main pipe is doing, or it could be a disaster.

Nothing is growing. It's only a 2 week old tank. I heard the ato top off start again. I came back here and it's at the minimum level again. Not sure why it's taking the extra water up to the display.

 

[Eggpaul]

Can it be my skimmer breaking in?

 

[Flux Capacitor]

It could be your skimmer, but I dont see why that would raise the amount of water in the display. Try turning it off see what happens. Have you tried opening the valve all the way, and then after a few mins try to reset up the siphon? Try that see what happens.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

Also where is your ato sensor located? Is it in the high baffle area? Or by the m1?

 

[Eggpaul]

Also where is your ato sensor located? Is it in the high baffle area? Or by the m1?

Ato is by the M1.

 

[Eggpaul]

This is the overflow. Durso has 2 holes on top.

 

[Eggpaul]

It could be your skimmer, but I dont see why that would raise the amount of water in the display. Try turning it off see what happens. Have you tried opening the valve all the way, and then after a few mins try to reset up the siphon? Try that see what happens.

Turning skimmer off didn't do anything. I'm going to try to put tape over those holes on the durso.

Question, the cascade of water from the fuge to the return ...is that too much? Or should the water be higher?