• Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.

Grab the towels!!! My "new" overflow/sump/refug keep overflowing!

C

Candi

Someone please help. I think I know what the issue is, the outlet from the refug should be lower the the inlet however the previous owner claims this is how he used it and it worked fine... I even got the same exact crappy pump as him so I wouldn't have any issues (a rio 1100).

The 30g oceanic has a CPR overflow on the back that drains down into the acrylic refug, then the water flows out a bulkhead hole to the 5g sump where the rio pumps it back to the tank. The issues is that I keep having the sump running dry while the refug is overflowing... if the outlet to the refug was lower the the inlet this wouldn't be as big of an issue since the water would drain out into the sump before it overflowed the refug. Any ideas? The refug does have another outlet but it looks sealed up pretty tightly... would you try to get it open and seal up the other hole? Here's some photos, 2 of how he had it and one of the overflow I took.

refuge.jpg

30g1.jpg

30g2.jpg
 
Baxreefs

Baxreefs

If I read this correctly, All your flow is going to the fuge?

If that's right then it's not allowed to free drain into the sump, if it did, all the water that entered the fuge would drain , unrestricted, into the sump.

Either enlarge the drain from the fuge to the sump, or split the drain from the overflow with control valves to the fuge & sump, or split the return and feed the tank and fuge from the sump return. I think the solution is B or C.


Does that make sense? :-\
 
C

Candi

yes the overflow drains from the tank into the refuge, as you can see in the photos the bulkheads are right next to eachother at the same exact level (and really high up)... so in order for the water to then drain by gravity into the sump it has to reach almost to the top of the refuge and drain down into the sump, where the return pump is.

My issue is that it's not draining fast enough (although it's an open bulkhead, nothing in the way) so the pump is running dry and the refuge is overflowing over the edges before it drains into the sump.

I'm about to scream and scrap the whole thing... didn't even really need any of this since the tank is going to be a FOWLR for one fish, but since it came with the tank I thought I'd get it going.

Also... anyone who uses a CPR overflow, how much water is supposed to be in the back of it? Mine only has like 2" so the whole drain thingy isn't covered and it's sucking in air as well. If I try to add more water it just drains out, it's like it's draining faster then it can pull water in.
 
E

eholceker

NJRC Member
sounds like the bulkhead on the drains isnt large enough. Try using a smaller return pump to see if that will work.
 
C

Carlo

In a nut shell you have to much flow for the fuge to handle. You need to lower the flow going through the fuge.

The simply fix is to pick up a T or Y splitter as Baxreefs suggested. Then you split the overflow coming from the tank with 1/2 going to the fuge and 1/2 going directly to the sump. If the flow is still to much after doing the split you could add a valve between the T and the fuge and manually adjust the flow going into the fuge. This probably won't be needed however. The alternative would be to use a pump with less GPH flow but that will cost more.

Carlo
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
If you've got the same exact parts he had when he was successfully running it... you've not got it configured the way he had it. I can't really get a whole lot from your photographs. Any way you could draw out the diagram (even by hand)?
 
C

Candi

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Phyllis: that's what's got me, in theory I have it set up exactly how he did, only difference being that I cleaned the overflow really well and I had to buy a new RIO1100 as he didn't include it. I dont know if maybe it was so dirty when he was running it that the flow was slow enough not to cause issues or what.

I think I might just resell the overflow/sump/refug part... the more I think about it it probably isn't the best idea with a toddler in the house and no way to lock the oceanic stand anyways... plus having the refuge made so that the water level needs to be so high for it to drain into the sump really makes me nervous.
 
C

Candi

Dang thing is coming off for now. Regardless of the flow of the pump the refuge is overflowing. The overflow is draining into it faster then the water can get out the bulkhead.. I don't get it, it's exactly how the pervious owner had it so either my cleaning it really made a difference or he lied about how he had it set up for some bizarre reason. I suppose I could get a Y/T to send some of the water to the sump however I would still have to have the water level to high for my preference in the refuge :(

Anyone with a oceanic 30g cube interested in a overflow/refuge/sump? Fits perfectly into the stand if you can figure out the issues I'm having or having a high water level in the refuge doesn't bug you :)
 
malulu

malulu

NJRC Member
Candi,

one of the reason of the overflow draining too fast may be due to your sump do not have enough water to let you pump push them up fast enough...

you can try to use the overflow drain tube go "directly" into the refuge, and "twist" the refuge's outlet down, so both outlets will drain water into the sump. not sure if this will work, well worth to try...

think of the good side, draining too fast is definatly better than draining too slow!! ;D
 
mikem

mikem

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Did you try closing that valve a little more to slow down the flow to the tank? If you want, I can stop over in about an hour.
 
