help please! 2:30 A.M

[ahullsb]

damn it what is wrong with my overflow!!! It isn't keeping up with my return pump which doesn't make sense. I cleaned it out completely yesterday! The HOB is completely submerged and I'm afraid it's going to overflow before I wake up in the morning. What could this possibly be????????????????? I don't get it and I HATE HOB overflows now. Just an accident waiting to happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you read this don't EVER..EVER ...EVER...EVER use one.

 

[demonsp]

Need to think about a closed loop system. I have an overflow and to fis this i used shut off valves to adjust the flow so this would not happen.

 

[Sk8r]

Can you valve down your return pump until morning, got a valve anywhere in the line? Got a valve you can install?

Shove a brush down the U tubes and make sure they're clear...I've never used a HOB, but what you're experiencing, if this is the same pump you've always used, says there's got to be a clog in a line somewhere, and if you haven't got a brush long enough, you can tie a string to a heavy nut, tie the other end to a wad of cloth, drop nut through the pipe and use it to yank the cloth through to clean whatever-it-is.

Another solution is if you've got a weaker pump you could attach until morning.

 

[ahullsb]

Can I shut it down until morning? Just using two powerheads?

 

[ahullsb]

I've got one on each end of the tank

 

[demonsp]

That would be fine .

 

[ahullsb]

That didn't make sense did it...it's late. If I shut down the return in my sump I still have two powerheads, one on each end of the tank. Could that work until morning?

 

[ahullsb]

I have been reading about closed loop and didn't know what that was. Oh and I can't believe I didn't think about putting a valve in the return anyway to pace my overflow...even without knowing much about this hobby I should have thought of that!

 

[Sk8r]

as long as a pump is ruffling the surface of the water the oxygen exchange is going on. It should be ok. You might go to Ace Hdw ear-ly in the Am and get yourself a valve, two connectors each with one screw end and one barbed, and a couple of hose-clamps of the right size. Measure the interior diameter of your return hose or take a snippet with you to be sure of your dimensions. I just spent a week learning that interior dimension tells all, with pipe or hoses...

And don't get brass: lethal copper. Get PVC.

A closed loop is, in one sense, any water system that isn't connected to an outside source: it takes water from your tank and returns it at the same rate. Valves are really helpful. It doesn't seem to hurt a pump to throttle it back a bit via a valve. Put it where you can reach it. Clean HOBs probably run faster than ones that need service, so this little device can save you some headache: pick a rate that's liveable under both circumstances.

HTH.

 

[five.five-six]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9613030#post9613030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ahullsb
I've got one on each end of the tank

you will be fine, if your power head has an aerator, use it I know the small aquaclears have this useless looking little hole thing on the top of the nozzle, stick an air line in it. (no air pump needed) your tank will fill with microbubbles but it will help a lot

 

[ahullsb]

Thanks guys