Water level in sump not staying steady

[jaxteller007]

So a couple months ago I started noticing the water level in the skimmer section of my sump dropping. I can't seem to get it to stay steady. It just keeps dropping, but the water level in the return section and refugium stay fine. The water level in the return wont' drop unless the skimmer section goes like bone dry. I just can't seem to figure it out.
It's an E-Shopps R-200 sump.

Any ideas where to start looking for problems? I think it started when i did a complete clean of the sump and took everything out and stuff. I've just been adding water back to the skimmer section but figure I should try and actually fix the problem finally lol.

 

[jgirardnrg]

Pics would help spot any potential issues

 

[theocorals537]

Do you have an auto top off ? When I set up a reefer 250 I used my own auto top of instead of the gravity fed one , and it only worked adding the water into the pump compartment, not the refugium. Don’t be afraid to try different things , just watch and do some test runs and see how it goes. Keep us posted

 

[jaxteller007]

Do you have an auto top off ? When I set up a reefer 250 I used my own auto top of instead of the gravity fed one , and it only worked adding the water into the pump compartment, not the refugium. Don’t be afraid to try different things , just watch and do some test runs and see how it goes. Keep us posted

I have a Tunze but it never turns on because the return section of the sump won't drop unless the skimmer section is like bone dry. The fuge and return sections will stay full but the skimmer just keeps dropping.
I thought at first it could be something to do with the UV sterilizer, it runs from the skimmer section to the return, but it worked fine when I first set it up, not sure what could have happened to change it.

 

[jaxteller007]

Pics would help spot any potential issues

I'll get some of those right now.

 

[jaxteller007]

Pics would help spot any potential issues

It's dirty and yes the skimmer just turned off lol. The water level in skimmer section was filled to that black tape like two days ago.

 

[DC Reefer]

Seems like the UV pump is slightly faster than the return. I would turn the UV pump and the light off for a couple of days and see if the problem persists.
also is the skimmer section water level lower than the return section? If not the two compartments could be leaking between the two and causing one to decrease while the other stays somewhat level.

 

[jgirardnrg]

As an experiment, run the UV with both lines in the skimmer section.

 

[jaxteller007]

Seems like the UV pump is slightly faster than the return. I would turn the UV pump and the light off for a couple of days and see if the problem persists.
also is the skimmer section water level lower than the return section? If not the two compartments could be leaking between the two and causing one to decrease while the other stays somewhat level.

As an experiment, run the UV with both lines in the skimmer section.

I'm doing a water change today out of the sump so I'll try both of these. Thanks for the ideas

 

[jgirardnrg]

I'm doing a water change today out of the sump so I'll try both of these. Thanks for the ideas

For what it's worth, I run my UV in and out of the skimmer chamber of my sump. The pump inlet is on one side and discharge the water returning from UV right by the baffle leading to the refugium section. I did it this way because it was messing with sump levels as well and triggering my ATO.

 

[zalick]

I have that same sump on a smaller system of mine. Looks like you have the skimmer in the return section. Are you sure you’ve got it in the right section?

 

[Pistondog]

Fwiw, I run my r200 with the tunze sensors in the skimmer section.

@zalick, op has a big flapper check valve just above his return pump.

 

[zalick]

Fwiw, I run my r200 with the tunze sensors in the skimmer section.

@zalick, op has a big flapper check valve just above his return pump.

Ahhh.

@jaxteller007 do you have your drain line coming back in to the return pump section?

 

[jaxteller007]

I have that same sump on a smaller system of mine. Looks like you have the skimmer in the return section. Are you sure you’ve got it in the right section?

Umm if I put the skimmer where the return pump is I'd have to have the tiniest skimmer ever lol. The skimmer is in the largest section of the sump.

 

[jaxteller007]

I haven't even been using my ATO since this started but normally i have it set up in the return section.
FYI, i ran the UV return to the skimmer section yesterday and so far water level has been staying up in that section. That may have been the issue although I swear that when I first set up the UV it was working fine.

 

[zalick]

I haven't even been using my ATO since this started but normally i have it set up in the return section.
FYI, i ran the UV return to the skimmer section yesterday and so far water level has been staying up in that section. That may have been the issue although I swear that when I first set up the UV it was working fine.

Where does the display drain go? Does it go to the return section or the skimmer section? It looks like it’s the braided tube in your return pump section??

 

[boacvh]

Had a similar issue on mine. Same exact sump. Mine wouldn't go bone dry but levels were not steady. Here are 2 ideas. Check the plate that attaches in the skimmer section going to the return section. If bumped it could just be impeding flow to the return section, (and also back from the return to the skimmer) meaning easiest water route would be through the refugium. And second idea, check under the refugium for gunk/obstructions, basically the flow from the sock compartment to the skimmer section.

 

[jaxteller007]

Where does the display drain go? Does it go to the return section or the skimmer section? It looks like it’s the braided tube in your return pump section??

The braided hose you see is actually the return. The display drain is hard plumbed into the standard drain sections on that sump.

 

[jaxteller007]

Had a similar issue on mine. Same exact sump. Mine wouldn't go bone dry but levels were not steady. Here are 2 ideas. Check the plate that attaches in the skimmer section going to the return section. If bumped it could just be impeding flow to the return section, meaning easiest water route would be through the refugium. And second idea, check under the refugium for gunk/obstructions, basically the flow from the sock compartment to the skimmer section.

I'm fairly certain there is definite build up under the fuge but getting it out is a pain in the tail.

 

[zalick]

The braided hose you see is actually the return. The display drain is hard plumbed into the standard drain sections on that sump.

What is the braided one circled?