C

Candi

Hey Mike

I think I might need your help in person, but we're all sick (Ali has a high fever, I just feel yucky, Craig is on his way home feeling sick and crabby... so probably not the best night, but maybe later in the week?) I didn't try what you said (letting both bulkheads drain, should have tried that) that will still require the water level to be really high in the refuge though...makes me nervous. Flow to the tank isn't the issue, its the flow into the refuge... it can't drain out the one bulkhead fast enough.

Right now I'm just frustrated, I'll cool off and give it some more thought. If I decide not to sell the stuff then it'll either be scrapping this acrylic thing all together and getting something else designed better or maybe forgoing the 5g sump and just using the acrylic refuge with the pump in there so that I could have the water level lower... or figuring out a sump/refuge for the 50g and putting the overflow on there which is really what I should do since that one is the reef anyways.

Maybe you could help me figure out a cheap way to setup a refuge/sump for the 50g using this overflow and return pump? I don't know anything about how they should be setup since I never had one before and haven't taken the time to research. Could I just throw a 10g under the 50 with some cheato and a return pump in it until I get something fancier?)

Ugh... will give it more though tomorrow :)
 
mikem

mikem

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Just let me know when. Why cant you add another baffel to your fuge and just use that?
 
mikem

mikem

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Whatever the problem is, it's an easy fix. I'm working local so I can stop by anytime. Have to run out now to an emergency now, be back shortly(I hope)
 
malulu

malulu

NJRC Member
mikem,

what kind of work you are in... you seems have too many emergency... ;)
getting tired yet??
;D
 
C

Candi

Mike: if you can show me how to add a baffle and just use the acrylic fuge (assuming you mean to seperate the return pump from the sand/cheato right?) maybe that would work for now :)

Definitely later this week... I sent you a PM and email also, check when you get a chance :)
 
mikem

mikem

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Malulu.I'm a licensed home builder.Last week a friend and me bought an apartment house in Union Beach (2 family) The upstairs tenant calls me all upset saying the smoke detector in the empty downstairs house has been going off for hours. I know that theres nothing in there to start a fire, since my guys have been there since Monday gutting it and I personally disconnected the service panel and capped all the gas lines. I pulled up to the house and did hear a smoke Detector going off. It was in the dumpster 25 feet from the house. The rain set it off. I created a new rule for the crew. Pull the batteries out of the smokes before trashing them. Then the lady asks me to come upstairs to see if I can fix the bathroom sink. I go up there and theres a hole 4 inches round in the bottom of the sink(porcelain). She sad he 16 year old son dropped a blow dryer in there. (Yea OK) Told her I'd be back in the morning to replace sink, vanity, and faucet, even tho their only 1 year old. Don't know if I like being a landlord yet. My other emergency's are mostly no heat in winter, roof leaks, frozen water pipes ect. Not from the work I do. These are customers I've had for 30 years, so they can call me at 4 in the morning cause their kid clogged a toilet and it's the only one in the house. I love my work tho. Anyone else out there a Landlord?
 
mikem

mikem

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Candi. Yes thats what I meant. I have a piece of acrylic. Just remove the sand and let me know when you're ready. Haven't checked PM or email yet.
 
malulu

malulu

NJRC Member
mike,

thx, that sounds a fun job...
;D

have a home improvment related question, PMed you with more info.
thx
 
mfisher2112

mfisher2112

mikem said:
Anyone else out there a Landlord?
Click to expand...

Mike, my father did it for years while I was growing up. We all joked that he is part gypsy and part packrat, so whenever we moved, he kept the old house! You couldn't pay me enough to put up with that! At one point, he had 6 houses PLUS the one we were living in. I'm 35 now, and I just finally helped him off the last one. What a NIGHTMARE that was as a kid/teenager. Constantly fixing SOMETHING that someone broke, clogged, jammed, twisted, tore, spilled something on, etc, etc.

LOL! Good luck with the landlord thing! I think you're gonna need it! ;D

Oh, and I laughed out loud on the sink. I once had to get a mini-tonka truck out of a toilet. Ended up having to replace the toilet because we broke it trying to get the toy truck out.
 
C

Carlo

mikem said:
Oh, and I laughed out loud on the sink. I once had to get a mini-tonka truck out of a toilet.Ended up having to replace the toilet because we broke it trying to get the toy truck out.
Click to expand...

Did you get the tenant to pay for the damages? That should be covered under their renters insurance as "gross negligence" since they did something they shouldn't have (even though it was a kid) that caused destruction.

My family has a couple of houses we rent (I've lived in and fixed them up) and are nice properties. We make sure the tenant has a good insurance policy before renting to them and our contract stipulates they pay us and get reimbursed by their insurance for damages.

We've found that renting in this fashion stops a lot of the "little calls" and makes them more responsible.

Carlo
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top